First of all, this chapter is to be brought into a certain main summa according to its content. 1) Initially, it is taught that the blessedness of man does not flow from the law or from human statutes. And in this example of the apostles all those have a pattern before their eyes, who have the teaching authority in the church.
that they should be more concerned to present the teachings of godliness to their listeners than to persecute the Antichrist and other enemies of the truth. This is how John does it. Having recently described the corruption of our nature, the lusts of the world and its desires, and the nature of the world.
When he introduces the Antichrist, he returns to the main doctrines of the Gospel. 2) Then, in this chapter, he elaborates somewhat on the phrase he used in the conclusion of the other chapter: "He who does right is born of God. 3) Finally, there is all kinds of teaching and exhortation. The teachings must be laid down as a basis in the church, and the exhortation must be built upon them. The vices must be punished, and the Antichrist must also be stripped of his coat of armor.
Behold, what love the Father has shown us, that we should be called children of God.
2. this is a further explanation of the immediately preceding saying, "He is born of God."
V. 11. And this is the message.
3. namely, one does not have to hate the brethren; one does not have to love the world with its lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh and [its] hopeful nature; one does not have to follow false doctrine, for we are born of God, and "the Son of God appeared for this purpose, that he might destroy the works of the devil," 1 John 3:8.
V. 19. By this we know that we are of the truth.
(4) In this way John meets a sorrow of the mind that often comes to pious and faithful people, that they say, "Oh, I cannot fulfill these three things as I would like to. For this reason, however, one should not lose heart.
V. 23. And this is the commandment that we believe etc.
This is the conclusion of the whole chapter. This general content gives us the following to consider:
6. 1) The article of repentance is first of all in it, which was very much corrupted by the sophists in the past times, and has not been presented so loudly since the times of the apostles as in our present times. In this way Christ preached repentance, but at the same time the apostles pointed to the one who must work repentance in us. "Repent," said Jesus, "for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
has come near", Matth. 4, 17. The law and the prophets did not use such language; they did not add such a cause of motion. On the contrary, they frighten with all kinds of threats and say: If you do what God has commanded, he will be merciful to you; if not, he will punish you. The prophets also do the same when they punish the sins of the people of their time. Only the gospel adds the right cause. The law says nothing about anything but repentance, but the gospel adds this cause, Luc. 24:26: "Did not Christ have to suffer, and so enter into his glory," so that repentance and forgiveness of sins might be preached in his name under all heaven? This is the right cause that makes us well pleased to be godly and to have our hearts changed, "for the kingdom of heaven has come. This cause makes us penitent, but also comforts us with the forgiveness of sins. The law cannot and may not do this; it does not give comfort. Nevertheless, the law must also be preached. But what the reason for the movement contains: "The kingdom of God is at hand," Christ declared in Matth. 11, 5: "The dead rise, the lepers are cleansed, the blind see, the lame walk. Therefore, I must now both take other thoughts from God and lead a different life. For the kingdom of heaven has come, and the love of the Father has been revealed. Thus it is said in Rom. 12, 1: "I exhort you by the mercy of God to present your bodies for a sacrifice that is living, holy, and pleasing to God." Since you now know what love God has shown us, you in turn show God that which is pleasing to Him. In this way, God enters into our lives, and we in turn show it by loving our neighbor.
7. 2) Secondly, John has here given an example to all teachers in the church, how they should base the doctrine and build the exhortations on it, or, which is the same, that they should first teach how we are to be saved by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ alone.
The following is a reminder of sin and an exhortation to do good. This is what John did in the previous chapter, and he presented three kinds of vices: 1) common, natural vices, revenge, hatred, anger; 2) prevailing worldly vices, lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, hopefulness. Satan is a right master to hang us in the world; 3) false, seductive teachings, for the spreading of which Satan generally needs the most skilled people. If he cannot weave them into the lusts of the world, he makes them full of spiritual pride, full of high thoughts of themselves, thus making them antichrist. He makes them sure that they think to themselves: "You have better gifts than others, you can help yourself greatly and seek help from God. You are a master of the Scriptures. This certainty is with many the cause of their seductions, which many of our new prophets have experienced, whom Satan has harmed by not staying with the Gospel. So also the pope did not care about the word, but says: Ei! the church is more than the word. Therefore, they follow their own thoughts, and from this the many monasteries and orders have arisen. These are the three things with which Satan rules in the world, namely hatred and persecution, the lusts of the world, and false teaching. John has now also presented these three things, but immediately returns to the teaching of faith, which is done in this third chapter. The vices, however, must be punished. "For God's wrath is revealed from heaven against all unrighteousness", Rom. 1, 18. But the gospel alone instructs the forgiveness of sins. Keep your heart against the gospel, and you will repent. For example, the words of Christ, Matth. 11, 28: "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden," are a true gospel, for it sets the goodness of God before our eyes. But you do not believe this when God sends you a cross and lets a wheel run over your leg. But as soon as one calls Christ, repentance stands at the door. Augustine answers a bishop in his book de catechizandis rudibus, and says that there is a twofold love: 1) The love of God toward us; 2) our love toward the
Next. That bishop objected and said, "Should I preach no more than this, the people will go wild. Augustine answered: Dominus praeparabit corda, God will already prepare the hearts. Therefore, whoever leads the teaching ministry, let him remember that he sits or stands before God's face, that he is only a statua Mercurialis, a hand on the road that shows the way to travelers. For a teacher should know that he is not the one who edifies and comforts souls, but God does it through his word. But our affections must not be mixed with this word.
V. 1. Behold, what love the Father has shown us, that we should be called children of God.
With this he explained what it means to be "born of God". God has given this grace and revealed it in his word. But if he has given it, we have not earned it. To be born of God, then, means to have God as our Father, who has accepted us in grace for Christ's sake. If God wants to settle accounts with us, He owes us nothing but hell, and does so justly. But if he gives us heaven, it is grace. Behold, he says, what God has done for us. The world looks only at the emperor and other great lords. But God does not inquire, as he who redeemed us "not with gold or silver, but with the precious blood of Jesus Christ", 1 Petr. 1, 18. 19. "What good is it for us, if we could win the whole world?" Matth. 16, 26. And with what fear the temporal things, honor and goods of this life are left! A Christian does not have to say: Ei! this is a delicious, fine God, because he gives. But because temporal goods are held in such high esteem, one should rather say: "Behold, what love the Father has shown us in that we should be His children. Paul explained what this means in Romans 8:17: "We are to be heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. Now see if this is not a sufficient reason to abstain from the three vices described above, which are found in our nature, in the world and in false teaching. But just as nothing is more easily forgotten than good deeds, so it is with us humans
even with the blessings of God, so that we forget them soon enough. He gives us our being and life, he preserves us wonderfully in our mother's womb. When man comes into the world, he comes, as Cyprian says, ex officina Dei, from the workshop of God, and finds duo ubera [two breasts], two bottles of milk for his entertainment. But above these benefits comes this, that he gives them his son. This love is described by Paul in Romans 5: It is not enough for him to give us bread, wine, and money; but in this he shows his love most of all, that he dies for his enemies. For the sake of good, or for a good cause, a man would rather die as an example, a father for his son, a mother for her daughter, a citizen for his fatherland. But of this there is no example, that ever an enemy died for his enemy; rather he says: He who saves his enemy builds up misfortune for himself. But Christ dies for his enemies; therefore this is the right preaching of faith, and of the grace of God. "Now all the prophets testify of this JEsu," Apost. 10:43, through whom "men have received power to become the children of God," John 1:12. If, for example, I come to a man whom I do not know myself, but I know his son, and I say to the father that I know his son, he says, "Do you know my son? well, then I will do you good, because you know my son. It is the same with the faith in the name of the only begotten Son of God. If I confess his name in faith, then this is the cause that I can bring before the Father, and for which I am accepted with grace. Therefore it is said in John Cap. 3:18: "He that believeth on the Son shall not be judged." If I say to the Father, "Dear heavenly Father, I know your Son," he answers, "Come here, I will show you mercy for the sake of my Son. But the world does not know this Son, and therefore it does not know the Christians. We learn from experience that the world overlooks all vices and bad habits, if only we do not know about Christ. And even if one has done all the sensible good in the world, and he preaches Christ in the process, all that is good in the world is not good in the world.
in vain and lost. Peter exhorts: "Let no one among you suffer as a thief or a murderer; but if he suffers as a Christian, honor God in such a case," 1 Petr. 4:15, 16. It is quite evident that the Elector of Saxony never did anything against honor, but because he confesses Christ, he is rejected and subject to much danger.
Therefore the world does not know you, for it does not know him.
9 The world follows its evil desires and thinks you are fools to put yourselves in danger for the sake of Christ. It knows nothing of the love the Father has shown us in calling us his children.
Beloved, we are now God's children, and what we will be has not yet appeared. But we know when it shall appear that we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
(10) That John says, "We are now the children of God, and it has not yet appeared what we shall be," seems to be a dark mystery. It seems to contain a contradiction when the Scripture calls those children of God who are by nature children of wrath and of the devil, and that it assigns God as a Father to those who are in the midst of their enemies in great distress. In spite of this, it remains the same: we are God's children, heirs with all the angels and the elect. But where is this found? "The ones the Lord loves he chastises", Hebr. 12, 6, and that is a hard distemper that hurts very much.
But it has not yet appeared.
(11) So it must be expected in the future with joyful hope. Our knowledge in this life is piecemeal; but when I have been recognized, only then will imperfection cease, only then will we be like him; consequently we must be unlike him in this life, because we cannot understand what is to happen in the future.
Because we will see him as he is.
12 Only then, according to the promise of Christ, will we be like the angels of God, Matth.
22, 30. We find a beautiful explanation of this place in 1 Cor. 13, 12: "Now we see it through a mirror, in a dark word." A riddle is a dark speech that consists of words, but whose true meaning must be guessed. It says: "Counsel, what is this, that he who is up to his ears in the cross and suffering should be God's child? It is a dark word, a riddle. The whole world is misled by it, it cannot solve it. For the world says of such a one: He is a child of the devil. But Christ has solved this riddle. For he himself was the Son of God, even though he was tested and exercised in the cross. Therefore, Christ pressed the seal on this truth on his cross. We see it as through a mirror; Jacobus has resolved this expression for us in his epistle, Cap. 1, 23. 24. It is the way of a mirror that one soon forgets what one sees in it. Thus it is said there: "The wind blows where it wills. John 3:8: No one knows of this filiation from a special divine revelation, but only from the inward movements of his heart through the Holy Spirit. But where they come from and where they go, he does not know. So we are promised an inheritance, but only in a mirror, so that we soon forget it. It is like a dark word that cannot be completely dissolved; therefore, our hope must wait for it and be sure that it will come one day. Epicurus writes: Spes mea sit in fundo, my hope goes no further than my eyes can see. Homerus wrote: Noxam esse in mundo, sin der Welt sei^j Herzeleid, Jammer, und dergleichen, und Jupiter soll die Welt von dieser noxa, befreien. Virgilio says: Durate, et vosmet rebus servate secundis,1) endure, and expect a better fortune. Dabit Deus his quoque finem, finally the misery will have an end. But a Christian exclaims, "Abba, dear Father." This riddle is well expressed in the legend of St. Francis. For when his brothers praised him greatly and singled him out, he said, "I am a child of the devil; I have death and hell.
1) Virgil, Ub. I, v. 207.
deserves. This is not what the pope says nowadays, nor what any pope says.
We are now God's children.
(13) In truth, this remains a mystery and a dark word to the pious. For nothing is less obvious to the children of God in this world than that they should be children of God, that is, lords of death, hell, sin and all creatures. In this world, they are regarded as sheep for slaughter, which must necessarily be removed from the way. Of this we have the beautiful saying of Paul to the Colossians, where it says: "Your life is hidden with Christ in God", Col. 3, 3.
14. 1) For first of all, the saints still feel that there is still vain sin and corruption in their flesh, so that it is not often that they lose heart, or stand before God with a sorrowful heart and pray, "O Lord, do not enter into judgment with your servant, for before you no living person is righteous," Psalm 143:2. 143, 2. A child of God says in the morning, "This whole day I want to serve God; but before he realizes it, he falls into sin up to his ears. When he then becomes aware of his fall into sin, he says: Because it does not want to go on, the matter would soon come to pass that I would say: Only a knife here, rope, fire, water. And this would also happen if it had no consolation for itself. But this consolation is called: You are God's child; but it has not yet appeared what a blessed state this is. Some have sought this consolation in the desert and wasteland, but have not found it, nor have they been reformed. In all our flesh there remains self-love, or great distrust of God, but firm trust in one's own good works. In addition, there are all kinds of lusts and desires that would rather have their bridle cut than to have it so strictly tightened. And yet this is the purpose and desire to which they aspire, that they long to be delivered from the body of this death. And this is the testimony of the Holy Spirit, "who bears witness to our spirit that we are the children of God," Rom. 8:16.
15. 2) On the other hand, the from-
In this life, we are still subject to many dangers, which Augustine thus presented: Aut sumus, aut fuimus, aut possumus esse, quod hic est, we are either still, or have been, or can become again, what this is. For there is no calamity in the world that does not hang over the head of the pious, especially if God should allow it. It is very easy for one to fall into all kinds of disgrace and vice, adultery, death, fire, water, sword, pestilence, disease and all kinds of reproach before the world. In addition, there are Satan's manifold wiles, by which he seeks to deprive us completely of all grace and blessedness.
16. 3) Thirdly, believers often need to take part in the danger of their friends and other people in the world. For things do not go right anywhere. Countless blasphemies against God and His gospel are uttered by the wicked, who deny that the blood of Christ has sufficed for all the sin of the world. They force others to participate in all kinds of idolatry, to make sects, to establish orders, to join the community of the papal tyranny and the family of the Antichrist. Satan is the god of this world; it shall have no better ruler, for it is not worthy of any better.
17. 4) The believers and saints must see in this world the false prophets, the false brethren, Jews, pagans, Sacramentans, deceivers, Anabaptists, and who may name all of the swarming spirits. And so the life of true Christians is also hidden in God in that they hardly know how to survive in the face of so many dangers, temptations and changes. And they would not be able to do so if they were not children of God, if they did not belong to the Church of God and to the congregation of the saints, in which all their sins are abundantly forgiven every day; if God Himself did not watch over them and defend them in danger for the sake of His Christ, whom He has given as the head of His Church.
18. 5) Finally, let each one consider for himself how his life has been from the day he began to live.
think back once, in how many dangers he has been, both in the field and on the journey, as well as in his home, both in waking and in sleeping, both by day and by night. Experience will teach him that it would not have been possible for him to exist where he had not been a child of God. In addition, when we make many decisions, we must learn that it does not depend on what we want and decide in our lives, but that God governs everything we do, and that even if we leave everything to God, it does not always happen according to our wishes and will. Therefore, Paul rightly said: "Faith is not for everyone", 2 Thess. 3, 2. Nothing higher can be created and communicated by God than a believing heart. And when a new heart is created and a sinner is converted to God, it is just as much as if a new world is created.
19 The experience of this is found in the 139th Psalm: "Lord, you search me and know me. And it goes to teach how God shows Himself gloriously in the weakness of His children. He teaches how man in his mother's womb is so wonderfully formed, preserved, nourished, and at the right time brought forth into the light. Some have taken it upon themselves to look into this mystery of nature. But they should rather go back to their youth, then they would find what a raw, wild life they led, what heated, dangerous plans they made, how many an apparent danger they escaped, then their skin would probably shiver.
20. 6) All this, which belongs to the state of suffering of the children of God, is described in detail in 2 Cor. 6, 4: "In all things we prove ourselves to be the servants of God, in great patience, in afflictions, in hardships and in anguish. This is also what the bride says in the Song of Songs, Cap. 1, 5, 6: "I am black, but beautiful, for the sun has burned me." And in the 132nd Psalm, v. 13, 14: "The Lord hath chosen Zion, and hath pleased to dwell there. This is my rest forever; here I will dwell, for it pleases me." The church and children of God are
like a widow, and not unlike the one who is completely consumed by hunger, and has this for comfort: "The Lord is the poor man's refuge, a refuge in trouble. Therefore hope in thee, they that know thy name; for thou dost not forsake them that seek thee, O Lord," Ps. 9:10, 11. The same is found in the 45th Psalm, "My heart maketh a beautiful song," etc., vv. 11, 12. "Forget thy people and thy father's house, and the king shall delight in thy beauty, for he is thy Lord, and thou shalt worship him." Add
21. 7) The various examples, which are distinguished in the holy scriptures. This is how the pious Abel lives; this is how Lot is preserved, while the other Sodomites go to hell; this is how Noah swims on the waters of the flood; this is how our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ lives, dies and rises from death. In sum, this is how all the saints live.
V. 3. And every one that hath such hope.
(22) That he might one day see God and Jesus as he is, which has not yet appeared.
He purifies himself just as he is pure.
We all have to study this for the rest of our lives. The word: "He who purifies himself" does not mean in the Greek text: καθαρίζω, I make him clean.
pure, or καθαρός, mundus, but it means:
άγνίζω, and is used of the removal of such impurities and defilements that are an abomination in God's eyes and provoke Him to anger in such a way that land and people perish and perish under them. This is what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah because of their abominations. The first world was destroyed by a flood of sin because of its abominations. And that Mr. Winkler, preacher at Halle, is strangled, 1) that is also a piaculum [a guilt], of which the earth is not yet cleansed. For where murder is committed, and the earth is not cleansed of such shed blood, a country shall perish. Therefore, if a Christian realizes that for his sake a land should perish and be destroyed, where he has
1) Georg Winkler, preacher at Halle, was murdered in a forest on April 23, 1527.
not purified himself, he exerts all his diligence to become pure; namely.
How he is pure.
(24) For he is now reconciled, sin and iniquity are taken away from his sight; Christ has taken the curse upon himself, for otherwise we would all have gone to hell.
(25) In addition to the epistle written by Paul to the Romans, in which the death of the flesh is treated very seriously, we also find in the fourth and fifth chapters of the epistle to the Ephesians, and in the fourth of the epistle to the Philippians, a beautiful instruction as to what is the right baptism and purification of life.
26. 1) The first canon poenitentiae, or rule, according to which the repentance of a Christian and the death of the sinful flesh must be established, is this: that he may walk worthy of his calling; that he may know and consider that he has received his calling from God. What this calling is, Paul explained in parts, when he says: "Christ has made some apostles, others evangelists, others shepherds and teachers", Eph. 4, 11. Furthermore, he commanded the wives to love and honor their husbands, the children to be obedient to their parents, and the servants to show all due loyalty to their masters.
27. 2) The other canon is that each one should earnestly endeavor not only to begin the appointed course, but also to complete it with all patience, gentleness, and forbearance, and that each one should learn to bear the other. This is what Paul called ταπ^νο- φρωσΰνην and φιλοστοργίαν. Elsewhere says
This apostle, Rom. 12, 15: "Be glad with the glad and weep with the weeping. The gospel not only teaches this, but also gives power and strength to do so. The Word of God purifies the naturally impure heart. "From the days of John the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and those who do violence to it snatch it away," Matth. 11, 12. No one can do anything about this unless he has this Spirit of Jesus.
28. 3) The third Canon is: "that we do not
walk as the rest of the Gentiles, in vanity of mind, whose understanding is darkened, who are alienated from the life that is of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart", Eph. 4, 17. 18. Now we are not to have such a Gentile mind about us anymore, nor are we to pull on the same yoke with the unbelievers. Paul describes Eph. 4, 19. these people as άπηλγηχότες, that is, as those who have lost all feeling, or, as Jerome explains it, who no longer know what it means "to be ashamed," who live like the Epicureans, or like our rich merchants. When you punish them, they say: What is the word to me! If I have enough here, I will let our Lord God have his heaven. These are the άπηλγηχότες, the wicked, unfeeling people.
Terentius calls them perditos homines, qui dedoluerunt, whom nothing more hurts in their conscience. Virgilius describes such a despiser no better than the peasants who ask neither for God nor for His heaven, who say: "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we will be dead", Is. 22, 13. 1 Cor. 15, 32. The Pope of Rome knows nothing of this repentance, and those who are of his part are also abundantly provided for: that if my son becomes a priest or a monk, he is provided for, or my daughter a nun, she is also provided for.
29. 4) The fourth canon is: that a true Christian must have certainty and conviction of his faith doctrine, and not, like children, "be swayed to and fro by every wind of doctrine", Eph. 4, 14. When Ludwig Hetzer, 1) the supreme leader of the enthusiasts and Anabaptists, was caught in adultery, and was now to receive his due punishment, he gave two more teachings. For he called to him one who had been a fine follower until then, and said: 1) They should not accept any teaching where they were not certainly convinced of the truth of it; and this was a word for the listeners. 2) That they should also beware of teaching others doctrine which they did not know to be true.
1) Hetzer was executed on February 4, 1529. - Cf. Tischreden, cap. 43, § 163, Walch, St. Louis edition, vol. XXII, 1199.
And this was a word for the servants of the gospel. And it is well spoken. For no one can remain steadfast in his profession unless he is confident that the doctrine he professes is similar to faith. If such a teaching points the heart to God, it is right.
30. 5) The fifth canon is: That in all our life we beware of all pretense, and speak the truth every man to his neighbor from the heart, according to the admonition of Christ: "Let your speech be yea, which is yea; nay, which is nay", Matth. 5, 37. And Paul adds the cause: "For we are members one of another", Rom. 12, 5. The whole world lies in vanity and lies. The buyer and seller speak differently with their tongue than they think in their heart when they want to buy or sell something. And this has now become an honor in the world; when people can run with the Jew's spear, they still boast of their deceit, and rejoice in it. Listen to what a heathen said about buying and selling: Si ad eloquendum venerit, semel eloquatur: One should sell with one word. You say, "Well, then I should perish. But who says so, he shows that he loves the danger. But if you believed God, and said all at once how you would leave it, God would be good for your loss, and you would sell your things with advantage; for He cannot deny Himself. Therefore, this is not a true excuse that is given, and it does not belong to prudence in buying and selling. But he who has not a better hope, of which John speaks, does not cease from these lies.
31. 6) The sixth canon is: that we should not be indignant with the wicked, when we see that God nevertheless lets them succeed in this world. There are many admonitions about this in the Proverbs of Solomon, as well as in the 37th and 73rd Psalms of David. In the latter it says, v. 2 ff.: "I would have almost slipped when I saw that the wicked were doing so well, and had great happiness on earth, and were not in misfortune like other people. But this very psalm also gives the most powerful comfort.
32. 7) The seventh canon is: that we do not walk idly here in this world, but each one in the profession in which God has placed him. God has placed him in. Therefore Paul explains to the Ephesians Cap. 4, 28. the seventh commandment: You shall not steal, but work. For not to work is already as much as to steal. Not only the one who takes someone else's goods, but also the one who does not work enough to give to the needy, is subject to divine judgment, and they will accuse him at the last day. He who does not work reviles God's creatures, hands, feet, and what God has given him for this purpose. But now there are many people in the world who are not particularly poor, and therefore do not work until they are forced to do so by need and hunger; and when they are forced to do so, no one does the same. On the other hand, it is God's will that one should work, even if one does not need it so much. But those who feast, who splurge, who do great things, are thieves, for they give nothing to the needy.
33. 8) The eighth canon is: "Let no idle talk proceed out of your mouths, but that which is lovely, that which is delightful," and serves to edify your neighbor. For where this is not done, the "Holy Ghost is grieved, by whom we are sealed unto the day of our redemption," Eph. 4:29, 30. Among the Gentiles the ευτραπελία, urbanitas, was a virtue, possir, jest; but Paul forbids it to Christians; they are to speak nothing that is not pertinent to the matter; what does not edify the neighbor is to be omitted.
34. 9) Finally, it says: "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and blasphemy be put away from you, with all malice," Eph. 4:31. This applies to the fathers of the house and the rulers, who do not deal cleanly with the people, so that they deal with them. A true Christian looks at this ninefold canon of Paul and learns from it how he should purify himself from all uncleanness and think, "Oh, should a whole country perish and be destroyed for my sake?
V. 4: Whoever commits sin also commits injustice, and sin is injustice.
35. he commits a praevaricationem, or deviation from the law. It is this one
of the most serious sayings in John. John speaks against certainty and against those who imagine that they believe. Satan seeks to take hold of the body and soul of man, and even does not spare the saints. Therefore, it is a great thing about faith that Paul says of it that "it is not for everyone", 2 Thess. 3, 2. For this reason, we must "work out with fear and trembling to be saved", Phil. 2, 12. Paul knows well what danger is connected with security. Safety preceded Pabstism and all other heresies. Those who let themselves be seduced by the pope will be punished less severely than those who are safe under the wrath of God. God has kept it this way from the beginning: those who have become safe or sluggish have been given a good beating. St. Thomas Aquinas used to say that he had never been tempted, so he was not able to comfort as St. Jerome. In our days, people boast that they are not unjust, thieves, murderers, and so on.
He who commits sin also commits wrong.
(36) All men are gathered together under this saying. For they either sin openly and have gross vices in themselves, or they harbor evil inclinations in their hearts and thus do not satisfy the law. Therefore, those who either transgress the law of God and sin openly, or who have an unclean heart, are called "sinners". And with this he looks back to a previous saying, Cap. 1, 8: "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." "For the flesh always lusteth against the Spirit," Gal. 5:17; the corrupt sense of the flesh easily leads us captive. Therefore, those who do not trust God or fear Him as they should, do not do what is proper for the saints to do. They therefore have cause to pray: Forgive us our trespasses, and do not enter into judgment with your servant. Paul says of himself, "Though I am conscious of no evil, yet therein am I not justified," 1 Cor.
4, 4. [In the letter to the^j Romans in the 1st and 2nd chapter this is treated very extensively. [Cap. 2, 21: "You teach another; why do you not teach yourself? Thou preachest not to steal, and thou stealest." 'Αμαρτία
actually means the accomplishment of sin;
But Ανομία is called the deviation from the law, comes from and a privativum. But what is to be done in the case of such deviation? John again refers to the forgiveness of sin and says:
V. 5. You know that he appeared to take away our sin, and there is no sin in him.
(37) For this reason, then, he appeared, that if we despair of ourselves and of our own righteousness, we may be justified by his righteousness and made pure by his purity.
V. 6 He who abides in him does not sin. He that sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.
38 This is a consequence of the preceding. Everything refers to the previous conclusion, v. 3: "He who has such hope purifies himself, just as he is pure."
This is most correctly understood by those who explain it according to the rule presented by Paul in Romans 8. Everything here depends on experience. For what the holy Scripture speaks, it does not speak as if it really happens everywhere in this way; or, as the beings of the world speak, that it is in fact itself, but that it must be begun in this way. It is a certain truth [Rom. 8, 22.] "All creatures groan and long with us for the revelation of the glory of the children of God"; but it is also a certain truth [1 John 3, 2.] "Beloved, we are now the children of God, and it has not yet appeared what we shall be." Those who imagine that Christians can reach the point where everything is fulfilled by them are therefore mistaken, as are those who believe that nothing happens at all, that nothing is accomplished with the gospel, or that there is no church at all. Therefore, some fall into the dishonest and careless zeal, and under the appearance of
of the Gospel introduce a doctrine of works or works holiness. In the preceding second chapter, it was shown that there are especially six things that belong to the conscience of man, and again six that concern soul and body at the same time. So long only in the heart the dispute is to be found: I would like to be like that, then it is not yet lost. But when we begin to become insensitive, then it is over. The heart should be so minded: Everything that the Scripture says, it does not say as if it already is, but that it is beginning to be. The wise men of the world make a distinction between est et fieri, to be and to become. And this can be used to help the consciences and, if they are stupid, to straighten them out. In the 16th Psalm, which has the heading: "A golden jewel", a fourfold way of righteousness is spoken of: 1) The way of the heathen, through philosophy, reason and works; 2) The way of the law; 3) The delusion drawn from the gospel: He who only believes. 1) These three ways can plunge man into despair. The fourth and right way, however, lies in the psalm mentioned above; only in this way can things turn out well.
V. 8: He who commits sin is of the devil, for the devil sins from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God appeared, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
40. Do you ask: Who is of the devil? John says, "He who commits sin," and knows nothing of righteousness. But who is of God? He who has hope in God, that he may be cleansed by Him from all his sins. All those who are in severe trials are to be comforted in this way. Christians do not reach perfection all at once. When they have begun, they fall again and rise; they may fall again and rise. Faith excludes works, one's own good thoughts and advice. This must be said to the stupid consciences. But this teaching is of no use to those who no longer have any feeling.
1) That is, those who only believe are well off even if they do not live a Christian life.
Dieterich of Bern serves them. 1) Many people of our time have the thought in their minds: We don't see that people are getting better at preaching the Gospel, therefore it is better to establish orders. To prescribe rules and laws. To these, however, one must reply: Abuse does not cancel out the essence of a thing. 2) The more precious a thing is in itself, the greater the abuse of it tends to be. The sun must not be abolished because murderers, thieves, adulterers sin by its light. And the sweetness of wine is not evil because many are tempted to gluttony by it. Therefore, the Gospel cannot be blamed because such people, who have no feeling left in their conscience, abuse it. If you look at all false teachings and sects, you will find nothing but the appearance of works. Even the. Even the Turks do better works than our monks of today, so much so that they do not drink wine. Yes, it is better to walk on roses and drink malvasia than to lie in ashes and drink water without faith in Christ. For in faith in Christ all things are good and useful, but apart from Christ there is nothing wholesome and holy. So, when we look at our Sacramentans and Anabaptists, what else do they do but boast about their works and want to make themselves great with their persecutions and patience? So also the pope boasts of his works, but in doing so he is condemned, for they know nothing of the Gospel.
The beginning of the papacy may be dated soon after the death of St. Augustine. For the Roman bishop Leo, a very famous man, wrote the first decrees. In the beginning, the bishops only wrote letters, giving all kinds of advice and comfort to the consciences of the people. These consilia were called by them βουλή, consilium, a good counsel. From this
1) "Dietrich von Bern" is a heroic saga much read in the Middle Ages. See R. König, deutsche Litteraturgeschichte (15th ed.), pp. 58, 90 ff.
2) We put "S" instead of: "does not cancel the right use of the thing". For we have to do here with the proverb: H-usus non tollit sudstantiaru. Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. XXII, 579.
The pope made his bulls from the Greek word βουλή, statuta, decreta. But this is not the bishops' office, to make laws, conclusions, decrees, but this belongs to the emperors, princes and authorities, who must prescribe how to live and obey outwardly in the world. The gospel teaches about faith in Jesus Christ. Where there is true zeal, the heart may break, but they must let it go, because it is said that such people's condemnation is quite right. Those who know nothing of this doctrine are apt to say, when they die, that they have not done this and that; but a believer says, "Away with works, away with works! Works away, works away! Believe in the Son of God, as the thief did on the cross. Christ also died for me.
He who commits sin is of the devil.
(42) There are various expressions which contain this very thing and amount to one thing. For if I ask: What does it mean to commit sin, to practice injustice? Or if I ask: What does it mean not to see God, not to know God, to be deceived, to be of the devil, not to do right, not to be of God? I will answer that it means not having hope in God, and not purifying oneself for the sake of such hope; that is, one who does not repent, who practices only what seems good to him, who does not love his brother, who follows his natural inclinations and evil desires, who loves the world more than God, who still follows works of holiness, and thinks of no improvement of life.
(43) If, on the other hand, I ask, "What then does it mean not to sin, to abide in him, to see and know him, to be righteous and do right, to be born of God, to do no sin? I will again answer correctly that it means: to have a hope in him, to purify oneself for the sake of such a hope, to abstain from sins for the sake of him who appeared to take away our sin, who himself has no sin and is righteous, who came into the world to destroy the works of the devil; who, furthermore, has not forgiven his own sins.
He who loves his neighbor warmly, who has an intimate abhorrence of his natural corruption and inclinations to evil, who does not love the world with its lusts, and does not follow those who teach to be saved by works.
V. 9. He who is born to God does not sin, for his seed remains with him and cannot sin, for he is born of God.
calls the ground of our change a seed, not a complete ear of grain, or large quantity of grains that can be looked at with the eyes, but which is thrown into the earth, and there must first die; from this now arises the right repentance, that therefore it is said, "He cannot sin." For God does not impute sins to such a one; indeed, even if he has sin in himself, it must bring him more benefit than harm, according to the saying of the apostle, "To those who love God, all things must be for the best," Rom. 8:28. And this is the right seed that dwells in the hearts of believers, that they cannot sin, for they are born of God. By virtue of this seed the spirit in him contends against the flesh, Rom. 8. And even if he is now and then shocked by the wrath of God, by death and by judgment, he cannot be attacked by it to such an extent that he should fall completely. It is still spes in fundo with him,2) he doubts now and then, but he never despairs, because the desire remains in his heart even under the height, length, breadth and depth of the cross. This cross is very salutary and useful for the saints, but it is not a teaching for the flesh. This is very pleasantly illustrated in that booklet which has the title: "The German Theology." In the hour of temptation, all good thoughts and imagination of good works disappear; nothing remains but the seed. The Holy Spirit alone explores the hidden things of the
1) i.e. a diminutive speech.
2) Cf. Col. 1570.
3) "Eyn teutsch Theologia, das ist, eyn edles Büchlein vom rechten Verstand, was Adam und Christus sey, und wie Adam yn uns sterben und Christus erstem soll", by an unnamed author living in the fifteenth century. Cf. Guericke Kirchengeschichte, 7th ed.
He bears witness to our spirit that we are children of God," Rom. 8:16. Therefore, man has sins in himself, but they are not imputed to him; and because the seed of God remains in him, he does not sin willfully.
For he is born of God.
45 By this his saints will know that they are born of God. There God said to Moses: "From behind you shall look after me", Ex. 33, 23. When you will be saved from adversity, then you will also realize that God has been near. Therefore, those who are exercised in crosses and trials are God's children.
V. 10. By this it is evident which are the children of God and which are the children of the devil.
46) Then he puts down the knife. 4)
He who does not do right.
(47) Whoever does not allow himself to be cleansed from all unrighteousness for the sake of hope is not born of God.
V. 12. Not like Cain, who was of the wicked, and slew his brother. And why did he slay him? Because his works were evil, and his brother's righteous.
48. His works were evil, he had no hope in God, and did not purify himself for the sake of it, but followed his natural hatred and hostility, which Satan increased by seeing that his brother Abel was preferred to him by God. His brother's works, however, were righteous, for he also loved his wicked brother and did not begrudge him the gifts that God had given him.
V. 13. Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you.
49 For this teaching is something quite unknown to the world.
V. 14. We know that we have come out of death into life.
50 Or, whichever is the case, we have been transformed from corrupt, carnal men into new, spiritual men.
4) Here, the postscript is certainly incomplete again.
man has been made. For that is actually to be born of God.
Because we love the brothers.
This was impossible in the old nature itself, which loves no one but itself, and also only for its own sake.
He who does not love his brother remains in death.
This is a firm word, a right saying of the Christians. One who does not love his brother does not feel the movements of the living and life-giving spirit in his heart.
V. 15. You know that a man who is slain does not have life abiding with him.
For he lives only a short time, and this life of his is also a constant dying.
By this we have known love, that he laid down his life for us; and we also should lay down our lives for the brethren.
(54) Likewise, he who has a house, a farm, friends and goods should not look at them for the sake of his brother. For what else has the world but this, that one may serve his neighbor?
V.17. But if any man have the goods of this world, and see his brother brought to nought, and shut up his heart to him.
55. does not take care of him as he should.
How does the love of God stay with him?
(56) That is, how can he have the conviction in himself, or boast to others, that he is a believer and loved by God?
V. 18 My little children, let us not love in word nor in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
Here, too, note the phrase: Scriptura loquitur de fieri, et non in facto esse, Scripture speaks of what is supposed to happen, but not of what does happen. There are now various sects, Anabaptists, Sacramentarians, all of whom boast of an extraordinary holiness; but if they are to be judged according to this
If they are examined by a probir stone, they are as much as nothing. For if something bad happens to them, they are not so powerful that they should not become extremely angry about it. Therefore it is necessary to reproach them from John with this characteristic, namely love. If my brother has sinned against me, I must forgive him and remember his offense no more. John therefore abandons the love with which we love God, and demands instead that love which we owe to our neighbor. If you believe that you are loved by God and that God cares for you, then prove it. Are you able to bear, to endure, to consider as good all that befalls you from your neighbor? If your heart is like this, everything else will flow from it, house, farm, goods, you will share them with him. So, so it stands alone quite well. But he who is not so minded belongs to the brothers of Cain and has not been purified. For where God's love is recognized, it works all these things; but where this does not happen, we have not recognized it either.
But how far does it come in it? It is always a fieri, or becoming, with them. All believers feel in their hearts the good movements of the Holy Spirit. It occurs to them that they should keep themselves with eating, drinking, walking, standing, so that they do not provoke God to anger against themselves, because he has done so much good to them. But there are so many blocks and obstacles in their way, Satan, the world and our own hostile heart, which Satan so incites among ourselves, that we easily forget what God demands of us. Therefore, this work always remains in fieri. Therefore, repentance must also not cease. For the saints always sin, therefore they are always in need of repentance. Satan attacks man where he is softest, puts all kinds of attractive things before his eyes. For he tempts one to pleasure and indulgence, another to hatred and enmity, another to avarice. Whoever does not hate all these temptations is a child of Satan. This is also the case when one eats again what he has eaten. If a saint commits a sin, he complains to God, and he is holy, his seed remains.
in him, he is sorry for his fall into sin; he does not sin wantonly, and is therefore born of God. But those idlers who do not care about their profession, feast, splurge, drink, do not need their head, hate their brothers, they belong to hell. From this follows the conclusion: that the life of a Christian is a perpetual penance.
The reason for the movement that John gave is actually taken a facili 1): One should love the brothers because God loved us first. And the example of Cain was very suitable for this. Dear heart, consider the sin that is often considered the least sinful. If one is preferred to us in respect of temporal honor and goods, ask your heart how it stands if your neighbor is considered better. If then your heart is filled with zeal, if in your dealings with your neighbor you pay attention to everything he does, if you interpret all his actions in the most evil way, ask yourself: Why do I hate my brother? Does it not flow from the very source from which Cain's hatred for his brother arose? So if your heart swells with gall and zeal, and your tongue judges your neighbor all wrong, you are a Cain. This is where the little songs belong, so that one carries oneself in the world of pious people 2): "Maid and servant", 3) they give a sign that one does not love one's brothers. But this means to love one's brother, if one grants him what God grants him and has given him. But a herb soon falls into it, which is called suspicio, suspicion. If your brother is preferred to you in honor, you think that he does not think well of you. Therefore you say of everything he says and does, "He does not mean it. This is our attitude toward those who are preferred to us. We despise those who are inferior to us; they stink to us because they are not as strong in faith, love, and hope as we are, or they do not have the same courage as we do. When such a lesser person falls, there is no one to comfort him.
1) i.e., of that which is light.
2) "Of pious people" will probably be as much: of people who consider themselves pious.
3) "Maid and servant" will probably be the beginning of a well-known song.
covered. We then easily judge with contempt: "Ugh! he deserves it. Who are you, then, to boast that you know God? Here it is said: Friends in distress go much to one lot. In the same way, if one of those who live at the court falls, he is despised by all. There are many examples of this. If a lord, a prince, an earl has a hatred for one of his servants, then others should be fair enough to comfort him and deal with him kindly. But because they are afraid that the prince will be angry with them, they avoid him and even detest him. So also, if you have a friend who does not do something right, you should tell him rightly; but you do not do it, fearing his displeasure, and so you are a companion of Herod and Pilate.
(60) It is not necessary to turn to human days, nor to ask what others think of us. A saint says: I will do what is right, what is good, and what God wants, let him be angry. Therefore this remains a final judgment and a judicial sentence: "If you hate your brother, then you are a slayer of death" [v. 15], and therefore also a child of death.
We have come from death to life.
For example, if I come into an inheritance, or into a trade, and I am harmed, wronged, the rule is this: One must love his neighbor. If he is ungodly, he says: I do not want to suffer it. But a Christian says, I would have brought it out, but it would have become a quarrel; I will let it go; but he may well send him two or three, and say to him, Thou doest me wrong. If he does not want to give himself up, then let his right go. 4) Whoever is able to send himself into a situation where he has been wronged has a sign that he has come out of death into life; God has been there. But whoever gets involved in extensive court proceedings, does not want to let it go, gets into a lot of quarrels, quarrels, injustice: one may not complain about this to God, because one has despised God before. And more such examples could be given.
4) So put by nns instead of: "he lets his right go".
V. 17 But he that hath the goods of this world, and shutteth up his heart before him.
62. What is love? [Is it not to lend, to give, to give? [1 Cor. 12. The distribution of what one has belongs to it, although no law must be prescribed for love. What then is love? John says: Open your heart. A pagan can also distribute the outward gifts, but his heart is not right in doing so. For how can he love God whom he does not see, if he does not love his neighbor whom he sees?
V. 21. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have a joyfulness toward God.
There is no place more necessary to preach than this. Men are of two kinds: some do that which is pleasing to God, and these are those whom their hearts do not condemn. Others, however, are just opposed to them, whom their heart condemns, and who cannot boast that they are pleasing to God. This gives them comfort that God is greater than their heart and knows all things. The opposite can be found in the history of Cain. He said, "My sin is greater than God's mercy," Genesis 4:13, "Therefore, if your heart condemns you, say, 'God is greater than my heart.
V. 20. So our heart condemns us.
This is when it convinces us that we are guilty of all sins before God and have transgressed all of God's commandments.
Thus, God is greater than our heart,
Which condemns us. Only let your shame rise from your heart. God is far greater and more forgiving, and has no desire to destroy us for our sins. And is the real opinion this: GOd is greater than our sin. No sin is so great, GOd is greater still, and can forgive it. No one has more to forgive than He. He is greater than our request, that is, He can do more than we ask and understand, Eph. 3, 20.
And know all things.
That is, he knows very well that we are not without sin; he knows our weaknesses,
and because he knows this, he will not destroy us, but rather preserve us.
V. 21. If our heart does not condemn us.
This is idea platonica, a Platonic concept, a rule without example: If there are people who do not condemn their heart before God. Now here the question is: What shall I do? I find nothing good in myself. John answers that the hearts are of two kinds, and also the testimonies of the hearts. Some are convinced and feel that they believe in God and love their neighbor. Others, however, feel the opposite. Then a dispute arises: whether God is greater or the heart? whether sin is more powerful than the grace of God? To these one should answer: God is greater than our heart and the sin that dwells in us. This is the right means by which the despondent minds are to be lifted up in their misery.
V. 23. And this is his commandment, that we believe on the name of his Son JEsu Christ, and love one another, as he has given us a commandment.
This is the brief content of the whole Gospel and the proclamation described by John above. Certainly a strange speech, that it is God's commandment to believe. The law does not speak in this way, nor does reason judge, but rather rejects the gospel. For in the gospel the Holy Spirit punishes the world because of sin, that they do not believe; and this unbelief is the thing that belongs to the judgment of the Holy Spirit. The worldly authorities judge other things, have judges, magistrates, councilors, kings, emperors, but the worldly regime has nothing to do with unbelief. Therefore, to keep God's commandment means as much as to believe. And this must be done through the Holy Spirit, who must be poured into our hearts, renewing them, bringing about new good movements and a desire to carry out the divine will.
1) "the secular regiment" put by us instead of: "the secular police.
Description of the way and while our heart condemns and does not condemn us.
69) But what this means when John says, "If our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things," no one knows better than he who has noticed the words of Paul, which are read in the second chapter to the Romans, vv. 6-10, where he says, "God will reward each one according to his works, that is, praise and honor and incorruptibility to those who with patience in good works seek eternal life. But to them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey the unrighteous, disgrace and wrath, tribulation and anguish upon all souls that do evil." Here is a double standard, according to which the distribution will take place on the day of judgment, when the hidden things of the hearts will be discovered, and each one will be rewarded according to his works. First of all, the works of the pious are described, which consist in the fact that they have sought eternal life with patience in good works, that is, they persevere and are not deterred; and because they persevere in this, they shall also receive glory, honor and incorruptibility. But the wicked have four other things to wait for, because they neither endure nor repent, namely, disgrace and wrath, tribulation and anguish. The condemnation of these is now written in their own conscience, which is called Col. 2, 14, the handwriting that is against them; which handwriting reproaches them that God is rightly angry about the sins, and we cannot complain about His punishment. They find in it the saying Deut. 27:26: "Cursed be every man that keepeth not all the words which are written in the book of the law." And this is to be done without intention of the difference between Jews and Gentiles. The Jews thought that they were better than the Gentiles. But Christ has taken away the partition, and has made both one, One Church; that is, whoever now believes shall be saved; but whoever wants to erect a new wall by his own satisfaction for his sins is a blasphemer, and guilty of the blood of Christ. This guilt
has the pope on himself, together with all his followers. In Christ, this distinction no longer applies; "neither Jew nor Greek, neither male nor female, neither bond nor free, is of any value, but only a new creature," that is, one who believes in Christ, Gal. 3:28. It is God alone who justifies the ungodly and gives grace to become righteous.
When Christ speaks of the death penalty in Matthew 5:21 ff, he distinguished it according to certain levels and also indicated the punishment of it according to such levels. He calls it: 1) "to be angry", 2) "Racha", 3) "you fool". As it is now with this vice, so also with all other sins. Cain can serve as an example of this, Genesis 4. Cain became angry and disguised his gesture. This is actually called or indignation, indignationem, the indignation that arises in the heart. But it consists θυμός when man is put out of his composure, that he no longer knows what he is doing, but least of all considers that he should take refuge in God. This is what Cain does, he goes out of God's sight, he lets himself be taken in by revenge and assassination attempts. It is an abominable thing to run away from God. Cain and Abel both brought a sacrifice before God; but because God did not look favorably upon Cain's person, the sacrifice he brought did not please Him either. Hence arises his indignation at having been despised by God. God does not ask about Cain, but about Abel. At this, Cain disguises his gesture and becomes angry. There are vain condemnations in his conscience. Go on, strike dead, and you will get rid of them. It does not occur to him to take refuge in God.
The conversation of God with Cain, and the inquiry: "Where is your brother Abel?" leads us to a new level, which belongs to the όργην, or anger, and the intention to take revenge. There wicked people become of it, who beat everything into the entrenchment. If I had enough here! If only I had smelled myself! But it is the hatred of a man against God and against himself. Therefore, when Cain is asked by God, "Where is your brother Abel?" he answers grimly, "Shall I be my brother's keeper?" This means quite a
Hatred against God and his brother. A righteous and pious person would have said: I do not know, God knows best.
The following words: "Cursed be you on the earth, which has opened its mouth and drawn the blood of your brother from your hands"; likewise the words: "Your brother's blood cries out to me from the earth" describe us in an angry person. But it consists in the sensation of that condemnation and punishment which we have incurred through the sin we have committed. Jesus spoke of this effect when he spoke to Judah, Matth. 26, 24: "The Son of Man passes away, but woe to the man by whom he is betrayed; it would be better for him if he had never been born. The pain of those who will cry out on the last day after the proclamation of Christ, Luc. 23, 30, "Mountains, fall upon us, and hills, cover us. Likewise Matt. 18:6: "If any of these least ones offend them that believe on me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the deepest part of the sea." The wicked would gladly flee from God, and cannot, for God and all creatures are to him. Wherever he goes, he finds his enemies, as you can see from the above.
73 The following words: "Behold, you drive me out of the land today, and I must hide myself from your face and be inactive and fugitive on earth, so it will happen to me that whoever finds me will strike me dead," belong to the στενοχώρια, which is the shush.
ternity and fear of death, which is nothing but the despair of the wicked. This word comes from στενάζω, anxie suspiro, whose effect is howling and gnashing of teeth. An example of this is found in the rich gourmand and Lazaro, Luc. 16. The rich man lies in hell and torment, and wishes that Lazarus would only dip the outermost part of his finger in water and cool his tongue.
74 In the same way Judah, Saul, Ahitophel and all those who kill themselves can be judged. When Judas saw that Jesus was condemned to death, he repented and said, "I have done evil.
than that I have betrayed innocent blood," Matth. 27, 4. But this is a very bad repentance. For Judas does not look to God, but he wants to do enough for himself, since he throws away the unjust reward. This was with Judas θυμός. "Οργή or ira, anger
It is when a man hates both himself and God, and does not remember where to seek help. It was with Judah, when he went to those who had bought him to treachery, but received from them the consolation, "What is that to us? You watch." This stung his neck. At last it was with him στενοχώρια, when he went and hanged himself, saying, as it were, with Cain, "My sin is greater than that it could be forgiven me." I find no counsel; a rope here, I will remedy the matter. This is the highest degree of στενοχώρια and goes to
ultimately so to all those who rely on their own works. And from such fear he burst in the middle of each other, which has not the opinion, as some monks dreamed, as if his soul had not been worthy to leave the body through the throat, but because he could not breathe and come to breath because of great pain, so he had to burst with fear.
75 We can also find this in the example of Saul. It was with him that he, after being rejected by God, sought to take his revenge, and therefore had David sought out, sometimes by the Philistines, sometimes in a cave, sometimes in bed. By right, he should have humbled himself under the mighty hand of God; but he had an unrepentant heart and sinned against the Holy Spirit. He distinguished himself to King Saul by not ceasing to persecute David, not remembering God or His will, not caring what was pleasing or displeasing to God. This stemmed from the hatred against God and against himself. Therefore, his end would be terrible, his belly would burst like Judas', and he would perish like the dogs. It was also with King Saul that he had the witch at Endor wake up the corpse of Samuel and thereby did something quite blasphemous, 1 Sam. 28. That is, forgetting God and seeking help from the devil. Such a person would rather
not live, than live in such restlessness. At last it was στενοχώρια, as he was in his own
fell on his sword and spoke to the despairing Cain: I will die, for my sins are greater than they can be forgiven me, 1 Sam. 31.
We will also look at the example of Ahitophel, 2 Sam. 17. He, because he had been thrown into confusion and contempt by Hussai, fell into a displeasure, because he could not find any advice on which he could rely and escape the pain of the mind that he had suffered because of the contempt that had fallen upon him. Therefore, he continues to fall into he cannot and will not bear this contempt any longer. Therefore, he despises God and hates himself, his wife, his children, his possessions; he would rather not live than endure such disgrace and contempt any longer. Previously, Ahitophel's counsel was considered to be the counsel of an angel of God. David is also pushed from the royal throne by his own son Absalom; Ahitophel is Absalom's better counsel. But Ahitophel's counsels do not want to succeed further, because David begins to pray. The Lord makes his counsels vain foolishness. When he sees that his advice is not valid, he sits on his donkey, makes some right in his house, and hangs himself. So imprudent does contempt make him. He should have borne this humiliation quietly; but this is his punishment, that he has no courage and heart. To seek help from God. That is why he is tormented by his contempt and perishes in the process. Then he drops his courage, wants to flee, and yet cannot escape. Therefore he decides: It is better to remedy the torture, a rope here etc. By letting himself be so controlled by the pain he feels that he puts everything above it out of sight, he also says: "My sin is greater than that it could be forgiven me." And this is the grossest contempt of God. This is the case with all the saints, when things are bad and the need is greatest, that they say, "Oh, if I were dead! For in great distress, Satan is not far away, and he resists very much that they should find no counsel, comfort and help. But these thoughts: Oh, if I were dead! are from the murderer and death.
The goal is to set a goal for God as to how long He will let us live or die.
The opposite of these examples is found in David, Petro and Paulo, and in all the saints who also felt their sin. And this is the other part of the division made above [§ 69] by Paul [Rom. 2, 6. ff]. It should be noted how Paul divides the good works that are also to have their recompense with God. First he calls "patience in good works". This is the saying of JEsu: "But that which fell on a good land are they which hear it, and keep it in a fine and good heart, and bring forth fruit in patience." For this is a right good work, which grieves the old man; whereas this is not a good work in the sight of God, to wear a surplice, to carry a cauldron. Therefore, this is the right, true description of a good work, which is given here by Christo and Paulo. Such a good work now faces a fourfold retribution.
78. 1) "Praise." The saints are sorry for their sins and repent of them, but they take refuge in God. The despised David endures in his distress and does not lay his hand on the anointed of the Lord, 1 Sam. 24, 7. Also when he said, "Let him curse, the Lord has told him," 2 Sam. 16, 11. Likewise, "If it pleases the Lord, he will bring me back; but if not, let the will of the Lord be done," 2 Sam. 15, 25. 26.
79. 2) "Honor." The saints hate their sin, but not God or themselves. They do not cry out, "Oh, what have I done?" but only seek to be free from sin, and do not drop their courage in doing so. Thus David prays in the 6th Psalm.
80. 3) "Peace and incorruptibility." For those who rest in the words of God say: The Lord has had mercy on me, and has distinguished the law of the flesh from the law of the spirit. They let the ass go and do according to its kind. 1) Thus David prays: Have mercy on me, my God, and I will praise you that you are so gracious and merciful.
1) That is, they leave the old person behind.
81. 4) "Eternal life." This is what the believers always oppose to the weakness of their flesh. For God is greater than their heart. There is no sin so great, God can and will forgive it.
Jacob is in fear and wants to flee from the face of his brother Esau, so that he will not be killed by him. Therefore, he first flees to God, and this refuge honors him in such a way that he thinks to himself: "All this is happening to me from God, so now I will also expect the help of the Lord, for he is my help in trouble. In this way he calls upon God, as we read in Genesis Cap. 32, where he says: "The God of my father Abraham has saved me." And that is 2) [v. 11..] "from the hand of my brother," which is his [God's] glory. 3) From this follows peace. Jacob does not drop his courage, although he knew that his brother, who would meet him, had sworn [to him] death. But he relies on the word, and says [v. 10.], "I am too little of all mercy and faithfulness. For thou, O Lord, hast said unto me, I will bring thee home again unto thy land." From this Jacob receives the right life, and says: God is greater than my heart, greater than my brother, greater than my fear. And even though he has to fight a battle with God, he calls this place "Pniel". And adds [Gen. 32, 33.], "I have seen the Lord face to face, and my soul is recovered." Moses adds that the sun rose at that time, and thus mixes the spiritual meaning with the literal narration.
Peter denied Christ and was almost lost. He falls from grace, but he does not lose all thought. For as soon as the cock crows after his last denial, he goes out of the palace of the high priest and weeps bitterly. But it does not remain with the mere weeping and going out, but he also remembers the word of Christ, who had said to him: "Before the cock crows, you will deny me three times", Matth. 26, 34. Peter's case is therefore a serious case, and he is a great offender. But because he sticks to the word, he does not fall into eternal disgrace, but does true repentance. Judas had also left, but Peter was of the same mind.
quite different in nature from Judas. Next, he has a hatred, but not against God, but only against his committed sin, and this brings him honor. Therefore he was asked by Christ, Joh. 21, 15: "Simon Peter, do you love me more than these? And he answered, "Lord, you know." As if he wanted to say, "I do remember my sin, in which I have not given the slightest proof of my love for you, but nevertheless I have trusted in your goodness, and have risen up with the word that you said to me, "Satan has desired to sift you as wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not cease," Luc. 22:31. Peace follows this. For Peter now gives thanks that he has learned how we can now overcome in tribulations. Now he understands the word of JEsu Matth. 18, 22.: "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy times seven." Finally he remembered that God was greater than his heart, and so he had the right life. This is the summa of the Gospel, that I may take hold of the rod in tribulation, and know assuredly that God is greater than my heart.
84 Here also belongs the beautiful passage from Rom. 8, 32: "God did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all. How should he not with him give us all things?" Hereupon the apostle explains what is that which he has given us with him, v. 33.: "Who will," he says, "accuse the elect of God?" V. 35: "Who will separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord?" This means that God is greater than our heart. How does one prove this? Answer: 1) He has given His Son for us, that is, we will not be lacking, our own heart will condemn us, the master of the rod, the beadle, the judge, Satan; but God is here, who makes righteous, who is a merciful judge, although these peelers are standing there. And even if our heart speaks a loud no, God still passes judgment for us, we have a good thing, because God defends us from the villains, and says: Troll you, you villains. So they flee, and with them death, hell and Satan. 2) "Who will separate us from the love of God?" The temptations may be as great as they want, but none of them will be able to harm us.