Here now follows the conclusion of the whole letter. But this chapter is connected with the previous one: The thought sometimes occurs to the saints and the pious: What shall I do if I am not found among those who love God and their brother? John answers them and says: "Do not despair because of this, but believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved. This is what all the apostles say, and it is fine that all twelve of them agree in this testimony. Works are not required for such a conviction, but only faith and the doctrine of justification. Such faith must indeed have good works, but they must not be used for the purpose of obtaining forgiveness of sins. For man would never be able to cope with this and would finally have to give up. Therefore, one must always look back to faith and the feeling of the heart. Complain to God, confess, seek help from Him, call upon Him, and you will attain repentance and forgiveness of sins. Above [Cap. 4, 20.] John had given a proof that was taken from the outward senses: "If anyone does not love his brother whom he sees, how can he love God whom he does not see?" What should I do now? Shall I despair if this love is not fully with me? No, but you should call, ask, complain, cry out.
(2) There are several expressions here that need to be explained. First, it says: "He that believeth is born of God. The greatest emphasis lies partly in the name JEsu, partly in the fact that this Jesus is the Christ. Jesus, who is Christ, not only took our flesh upon Himself, but also bore our infirmities in it. He lived among us, was born in Bethlehem, raised in Nazareth, baptized in the Jordan, was despised and despised; he prayed in the garden, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me," Matt. 26:39; he cried out on the cross, "My Lord, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me.
God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Matth. 27, 46, shed tears at the grave of Lazari, Joh. 11, 35. This Jesus is now the Christ. And this is the way of true justification, to believe that this Christ is the Son of God, although such belief, according to Paul, is an offense to the Jews and foolishness to the Greeks, 1 Cor. 1, 23.
3. 2) The other expression is: "To be born of God"; the same occurs also in the Evangelio Johannis Cap. 3, 3. 3, 3. and 1. ep. 3, 9. The first and natural birth is accomplished by divine assistance. And a child is not said to be born while it is still in the womb, but when it has come out of it. One finds a question in St. Bonaventure: whether such a child, whose one hand or foot is out of the womb, should be baptized? I say to it: No! For then such a child still belongs to God's judgment. The womb of a mother is called by David Ps. 139, 15 "the hidden things of the earth". The pregnant womb of a mother does not give birth, but the human being must come out of this container into the world. The natural seed does not bear its fruit in the secret of the earth, but it goes out of the earth, the rain must moisten it, the sun must shine on it, the air must move it, it must rot in the earth, and then God must still give its flourishing for growth. This is also how it is in spiritual rebirth. The body does not know and does not know God. Therefore, a heavenly revival is necessary, God must lower pure and good thoughts in us. But what are these heavenly thoughts? These are that we believe that Jesus is Christ, the Son of God, and that through Him we have been reconciled with God.
V. 1. He who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God.
4 That is, such a heart is filled with holy and divine movements, as the Lord Jesus Himself has thus declared. For
When His disciples asked Him what they thought He was, and Peter answered in the name of all others, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God," the Savior added, "Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven," Matt. 16:13 ff.
And whosoever loveth him that begat him loveth him also that is born of him.
(5) This includes a declaration of who is the one who loves the Father and the Son. For he who loves God also loves those who are children of God for Christ's sake. Here, too, Christ's remark may apply: "The other is equal to it," that is, God does not want to be loved by us if we do not love our neighbor at the same time. The reason is this, because they are all children of God in Christ. But if a brother sins, we must separate his person from his deed. We do not cover up or excuse what is actually evil, but we soon show it, because we love the brothers. But then we must love them the most when we see the causes of such love before our eyes. Gal. 6:2 says, "Bear one another's burdens, and you will fulfill the law of Christ." So you love most when a burden is laid upon you to bear. And Christ said that he should not think that he is doing something special when he loves those who love him, for this is also what the Gentiles and all false Christians do, Matth. 5:45, 46. But when all kinds of burdens are laid on for the sake of the neighbor, shame, misfortune, poverty, then the false brothers flee. But even if our neighbor has to bear all kinds of burdens, misfortune, poverty and the like, he still remains a child of God, because God has imposed it on him. Therefore, I am forbidden by God not to despise God's children for the sake of such coincidences, or to deny them the help they deserve. Rather, one must awaken oneself and say, "Behold, my brother has a burden upon him; I will help him, lest he fall short when he alone must bear it.
What did Christ carry? The cross;
and this cross was our burden, a burden that was connected with much shame before the world. Therefore, this is Christ's law, that one should bear another's burden. But this is something rare in the world. The world does not use such a language of love. It thinks it is enough if it only gives and gives something now and then. But that is not deep and close enough. There must be a stronger motive in the heart, namely that our neighbor is a child, a chosen one of God. Therefore one should help him in all things, and say: Brother! bend down, I will help you carry. Examine your heart to see if you have ever shown such love to your neighbor. If you find no such love, you are not a true Christian, and you have cause to repent of it, and you should not boast that you have the true faith. It is not meant that one can only reproach monks and priests; likewise it is not called loving, that I can lend or borrow to another. But this is true love, when one bears another's burden; taking on the shame, harm, scorn and ridicule of one's neighbor. If this is done first, then lending, borrowing, giving, helping, saving can easily follow. So also Christ says: "Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these, you did it to me", Matth. 25, 40. This is the best point. God has never thought of any work or help for Himself, but only for our neighbor. Therefore, this is the right love of the Father and the Son, when I consider myself less than all other people. We find examples of this in St. Anthony, Spiridion, and two pious women. Anthony wanted to be pious only for himself, but that was not from God; that meant blaspheming the Father and the Son. For being pious is for others. But God leads Antony out, that he should not be pious for himself alone, and sends him to Alexandria, that he should look at the life of a tanner in that city. He found him there living with his wife, waiting for his work. When he asked him, "How do you serve God?" he replied, "I wait for my work and do no one wrong; and when I get up, I say, 'Dear God, give all the people a chance.
heaven, but hell for me. So Paul also desired for his brothers to be banished from Christ, Rom. 9, 3. A similar degree of love was found in Christ when he said to his disciples [Luc. 22, 15.]: "I heartily desired to eat the paschal lamb with you." Likewise [Luc. 12, 50.], "I must be baptized with a baptism, and how anxious I am until it come to pass." If you do not love like this, if you are not so minded in your heart, you do not love God for the sake of His Son; therefore go to hell, or repent!
One reads in the legend of Francisci that when he proclaimed on a journey that he was certainly damned, but his brother contradicted him and said: Brother, you have done so many good works, he answered: You do not know God; the sins are so many and so great that if God would act according to them, all and every one would be lost. St. Bernard confessed: I have spent my life in evil. He therefore chastised himself with fasting to such an extent that he became completely incapable of all business. However, he abandoned all reliance on his own works, and not only took refuge in divine mercy himself, but also admonished his brothers that they should not so mortify their bodies and wear them out with arduous penitential exercises. Therefore, it can be said that John the Baptist's rough way of life did not help him to blessedness. We can also cite the example of Spiridion and two women. They were asked by him how they led their lives. They answered: "We obey our husbands, take care of the household, sleep with them, bear children. Spiridion did not ask them any further, but said that this was a good life, and they should remain in their profession. Therefore, in common life, it is a love to believe of all others that they are children of God.
For this reason, God Himself introduced love into the world and implanted it first in the hearts of the parents, whose impulses they also willingly follow, even if they have eight or ten children. And among these, they love the most those who are most in need of love; and these are either the little ones or the children.
The most sick, or those who find weak and ill; these take them, lift, carry and care for them, and do not worry so much about the rest, because they do not need the same [love^j. So nature has also given an instruction to attack and help carry the load. Afterwards, however, God has also ordered it in the whole world. Any occupation that a man waits for is of more use to others than to himself. The carpenter builds a hundred and more houses than the one he builds for himself. The farmer builds his field more for the benefit of others than for himself. The tailor and the cobbler make more clothes and shoes for others than for themselves. That God has revealed Himself as love even in these outward circumstances of life, and has planted love in the heart with so much wisdom, where it must actually be sought. The authorities serve others more than themselves, and a preacher is everyone's servant. Paul and Peter would like to be dissolved and be with Christ, but when they think of love, they would rather remain in the flesh, which would have been more beneficial for their churches.
V. 4. For everything born of God overcomes the world, and our faith is the victory that overcomes the world.
8 Hereby John meets an objection: Satan is too great and powerful! But your faith is the victory that overcomes him. It is said: "His commandments are not difficult." But, where are they not difficult? I experience it more than well that they are heavy. My heart is full of evil thoughts. When I see another's happiness, it grieves me; when he is in trouble, I rejoice; likewise, when I can take comfort in his good service or expect an inheritance from him, I love him.
But what is the world?
It has already been noted above [Cap. 2, 16] that three things in particular belong to the nature of the corrupt world, namely carnality, lust for the eyes and hopefulness; all of which has been explained above in the second chapter. The lust of the flesh actually consists in a preoccupation with all those things that belong to the present life. These lie with us
on the neck, like a mountain. And for this reason the commandments of God do not seem easy to us, but heavy beyond measure. I have a wife and child, and I worry about how to feed and support them. How shall I cross over? It is faith that wins; it is faith that overcomes the lust of the flesh. So it is also with the lust of the eyes, and with the hopeful nature, and the good reputation before the world. World. I would not like to be disgraced, I would not like to lose my goods and money, I would not like to anger those and others, I would lose my goods and money. Therefore, this is not an easy commandment for me. How can I cross over in such danger? Answer: Overcome those who are born of God, who have divine thoughts in their hearts. This is how it always goes with the corrupt flesh, that God's commandments are not easy for it, but even a real cross. That is why Jesus calls them a light burden, especially heavy for the flesh. But John adds a reason why God's commandments are light.
He who is born of God overcomes the world.
(10) That is, in whose heart a heavenly mind and spiritual thoughts have been wrought, whoever has believed in God is born of God. So the majore 1) is correct, but the minore, or the experience of this truth, is lacking; that is, if you examine your heart and hold it against it, you will find that it is not so. Therefore repentance and prayer are necessary.
He overcomes the world.
11. that is, for the sake of the good gifts of God, for the sake of spiritual, heavenly thoughts, and for the sake of future happiness, he despises the world and what is in the world; not in such a way that he does not use the things of this life, but in such a way that he does not serve them, or as Paul says 2 Cor. 6, 14, that he does not pull at the same yoke with the unbelievers; he does not desire the things that the world esteems highly, but he needs the world in such a way that he does not abuse it; he weeps as if he did not weep; he rejoices as if he did not rejoice; he possesses it as if he did not possess it;
1) major is the upper clause, minor the lower clause of a conclusion.
he has a wife as if he had none. For the nature of this world is passing away, 1 Cor. 7, 29. ff. To the world belongs everything with which one deals; but a Christian purifies himself from it. These sentences, which have now been quoted from Paul, are usually given in German in this way: A Christian should work as if he wanted to live forever; and should live as if he wanted to die today. So John gives this general sentence as the reason why God's commandments are easy: He who is born of God overcomes the world. The world actually accomplishes what is difficult; only its inherent naughtiness and Satan's mischievousness make it easy for them. But whoever is born of God, it is easy for him to do good. He who has a taste for the Word overcomes the world. But this taste does not always last long; it goes away and is lost. "We are indeed children of God, but it has not yet appeared what we shall be," 1 John 3:2. It is still in fieri with us, and not in facto. Here belongs the eighth chapter to the Romans, in which just such a sense is to be found. Therefore, to go into a desert and solitude is not to overcome the world. If someone wants to attack it in this way, he must even go out of the world. And that is why all monasticism came into being.
John leaves the species and answers only per genus: "He who is born of God. But who is the one? We all lack it, therefore repentance is necessary. There Paul also speaks in one person, and understands by it many, even all. God has promised grace to Israel. Do you ask: Who is Israel? He answers [Rom. 11, 1.]: "I am an Israelite."
He overcomes the world.
If God gives you a fair, let him be happy about it; it will not last forever. Temptation and temptation will come again. Then a saint should say: O God, make it so that I can bear it. Thy will be done. If this does not happen, you will come out of the rain into the eaves, and there will be trouble. Paul prayed to the Lord three times, but he answered him, "Be content with my grace, for my power is mighty in the weak," 2 Corinthians 12:9.
exhorted to pray that God would not let us be led into temptation. We do not want to ask for the avoidance of all and every temptation, but that He may not lead us into it, that He may prevent Satan, and that He may make His good will known to us. Rom. 8:26 says: "We do not know what to ask, but the Spirit of God represents us with inexpressible groaning." And thereby our prayer is answered according to our desire. Some would probably like to ask for that which would not be beneficial to them.
V. 5. But who is the one who overcomes the world?
14 The world is called when one places confidence in one's own works and satisfactions, according to the philosophical canon: Ex actibus saepe iteratis fit habitus, that is, if one often repeats the same actions, one acquires a skill in them; item: Virtutis laus in actione consistit, virtue consists not in good thoughts, but in good actions. It is called the world when one tries what one can do and how far one can get with one's own actions. It is worldly when one thinks that God does not care about the human things of this life. It is worldly, if one considers the one to be blessed who is doing well here in this world, who is not in misfortune like other people, and who is not afflicted like other people. Ps. 73, 5. and 144, 12. ff. The world is when everything goes according to our wishes, and we do not ask for anything else, but that it may go that way. It is the world when we feed ourselves with our own work, care and effort, and do not want to look to God. It is the world when I say: Everything I have is mine, and I may do with what is mine as I please. Now those overcome this world who keep the commandments of God, who are born of God, who believe that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, raised in Nazareth, crucified under Pontius Pilate, and that he is the Son of God. For these know that among all things nothing is so pleasing to God as when one holds on to Christ in faith, and believes that he is our righteousness; when one relies on his promises, does not rely on his own doing, and makes use of the goods of this life for his own and his own sake.
that those alone are considered blessed who, even if they lose everything in the world, nevertheless retain the important consolation that the Lord is their God, and thus have nothing more than a sincere hope left, which, however, does not let them become disgraced.
V. 6 This is He who comes with water and blood, Jesus Christ, not with water alone, but with water and blood. And the Spirit testifies that the Spirit is truth.
This place is certainly very difficult and dark. John introduces a testimony in it, so that he wants to testify that Jesus is Christ. His theme and main proposition is therefore this: The testimony of Jesus that he is the Christ, or by which it is proved that he is the Messiah or Christ. At the end he refers to a double testimony: The first is in heaven, the other on earth. Both are based on the fact that Jesus is Christ. Both also have three witnesses, because in the mouth of two or three witnesses there is truth.
16 John therefore cites a testimony in order to prove that Jesus is Christ. This testimony is a testimony of God and not of man. For the Father testifies of His Son. "If we therefore accept the testimony of men," says John, v. 9, "the testimony of God is far greater, which He bore of His Son." But this divine testimony is twofold: it takes place partly in heaven and partly on earth. The one in heaven has three witnesses, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; the one on earth also has three witnesses, the Spirit, water, and blood.
(17) Now the question is, how does this testimony come to pass in heaven? Some believe that this happened when the Father said over His Son at His baptism in the Jordan: "This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased," Matth. 3, 17, and on Mount Thabor at the transfiguration: "This is My beloved Son, whom you shall hear," Matth. 17, 5. Likewise, when the Holy Spirit descended over Him in the form of a dove. Paul also wrote out these words 1 Tim. 3, 16: "Great is the mystery of God: God is revealed.
in the flesh, appeared to angels, preached to men, justified in the Spirit". But all this does not belong to the testimony in heaven, because it happened and proceeded on earth. Therefore the difficulty remains: How then does such a testimony take place in heaven? Therefore it is to be noted that such testimony belongs to the testimony of the Holy Trinity. Here belongs the saying of Hilarii: Aeternitas in patre, species in imagine, usus in munere [eternity is in the Father, revelation in the image [Christ], use in the office [of the Holy Spirit]]. 1) Therefore this is the testimony of the Father, that he had decided from eternity to preserve the sinning world; the testimony of the Son, that he wanted to be obedient to his Father; the testimony of the Holy Spirit, that he wanted to make known the love of the Father and the Son to the world, and to gather, call and sanctify a church on earth. This, then, is the first testimony which takes place in heaven, and which is still more proved by the other testimony. For if this first testimony had not been in heaven, the other could not have happened on earth. This conclusion I draw from the word added to it, "This is he that cometh." For it presupposes the word that the one who is coming has already been before, that is, the one who has been in the bosom of the Father from eternity has come with this testimony. The three witnesses on earth have come, but the three witnesses in heaven remain. John lets them also remain. Jesus came to reveal this testimony to his church, as he himself said John 3:13: "No man leadeth unto heaven, but he that is from heaven, the Son of man which is in heaven." If this is not the true opinion of these words, I confess that I know of no other. The testimony of the Father, the Word and the Holy Spirit would not be of much help to the world if He had not come, of whom this testimony is mainly concerned. What would eternity and the Father's eternally conceived plan help us if it had not been revealed to us? And the obedience of the Son, to
1) Cf. § 23 of this chapter.
The testimony of the Holy Spirit, to which he committed himself to his Father, would be of no use to us if it had not been revealed. And so it would be with the testimony of the Holy Spirit, if it had always and forever remained hidden. We have a similarity with the sun: it spreads its rays, it refreshes and makes alive; the higher it rises, the more green and blooming everything is. It is not enough that this testimony be found only in heaven, but the sun must also touch the earth; the Sun of righteousness, Jesus Christ, must appear to those who sit in darkness and reveal it to them.
Not with water alone, but with water and blood.
These two things must remain inseparably together, just as both flowed at the same time from the side of Jesus, who died on the cross, and by this means his church was acquired, preserved and made fruitful. John gave the following account of this in his Gospel Cap. 19, 34, 35: "One of the soldiers opened his side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. And he who saw it bore witness, and his testimony is true." But this could not have happened if Christ had not come and truly taken our flesh. This brief summary was kept in the church, that the two sacraments flowed from the side of Jesus, but faith was always forgotten. In addition, Jesus, who died on the cross, wanted to give a sign of his life, which was imminent for him, by the shedding of water and blood, and to testify his own word: "When I am lifted up from the earth, then you will see who I am, namely a true man, who will also give signs of his life in death.
19 Against this, as a public enemy, the pope has declared himself, first of all, who has robbed the laity of the chalice in Holy Communion. John did not say that Christ came with bread and water, but with water and blood. Furthermore, the Anabaptists and sacramental desecrators are guilty of this crime, who have used the water in which Christ came.
Christ comes to us, and do not believe that with it forgiveness of sins is granted. So also the Sacramentarians, who deny the blood of Jesus, which will remain until the end of the world.
20 Augustine, in his book de meritis et remissione peccatorum, that is, of the merit and forgiveness of sins, asserted that the Holy Communion, that is, the Body and Blood of Christ, must be administered even to the now-born infants; and if it is denied to them, it must not be administered to the adults either, for they also have the Holy Spirit and belong to the Church and to the spiritual Body of Christ. This is what Augustine wrote and claimed at that time for the sake of some heretics. And if our heretics continue as they have done so far, we will have to do just as Augustine did. For in this there is no essential difference between the young and the old.
The fathers called the holy supper synaxin, the table of the Lord, a communion of the body and blood of Christ. Therefore, Oecolampadius is mistaken when he gathers all the oerters of the Fathers and wants to understand the table of the Lord from the bread alone. The blood of Christ must be his witness in the church until the end of the world.
And the spirit testifies that the spirit is truth.
(22) Whoever accepts his testimony is sealed with it that God is true.
V. 7 For there are three that beget in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. 1)
(23) This is the testimony in heaven, which is by three witnesses, is in heaven, and abideth therein. This order is well to be observed, that he who is last among the witnesses in heaven, is first among the witnesses on earth, and that justly.
1) One sees from this manuscript of the blessed Luther that he must have had such a copy of the Greek testament in his hand, in which this saying was written. Since, as is known, this saying is not found in Luther's first translation, there is also still one of the first printings in the church library here, in which this saying is not read. (Note Rambach.)
For the Holy Spirit bears witness in the hearts of believers that through holy baptism, as through the bath of regeneration, we are born again by the Spirit of Christ and by water; both of which have been purchased for the church and the believers therein by the blood of Christ. The Holy Spirit drives the testimony that there is a church, and in it forgiveness of sins. Hilarii's statement above belongs to this: Aeternitas in patre, species in filio 2) usus in munere. The image is Christ, in whom one sees the heart of the heavenly Father. The Holy Spirit teaches the use, that is, he teaches us to recognize the Father and the Son, and shows how salutary water and blood on earth fei. Therefore, our people are so bitter against today's Sacramentarians that they hand them over to Satan as enemies of Christ, because no one has ever spoken so harshly against God as these people, even the pope seems to be pious against them. The pope has never completely eradicated the sacrament, but only made a change in its nature, but these people attack the sacrament itself, thus eradicating the testimony along with it, yes, Christ Himself, and are enemies of God, who wanted this testimony to remain in the church until the end of the world.
(24) There are many among us who want to be considered believers, but who will not use this sacrament for ten years and will not think of this testimony of God. If they believed in God, they would also believe that everything God ordained was good and that His testimony was irreproachable. Therefore, whoever believes in the truth also believes in the testimony of God. But those who despise God's testimony prove that they are unbelievers. But God also awakens some from their security now and then, stirs their conscience so that they learn to feel and sense that they are sinners. These are to be comforted: "There is gone, but still there: a sinner, a penitent. Thus one must comfort the awakened consciences. But the sure ones must be frightened and awakened to the fear of God, because either they are not in fear of God, or they are not in fear of God.
2) Instead of Mio, § 17 irüÄZine, to which the following statement refers.
The testimony of God is not believed at all, or their faith is only a delusion, a dream, and not true faith. For true believers and children of God do not do it this way. Oecolampadius and Zwinglius know nothing of faith, nor can they admonish and comfort the hearts of believers. Erasmus also has no faith, although he is neither a Sacramentarian nor an Anabaptist. These people do not have the Holy Spirit, therefore they do not preach Christ correctly, and the hearts are not awakened to faith by them. And those who find no difference between Luther's and Oecolampadi's writings have nothing of the Holy Spirit either.
V. 9. If we accept the testimony of men, God's testimony is greater; for God's testimony is that which He has begotten of His Son.
25 This is an argumentatio a minori ad majus [Conclusion from the lesser to the greater. For in the mouths of two or three witnesses all truth exists.
V. 10: He who believes in the Son of God has this testimony with Him.
26 Above [v. 6] it was said that the spirit testifies that the spirit is truth. In John, Cap. 4, 42, the Samaritans say to the woman who brought them the news of Jesus: "We do not believe now because of your words: We ourselves have heard and known that this is Christ, the Savior of the world." The Holy Spirit is the truth, and also drives the same in the heart. He who believes experiences such truth better than when he is in cross and temptation. Whoever believes is sealed that the Spirit is the truth. In the cross such firmness of faith is not noticeable. But he is strengthened by this testimony: "Whatever you ask, believe, and you will receive it", Marc. 11, 24. I thought I was close, but in the cross I only learn that I am still a hundred thousand miles away.
V. 13. These things have I written unto you, that ye should believe on the name of the Son of God, that ye might know that ye have eternal life, and that ye might believe on the name of the Son of God.
The first is precisely what has already been said above, namely, that everything that is written and said in the holy Scriptures must also be accepted and observed in obedience. But first words are presented to us in Scripture; then the heart is formed according to such words, and from this it is recognized that they are not of such a nature as the word requires. This is followed by prayer. The Word sets before us teaching and exhortation. According to this teaching and admonition, the heart must be formed so that we may do true repentance and recognize the majesty of the Word, and thus also take refuge in prayer. The second part of this conclusion contains the following. For thoughts occur to men: If one is to pray according to his will [v. 14], how must this be done? Must it be done for all, or only for some? To this the apostle makes a distinction, saying, Some sin unto death, but others do not. From this arises a double explanation, partly what is a sin unto death, partly what is not such a sin.
28 As for the first part of this conclusion, those who are teachers in the church must have this place at hand when dealing with people who are either wounded or troubled in heart. Such people must first be investigated to see if they know anything about God and His Word. For it is nonsense to assail such people with a few bushels of psalms and biblical sayings; for these people bear their burden, that they cannot grasp everything at once. Rather, one must ask them from whom they got their name, and one must not stop until one has an answer from them. For because such minds are full of grief, they do not like to receive an answer. But if you have asked them something, you must use it to penetrate more deeply into such a troubled person and to talk to him, for example, about baptism, the Father and the Son. If such a one answers with words of the holy scripture, then one should ask him: Do you also believe
such words? How did you feel the power of them? How did you experience them? How did you escape the wrath of God? This is the third thing, then, that such people should be directed to prayer.
This is what I have written to you.
29 Here are three things to notice: 1) I write to you believers to believe. A strange speech, they believe, and he writes that they should believe. What need is there of exhortation to believe, if one already believes? But know that faith is not always of the same kind. It is easy to say: I believe, but all the more difficult to experience and feel the faith in the heart. That is why Jesus said about faith: "If your faith is as small as a grain of mustard seed, it will be worthy to move mountains, Matth. 17, 20. Our adversaries, who feel nothing about the power of faith, laugh at us when we teach, remember and write so much about faith. 2) He cites the name of the Son of God as the primary cause through which we are to be saved. Paul calls it
3) But because few attain to such knowledge of the name of Jesus Christ, true repentance is necessary. Call upon God, and you will be saved. In crosses and temptations it often becomes difficult to call the name of Christ with faith. Everyone likes to rest on his own good works and opinions.
(30) But we must remember something in advance, before we speak of sin unto death. The teachers are to know whether some have been converted by the word of God, which they have presented in their sermons, because this can give them a confident courage even in their death. It is to be said, "So that you may believe"; this is to follow from it. A teacher's words are truly God's words. He carries a high doctrine and leads an office, which Christ Himself honored with it, since he was baptized by John in the Jordan. Servants of Christ do nothing out of a ruling power, nor to please any worldly kingdom, but only the kingdom of Jesus Christ. Therefore each one must confess and say: Lord, who am I that you have placed me in such a holy and important office?
O Lord, my gifts are far too few for this work to be accomplished through me. Rule thou my heart and my mouth, and where I please thee not, I will rather be dumb and silent. But the secure people of our times take to the teaching office as to a handicraft, give no honor to God, therefore their office also comes off so bare. But this too is a shameful abusus and abuse, that everything that is only evil is blamed on the Gospel and said: Is this evangelical? Gospel and sin must be separated from each other. If sin is committed, it is man who does it, not the gospel. A preacher should take serious care not to reproach the gospel, for example, through drunkenness. A servant and counselor of a worldly prince always remembers his master with reverence and treats his words seriously. And we want to hold the word of God in such an unworthy manner and treat it in a dissolute manner? This would be a sin against the Holy Spirit, a sin worse than fornication and adultery. These people know that they are committing sin, but the sure violators of the Gospel do not know it, and therefore do not repent. Under the pope we were forced to do all kinds of outward works; and now we want to earn God's grace and forgiveness of sins with blasphemies? At that time, we lived in an outward Judaism, so to speak, which is better than Gentile Judaism. For it received its origin and commandments from God, and the outward police of it was established by Him. But now that we are free from the pope, people are sinking into paganism; no one does anything good, no one prays. It is a proverb: When a thing is most unpleasant, one should love it, it will not last long. In the beginning, the prophets came, gawking toward heaven, but preaching nothing of Christ. The Church has received the Word and the Holy Sacraments, and nothing more; but who among us asks that the Word and the Sacraments not be so profaned? The pope does not want to suffer with the aforementioned that the name of the Son be brought before the Father, and that he be addressed in the same.
But we should call on our own works and rely on the merit of them. But who repents? Who creeps into a corner in silence to consider such blasphemies committed against the name of God and His Son? It should cheaply break our hearts. If he wanted to persecute us, it would be for a handful of flesh. Now that God sends the Turk, we well deserve it for the sake of our sins and great safety. Likewise, when God inflicts pestilence, sweating sicknesses, drought, and plundering upon us, it is still too little, for we do not repent. We also see that the word of God is cheap and superfluous everywhere: it is sung by the farmhand in the field, by the maid at the hammer; it is sung on the wall, on and under the bench; it is whistled, it is played on the organ, it is played on the lute. Consider further, how people are so dead and indolent for prayer, they even say: God will surely give it, without our request. But this is blasphemy. Such people mix the revealed and hidden will of God. The revealed will of God tells us: "Ask, and it shall be given you." But who has commanded us to inquire into the hidden will of God? We are, after all, Gentiles, and probably even worse than the Gentiles. If only we were still Jews! 1) Though none is good, yet this one would be better in respect of the outward appearance. This sentence must therefore be constantly inculcated. One must learn to pray: Lord, you have entrusted me with a pound, grant that it may sprout and grow, and spare my dear Lord! Finally, we have signs before us that almost tell us that there will be no church after us. There are great disruptions among the churches. Some have a real desire for war, rioting and bloodshed; they say, "When will it begin? But these are blasphemies, voices of Satan and murderers, who say: When will it begin?
1) "If only we were still Jews!" That is, if we were still "living, so to speak, in an outward Judaism," as formerly under the pope. - We have been forced to this explanation by Rambach's remark, in which he erroneously states that Luther's opinion was "that it would still be an advantage for such secure people if they were Jews by origin" etc.
will break it? I will help. Rather, it should read: O Lord! let there be mercy and spare. In the prophet Ezekiel Cap. 22:30 it says, "I sought if there were any among them that would stand before the breach, and make themselves a wall against me."
This is what I have written to you.
(31) John hath herewith declared what is the summa of all Christian doctrine, to which all those who teach publicly and are set over Christian churches ought to adhere; wherefore also he hath above already used the words, "These things have I written unto you. For the gospel is the proclamation of the word, whether it be in writing or orally, or with silent meditation, or in any other way. And this act of preaching the gospel is the proper worship which he ordained in his church. But John also adds the benefit when he writes: "These things I have written to you who believe, that you may know these things, and believe in the name of the Son of God, and also have life in His name." If the word of God has been preached plainly and loudly, then the experience or feeling of the heart must also come to it. But each one must examine himself to see whether he believes with all his heart, especially in the hour of trial, that what has been promised in the word will happen to him.
V.14. And this is the joy that we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
32 After the apostle has presented the doctrine of repentance, he now also refers to the forgiveness of sins as the right core of the gospel, as if he wanted to say: The preached word of the gospel makes up the right service, but the believers and saints should also adhere to such a service and listen to the one who has ordained it. Since the hearts of the faithful often feel that their weakness is so great that it is difficult for them to believe the word of God, which often causes them great fear and despair, it is necessary for the saints to hear the word of God.
They should pray to God and call upon the name of His Son to forgive their weakness. And with such a fearful cry, God will also hear them and receive His saints.
Those who want to comfort and uplift the weak should be careful not to force faith on them in a troubled mind, for that would be like preaching the law and saying to them, "You must believe. For faith is a gift of God. It is almost to be feared that a person who prides himself on being strong in faith will not be so, but such a person must first recognize his sins and learn what weakness is. Above all, he must be reminded whether he has ever been moved in his heart when he hears the word of God.
This is the fruitfulness, if we ask something according to his will, he hears us.
34 This beautiful saying reminds us to deal with prayer, and to show 1) what prayer is; 2) how diverse prayer is; 3) how to pray and not to pray; 4) how far we are heard by God; 5) from a double sin, one of which is to death, the other not to death.
35. 1) First of all, what is prayer? It is a pure, sincere impulse of the heart, by virtue of which man seeks to obtain something from God through prayer. This is a description of prayer that the saints experience. For when they have a problem, they flee to God and do not ask for help from others. The reason for this is that the Spirit of God represents them to God Himself with inexpressible groaning. Therefore, their prayer is an effect of the Holy Spirit, because they are driven to it by the Holy Spirit in their hearts. When God afflicts a person with afflictions and temptations, He attacks him in many ways and wants to find a way out of the distress; then the Spirit of God drives them to call upon God, and this is a very special work of the Holy Spirit, when He drives a person to prayer and supplication. In the schools, prayer has been
that it is an elevation of the heart to God; is probably right, but also too weak. For the active cause of the prayer is not thought of, also the way and manner is not described in it. David prays in his Psalms: "Incline your ears to my speech, and let my prayer come before you," Ps. 17, 6. The pious Hannah prays only with the heart, and not with the lips, 1 Sam. 1, 13. And to pray with the heart is also to pray, for the true worshipers should worship God in spirit and in truth. Against the prayer with bare lips the Lord Jesus said Matth. 15, 8: "This people approaches me with its lips, and stays away from me with its heart." Therefore, to pray is not to turn over the leaves of the book and to move the lips. These are only the tools by which man can be awakened to prayer and encouraged in it. Eli chides Hannah about this, as if she were a drunken pray-er; but she answers him: "I am a sorrowful woman, I have not drunk wine and strong drink, I have spoken out of great sorrow and sadness", 1 Sam. 1, 15.
But why does John mention prayer here? Because he spoke above of the hatred, of the lusts of the world, by which the saints are also still challenged; therefore it follows that prayer is necessary. The whole armor of all true Christians consists in the Word and prayer. The word teaches us who we are and what we lack; but prayer obtains what we lack.
37. 2) Prayer is of several kinds. There is a prayer for us, a prayer for other people. If we want to pray for ourselves, we must make an examination of our condition, how we stand in faith, and in the same we must also stand in the challenge. But then we will stand if faith, love, hope, and other gifts of grace dwell in our hearts. And we should be happy if even a Turk prays for us. But there are, unfortunately, few who pray for themselves, and even fewer who pray for others. For if someone does not pray for himself, how will he pray for others? And this stems from security. The latter is rare, but the latter is even rarer.
If we ask something according to his will, he hears us.
Consequently, we are not heard when we ask something according to our will. We have the explanation of this in Rom. 8, 26: "We do not know what we should ask, but the Holy Spirit represents us with groaning unspeakable." This is a saying that is full of comfort and refreshment. When the heart asks, "How shall I keep myself in prayer? How do I know that I am asking according to his will? Christ says: "Ask, and it shall be given you", Matth. 7, 7. "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden", Matth. 11, 28. For example, I have a sick child, father, mother, poverty, sickness, disgrace, or some other minor affliction that is very pressing. For God can make a straw as heavy as a penny, and again, a penny as light as a straw. Therefore, one should not regard a minor affliction as minor, or care less about one who has a minor affliction in outward appearance. Therefore he is God, that he can make a small suffering great, but a great suffering small. He does with his saints as he wills. This one is today, another one tomorrow. If someone has such a request, should I pray for him, if it is not according to God's will? Answer: You pray, call and cry out; but how it should be done, leave that to the Holy Spirit; he will already govern your prayer, and represent us with inexpressible groaning. You must pray, however, so that you do not lead God into temptation. For you have the Holy Spirit at hand, who will already make the condition right that we pray according to His will. Let it remain in the church, even if we do not always know how to pray, for otherwise many a troubled conscience might fall into despair. But Paul wants such consciences to be comforted.
God hears prayer after it is truly salvific and blessed for each one. Paul prayed to the Lord three times when a stake was placed in his flesh and Satan's angel beat him with his fists, but he was not heard.
but only said to him: "Be content with my grace, for my power is mighty in the weak", 2 Cor. 12, 7. ff. But Paul does not stop praying because of this, and prays quite confidently. This angel of Satan, as I almost believe, was nothing but a despair, but by no means a tickle of the flesh, as Erasmus explained. Paul therefore has cause to pray, yes, he must pray, and prays three times. What is it to thee, then, if dll have such evil thoughts? Thou hast had enough of my grace; the wicked thoughts shall not be imputed to thee. Weselius writes: To be tempted is not sin, for otherwise Christ, being tempted, must also have sinned. To a man who is tempted, God appears as angry, hell is open before him, death wants to devour him. These ghosts cause the saints to often say to themselves: I have hell upon hell, death upon death! These must now be comforted with this: Being tempted is not a sin. Just pray. It has been more salutary for Paulo, since he was not heard, because there the power of God could be accomplished in his weakness. If the dog is with the dog, he stays with the house and fends off the wolves, for otherwise the wolves will enter the house, overcome, and do great harm. Another example: Every man should think of himself, if he were always listened to according to his own will, then it would certainly go badly. But God leads it out differently than we intend, and He does this for the good of His faithful. Satan is often heard when he seeks something according to his will, because it happens to his destruction; for example, when he asked that he be allowed to drive into a herd of swine, Matth. 8, 31. So he also asked God that he might afflict Job, Job 1, 11; but this happens for Job's good. So when the gospel is preached and Satan is concerned that people believe in it, he rushes in with all kinds of temptations. And God says: You do my will, but it is for the good of my believers and church on earth.
40. 3) It follows further: How far it is to pray and not to pray. The sin is of a double kind. First, it is a sin unto death.
Death is the wages of sin, Rom. 6, 23. Sin must be punished, but this punishment is death. A sin unto death here is such a sin over which God is so angry that He will not cease to be angry, and which He therefore also wants to punish eternally. It is the sin of which Jesus said: "All sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven men, neither in this world nor in the next", Matth. 12, 31. 32. On the other hand, there is also a sin of which John says that it is not to death. So there are, as it were, two tables of the nature and punishability of sins. In the one 1) table are those about which God is angry, but which he also wants to forgive. In the other, however, are those about which God is so angry that He will not forgive them and will not cease to be angry. Of those sins Jesus says: "Fornicators and tax collectors may enter the kingdom of God", Matth. 21, 31, but to the Pharisees He says: "Woe to you!" because they were guilty of sin unto death. Now when one prays for others, how far should this be done? Answer: For a sin unto death one should not pray at all, because it is a sin about which God is angry for eternity. The Church does not pray for those who deny the name of the Mediator, who seek neither help nor counsel from God, and instead rely on their own works and satisfactions. The pope not only eradicates the name of the mediator, but also defends his error. So Moses also prays against the Korah, Dothan and Abiram mob. Do not look at the sacrifice of those who are in the one table. Only those who are in the other table can find room for repentance. In that table are the sins of those who do not honor and recognize God as God, who do not give God the proper honor due to Him. But this is God's honor, if one fears Him, trusts Him, ascribes everything to Him, and does not rely on His own wisdom and power. In former times, when the papists held their horas canonicas, they used to say: "Now I want to
1) "one" put by us instead of "first" to avoid misunderstanding.
I will not let a goose cross the path of our Lord God. Therefore, one must pray only for those who do not sin to death; one must excuse, cover. One would like to say: Moses did pray for those who committed a sin unto death, namely for the idols who had set up the golden calf. "Blot me out," he says, "from the book of the living," Ex 32:32. Paul also did this, since he wants to be banished from Christ for the Jews, Rom 9:3. And although Stephen said to the Jews, "You always resist the Holy Spirit," Apost 7:51, he said, "You always resist the Holy Spirit. 7:51, he said afterwards in prayer, v. 59: "Lord, do not withhold this sin from them." Jer. 14, 11. 12. says: "You shall not ask for mercy for this people. For though they fast, I will not hear their supplications." God also says Ezek. 14, 14: "And if Noah, Daniel and Job were in it, they would only save their souls." Nevertheless he complains afterwards that there was no one among this people "who would stand against the rift", Cap. 22, 30. This seems to argue against each other, therefore also this saying of John, that one should not ask for a sin to death, has great difficulty. I answer: In the case of those who preside over the church, one has to look at a double person: at those whom they present by virtue of their office, and at their own person. In regard to their public person they cry out and cry, "Woe unto you scribes!" "My soul come not into your counsel." They must confidently cry out, and not be dumb dogs. But as for their private person, they must pray for them in their closet: Spare them, dear Lord God, so that they do not fall into the hands of Satan. Moses thus condemns publicly, and secretly prays for himself. So did David, Christ, Paul and Stephen. They publicly speak harshly against those who do not want to suffer the name of the Mediator and clench their teeth about him.
V. 17. All unrighteousness is sin; and some sin is not unto death.
This saying occurs twice. First above, Cap. 3, 4: "Sin is injustice," and now here again. But John has two
different words used; above άνομία, and here άδιχία. 'Ανομία is actually an ille
gality and deviation from the law, by which everything is indicated that is against the law of God, so that all sins are described by it. For he who sins against one commandment transgresses all others, Jac. 2, 10. But here the apostle uses the word, unrighteousness; Erasmus gave it: iniquitatem. This άδιχία is actually a sin unto death, for it implies that one does not seek help from God but elsewhere, and this unrighteousness is a root of all evil. In the letter to the Romans, Paul makes it the root of all other sins. Therefore, if hypocrites confess that they are not murderers, thieves, adulterers, etc., with regard to the other table of God's holy commandments, they have all the more on themselves with regard to the first table. It is not enough, then, to be none in the police, for those who do not give to God what is due to Him are always more like them than thieves, murderers and adulterers.
V. 18. He who is born of God preserves himself, and the wicked will not touch him.
42. Πονηρός, the wicked one, is Satan, as.
Christ also calls it in the Lord's Prayer: Redeem us άπό τοΰ πονηροί). In German we have called it the Argen. For no one is worse than Satan, for from him all misfortune has come into the world. Matth. 5, 37. Jesus says: "Let your speech be yes, what is yes; no, what is no. That which is above is άπό τοΰ πονηρού, from evil."
The Arge will not touch it.
43) In the Greek he tries it, because according to Peter's description he goes around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour, 1 Pet. 5, 8. But John comforts him: "He will not touch him.
44. The sins and infirmities of the saints are not sins unto death. They do sin, but they also have forgiveness of their sins. For it is said in the Creed: I believe a holy Christian church, a congregation of saints, forgiveness of sins. But no one can believe this as a saint
liger. But because they believe this, their errors are not sins unto death. And why not? "Because they are born of God. See above the third chapter, where it has been treated very extensively: Who then are children of God, who keep the commandments of God, who are called righteous, who purify themselves and overcome Satan? Answer: "Those who are born to God", "in whom the seed of God abides". In this there is at the same time a ταπείνωσις or humiliation. The natural
The same seed lies in the earth, you walk, you drive, you ride over it, it snows and rains on it.
It preserves itself.
(45) What is his armor, his shield, his buckler, and his armor, that he may preserve himself? The word of God, the seed that abides in him. In the 119th Psalm there are many descriptions of the divine word; it is called a shield, a light, and so on. Those who fall into temptations also fall into various thoughts, from which they cannot get out until they take the word of God to help them. What then can drive such evil thoughts from us but this preservation, by which we are set in safety against the attacks of evil? He who abides by the clear and simple word of God is victorious over all sects and fanatical people. This word is their shield and spear. In the same way, one must protect oneself from the great and dangerous security that now prevails in the world. There it is necessary to pray: Lord, let us have this custodiam [preservation]. We can see that Satan will not be quiet. Through the revolt of the peasants he set everything in motion. Then he sent the Turks. Now the disagreements of so many princes, republics and cities have been added, which all Satan needs against the chosen believers to touch and devour them. We must therefore pray, because we have reason enough to do so. For he preserves those who keep the word.
The Arge should not touch them.
46 There is an emphasis in this. He snatches at them, places and grasps them, but makes a mistake; and if he misses, then
He throws something in the way and gives opportunity through the world that is in trouble. He hounds us with flesh, the world, sin. He invades here and there. But the faithful do not sin to death. Because he keeps the word and does not deviate from it.
V. 19. We know that we are of God, and the whole world is in trouble.
This is the right preservation of the believers: they know that they are of God. Above j^Cap. 4, 9] he said: "The Son of God came that we might have life through Him. Why, then, does he not impute their sins to them? Because he came to take away our sins. "He who is in the bosom of the Father has revealed it to us," John 1:18, the language of the Father interpreted. The Father's saying is gibberish, no one can understand it; but the Son has interpreted it for us. This is a blessed voice that makes it possible for us to call upon God as our Father.
The whole world is in trouble.
He who knows the world will soon understand what is said. Here belongs the parable of the sower and the various fields, Matth. 13, 3. ff. Three parts of the seed are lost, the fourth bears fruit. Why? "The world is in trouble." Because the corrupt flesh is still weak in the race and does not do much against Satan. After that, Satan has all kinds of lusts in the world, lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh and hopefulness. There is much seed along the way, and on the rock, and among the thorns. The last part of the seed remains and bears fruit in patience; it takes much effort, it must die. Among them are those who were invited to the wedding and made all kinds of excuses. Pilate does not want to anger the emperor. Herod does not want to suffer any damage to his honor. Count among them the merchants, the tradesmen; it is almost difficult that they are not mocked by the world. And yet such people are safe, do not repent, do not consider it a sin, want to carry the soul on their backs for a while, then take it down again, if the devil, the world does not lead them away. There must be
the children learn, the people in the trade cheat and lie that they do not speak a true word; differently offer, differently give. Where is the word of Christ: "Let your speech be yes, what is yes, and no, what is no"? Therefore he adds: "What is above is of evil", Matth. 5, 37. It is a sin to death. It is the security of the world.
V. 20. We know that the Son of God has come and has given us a purpose, that we may know Him who is true.
This is a delicious thing. Consider Ps. 11, 72, 49, and if you compare them with this, you will also understand this saying: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach good things," Rom. 10, 15. The world praises those who have much temporal goods, be it gained as it will. And why? Because it does not know that Christ came and brought us something better. If we were of God, we would strive with all our hearts to become such people, for the sake of Him who begat us.
And are in that which is true.
(50) It is a precious thing not to be mixed with the world; to be separated as heaven and earth, to be born of God, and to be at variance with the world.
In His Son JEsu Christo.
5U Apart from this son, there is no truth. The prophets have insisted on nothing but righteousness and judgment. But the apostles go for faith, and apart from such faith all is deceit and deceitfulness of vanity. Therefore, the apostle now concludes his letter with the words:
V. 21. Little children, beware of idols, amen.
52 Conclude thus, as he began: My little children, I mean well; have no other God than the one who sent Jesus Christ into the world. God is able to save the murderers, the thieves, and the murderers, and if they repent, He can make them blessed; but He does not make blessed those who honor another God, amen.