From love.
Delivered at Trinity in 1532; printed in 1533.
1 John 4:16-31. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. In this love is fully with us, that we may have joy in the day of judgment. For as He is, so are we in this world. Fear is not in love, but complete love casts out fear. For fear has torment. He who
but fears, he is not complete in love. Let us love him, for he first loved us. If anyone says, I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar. For he who does not love his brother whom he sees, how can he love God whom he does not see? And this commandment have we from him, that he that loveth God love his brother also.
*This sermon (actually several sermons combined into one) was first published in Wittenberg by Joseph Klug in 1533 under the title: "Etliche schöne Predigten aus der ersten Epistel S. Johannis. Of Love. D. Mart. Luth. 1533." It was preached in 1532, probably during the Trinity season. D. Caspar Cruziger copied it and published it with a letter to Gregorius Berndt, Rathsherrn zu Görlitz, dated May 1, 1533, in which he reports that Berndt had heard these sermons himself and had asked Cruziger to share them with others. Therefore, he summarized the sermons and had them printed, on the one hand "in order to incite all the more to true Christian love", on the other hand "to shut the mouths of those who do not stop crying out against us, as if we teach and hold nothing of love and good works". This sermon was published individually by D. Rambach in Halle in 1720 under the title: "Des theuren Mannes Gottes Martini Lutheri erbauliche Abhandlung von der Liebe und ihrer Vortrefflichkeit" ("The noble man of God Martin Luther's edifying treatise on love and its excellence"), and reprinted again in 1725, 1720 and 1742. In the collective editions: Wittenberger (1556), vol. I, p. 466b; Jenaer (1568), vol. VI, p. 44; Altenburger, vol. VI, p. 45; Leipziger, vol. XI, p. 635 and in the Erlanger, first edition, vol. 19, p. 358; second edition, vol. 18, p. 304. Since the Erlanger is the first to be printed, we reproduce the text after it, comparing the Wittenberger and the Jenaer.
In this epistle, the holy apostle St. John exhorts his Christians with excellent words to love, that each one should have a kind heart toward the other. For the good pious man (as no doubt also the other apostles, especially St. Paul) has seen with his own eyes that all Christians should be kind to one another. Paul) have seen with their eyes, and grasped with their hands, and experienced how shamefully the devil opposes Christian faith and life in the world; and where the dear word comes, the devil quickly makes vain doctors out of those who have heard it once or twice, who as soon as they know the art so well that they even do it to the apostles before, and become such proud, joyful spirits, who do not yield to anyone, nor suffer a master, not even God Himself. And therefore go on with such a raving: I also have the spirit, and can do it as well as this my preacher, pastor, doctor 2c. If it lusts me, then I will hear it; if not, then I may well leave it. Thus, the dear apostles had already had great trials, not only from tyrants who persecuted Christians by force, sword, fire and water, but also from their own brethren who also wanted to be called Christians and had heard the gospel, and were in the number and names of the baptized, and yet were always stirring up dissension and discord, and making the people astray, so that they would be wise, able to do all things, and master them, and be seen more learned and holy than the true teachers and preachers.
2) As the devil has always done from the beginning of the world, and will probably do until the end. For he, in short, cannot stand the word, because through it his kingdom is destroyed and must lose its power. Therefore he attacks it, both with murders and lies, as he is a murderer and liar by nature, and soon began in the beginning with Adam and Eve (and [through them] 1) brought upon all men), who had the word pure for a while, but were soon deceived by its lies, and drove them to death through the lies, and instigated through their firstborn son, Cain, both 2) lies and murder, so that he quickly
1) "through them" alone in the Jena.
2) Erlanger: "and endowed by his firstborn Sohu, both" 2c.
He started his own worship service and killed his own brother over it. And after that, he continued to do so, and brought it on, not only in the world everywhere, but also in the holy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, 2c., in their own houses. For our Lord Christ, in whom we believe, as well as all the saints from the beginning, is the one man to whom the devil belongs. Therefore we must all consider that he attacks us from both sides: first, to murder us by his tyrants; then, with lies by false brethren, who make divisions and factions among us; yes, even by ourselves, when we become sure, and make ourselves believe that we can do all things well, and yet prove nothing of it anywhere in our lives.
3. Now it is not so vexatious that tyrants do the one work of the devil, which is called murder and bloodshed, since we know how to judge three things and separate ourselves from them; But this is first a shameful plague and vexatious business, that we have among us and in our midst those who are called our dear brethren, who are friendly and know how to boast of the gospel, are exceedingly wise and learned, and yet, before we look around, they turn into red spirits, or secret false Christians, since one proves evil to the other, secret treachery, and use the name for sins and disgrace. But how should one do it? Because it happened to the dear apostles themselves, we will certainly not have it any better; if we bite ourselves over it, nothing else will come of it. We cannot stop the devil's fist, nor can we shut his mouth, so that he does not always murder and lie. But if we want to have Christ and the gospel, we must also have the guest, the devil with his scales, who does us harm, both inwardly and outwardly among ourselves. We must surrender to this; it does not get any better here, we preach, defend and carry ourselves with the good word as long as we can.
4 This is what caused the holy apostle, St. John, to write his epistle, because such devils were already stirring and found everywhere, who also boasted of the Gospel and of Christ, and were called Christian brothers, and who were waiting for the Lord to come to them.
They were more learned and holier than the apostles themselves, and thereby caused division and mobs; as he himself complains and confesses when he says I.Ep. 2, 19: "They came from us, but they were not of us"; that is, they came by us, and have heard and learned from us what they can, whether they now know themselves to be much wiser and more learned than we ourselves. This makes it impossible for them to be equal to us and to be in harmony with us, but they must do something new and special. That is why he continues there, v. 19: "If they were of us, they would have remained with us. Item, afterwards, v. 5, 6: "They are of the world, therefore the world hears them. We are of God, and he who knows God hears us. He who is not of God does not hear us" 2c. This is what the excellent, noble man had to experience and see before his eyes and suffer in his own diocese, when he worked much and gathered a fine people together, that such hopeful spirits became and arose from his disciples, who were taught much too much for him, and mastered everything and knew better, and boasted of a great spirit; but nevertheless lived without love at all, and remained full of hatred and envy, and created nothing but division and discord.
Now what should the pious apostle do about it? He can do nothing but admonish his flock, as his dear children, to beware of such, and learn to know them, and let them boast that they are called Christians and have the Spirit, 2c. but see how they prove it by their fruits, whether they walk according to love. For he who wants to boast of the gospel and the spirit, and yet hates and despises his brother and neighbor, and does not live as love demands, is certainly not of God (he says), for by the fruits one can well know the tree, whether it is good or evil and harmful. It is indeed a fine teaching to recognize that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was sent into the flesh to be the Savior of the world (as he says shortly before, v. 14), and whoever recognizes this, God remains in him, and God in him. But this is the misfortune of it, that they can do it so deliciously well, and are so exceedingly learned; but when one looks at it, and shall need it so,
and in life, as they know it, no one is at home. But it is said: Whoever has the teaching right in his heart, and remains in God, also remains in love; for God Himself is love.
Therefore, if you want to be a righteous Christian in the sight of God and the world, who does not only carry Christ on his tongue, nor read it written on paper or in a book, but has it thoroughly in his heart, think that you prove it by deed and life before everyone that your love serves and helps others. If such a thing is there, and such people speak and boast of it, believe that it is true. But they don't do it, they don't boast and shout much, but this is their common language: "I would like to be a Christian, and I hear the gospel and God's word well, but unfortunately it doesn't want to go that way, and I feel that the two, speaking and doing, word and life, are still far apart. I can preach, speak, write, sing and read it, but it does not want to enter the heart with such strong, living faith and fervent love. Behold, thus these speak of it, making not much boasting and rumbling of great art and high spirit, but deeming themselves pupils who have scarcely begun, and have daily to learn. As St. Paul also says of himself Phil. 3, 12. 13.: "I do not let myself think that I have already grasped it, but pursue after it, whether I may grasp it at last, and reach out for that which is still before me" 2c. Item, Rom. 7, 18, he says: "I know and want, but I cannot do what is good. As if he wanted to say: I would like to believe and live as I should, but I feel that it does not want to go away, and the old sack always pulls me back, as the dung on the wheel, that I always have to fight with myself, and forcefully resist the flesh and its conceit.
(7) Therefore, if the dear high apostles complain of such faults and deficiencies that they cannot bring it about where they would like to, and may not themselves 1) boast of it, what kind of unholy people and disgraceful spirits must these be, who, once they have looked at a Book
1) Jenaer: not.
Or when they have heard a sermon, they can do anything and everything, and know no end to their art, and go about as if they had arranged everything, and do nothing but master and outsmart everyone? But it is said: Beware of great clamor. If the barrel sounds too much, there will not be much in it; empty barrels sound well, but they drink and give nothing.
8 Therefore St. John warns so diligently throughout the epistle. John so diligently warns throughout the epistle that they should watch and not deceive themselves, thinking that they are full of faith and have even learned Christ; Unless they find it so in life and feel that it is so afterward, and that it is shown by love toward the neighbor, that one also helps him with words and works, teaching and example, and takes care of his need, and punishes him where he sins, wise where he errs, carries him where he is weak, comforts him where he is distressed, serves and helps him where he is poor. In short, let love shine and glow as a radiance of faith in the heart. Otherwise, let the barrel have beautiful staves, bottom and ripeness, but because it sounds and is hollow, it has and is of no use.
(9) Thou mayest adorn thyself with words, and be learned; but if it be in earnest, and Christ be right in the heart, it shall be proved. Because it is so with God's word that the devil sows his seed everywhere, and has so much to do that the Christians do not take up the matter righteously, nor with earnestness, but only fills his house with empty shells, who only use the name and the words as true Christians, and let it float on the tongue alone as the foam of beer, it is necessary that one always urges and exhorts them to think and be Christians with earnestness, and prove it by love, as St. John does here, and says: "I am a Christian. John does and says:
V. 16. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
(10) That is to say, truly beginning on a high note, praising and exalting love excellently, and strongly exhorting and irritating it with the very highest and
1) Wittenberger: leidige".
most perfect example. And yet it is so plainly spoken (as St. John is wont to do) that I cannot attain it, and must wonder how he can speak of such high things so plainly with common, bad words. If nothing else could move us and drive us to love, it should do so when we look at the example of God, the high majesty. For God (he says) is love itself. If this is true, it must follow that "he who abides in love abides in God, and" again, "God in him. Therefore, do not let love be such a small thing. For if you want to know what kind of thing it is, I cannot tell you any better than that it is God Himself. How can you praise it more highly and more gloriously? For what is higher and greater than God? That is why it is spoken so powerfully. For with this one word he says and understands more than any man can say.
The apostle St. Paul has also written gloriously about it, and praises it with all his might with many words in 1 Cor. 13 throughout the whole chapter, as he counts its goodness and virtue one after the other, v. 4. 5: "Love is long-suffering, kind, not jealous, not puffed up, not proud, not puffed up, not seeking its own, not provoking itself. Item, v. 7: "She bears all things, hopes all things, believes all things" 2c. But with all this not so much is given, nor so powerfully spoken, as with this single word: Love is God Himself, or God is love. So that he may show it in the sweetest and kindest way, and stimulate us in the highest and strongest way, that we may strive for it and think what a wonderful thing it is when a person comes to love God and his neighbor with all his heart. For whoever has this, has such good, which is called and is God Himself.
12 If he said, "Love is a great, rich treasure of many hundred thousand florins, or a great kingdom, who would not esteem it great, and run after it as far as he could run, putting his sweat and blood into it, where he hoped or knew to obtain it? Yes, if it were even a lesser thing, a beautiful house, or a sack full of guilders, how would one struggle for it? But what is all this? What is money for all the world?
and good, power, might, wisdom, justice? Yes, what is the sun and moon, heaven and all creatures, all angels and saints in addition? Love is none, but the only, eternal, ineffable good and supreme treasure, which is called God Himself, from whom everything flows and has its essence, yes, exists in and through the same love. In addition, whoever remains in love remains in God, and God in him, so that he and God become one kitchen 1).
Now, such words might well move not only the papists, but also ourselves, to say that faith not only makes righteous, but also love, because it gives it so much, that he who abides in love abides in God, and has God Himself. But he who has GOD has it all. But he did not intend to teach how we can be justified before God and come to grace, or how we can take hold of love, so that he has loved us through Christ; which cannot be done, because 2) it is through faith alone, as he also says himself immediately before these words, v.15: "Whoever confesses that he has love, he has love. 15: "He who confesses that Jesus is the Son of God abides in him, and he in God, and we have known and believed the love that God has for us. For he would gladly awaken his Christians, and heartily exhort and kindle them to burn in love toward one another; therefore he exalts and praises it as highly as it is to be praised.
For what shall one say much about it? If one says for a long time that it is a high, noble quality in the soul, and the most exquisite and perfect virtue, as the philosophers and teachers of works speak of it, that is still nothing compared to this, that he pours out with his mouth full, and says: God Himself is love, and His nature is pure love. That if someone wanted to paint and meet God, he would have to meet such an image, which would be pure love, as if the divine nature were nothing but a furnace and fervor of such love, which fills heaven and earth. And again, if one could paint and form love, one would have to make such a picture that is not
1) Wittenberger: Church.
2) Erlanger: ohn.
work nor human, indeed, not angelic nor heavenly, but God Himself.
(15) Behold, thus the apostle can paint it here, that he makes of God and love one thing, that by such a noble, delicious and lovely image he may all the more attract and draw us to himself, that we may also strive to have love among ourselves, and beware of envy, hatred and discord. For as love is an image of God, and not a dead image, nor painted on paper, but a living being in divine nature, burning with all goodness, so again hatred and envy are a true image of the devil; yes, not human nor devilish, but the devil himself, as he is nothing in his nature, but an eternal fire of hatred and envy against God and all his works, both men and all creatures, that one could not paint the devil better, than if one could paint vain hatred and envy.
16 This can be seen in what follows from the two, namely, from hatred and envy, all the misfortune, murder, sorrow and plague in the world, brought about by him; but from love, all happiness, peace, salvation, help, comfort, counsel, and the best that God himself has and gives. For love does and practices the very same works that God himself does. But what does God do? First, He gives life to the whole world, to each one his body and all his limbs, health, light, air, water, fire, food, drink, and all necessities, so that heaven and earth must serve each one. Now what is all this but vain heat and a fiery oven full of love? And God proves the same wicked men and wretches, who blaspheme and persecute his word, crucify his Son for this purpose, and do him all harm and vexation without ceasing; nor does he lavish on them all goods and gifts. What should he do to such, if he were not vain love, and would deal with us as we deserve? Should he not always strike down with thunder, lightning and hellish fire?
17) The devil, on the other hand, is a vain adversary of love, causing nothing but strife, murder and heartache, and all plagues in the world, and especially against the pious, so that if God did not control him mightily 3) he would throw himself on the earth.
3) Wittenberg and Jena: tremendous.
The whole world at once in a heap, because he is God's enemy and has not a speck of love in him. His children also follow him, the great multitude of the world, where there is also no divine love, but only robbery and stealing, and contempt for the neighbor; just as in the Gospel Luc. 16, 20. 21. is illustrated by the rich man who despised poor Lazarum and left him lying at his door, so devoid of all love and mercy that he did not even allow him the small pieces of bread that fell under his table and did not eat the dogs themselves; indeed, he did not like to see them lying at his door, yet he wanted to be called a pious man. But if he had had a little love in his heart, he would have known the commandment of Moses, who said, Exodus 23:4, 5: "If thou seest thy neighbor's ox or ass go astray, thou shalt bring it to him again"; or, if thou seest him lying under the burden, thou shalt not leave him lying, but shalt help him up again. From this his own heart could have finely concluded: Since God gives that I should also help up my enemy's donkey, how much more should I help him myself when I see him suffering hardship and adversity 2c. But what does he do? There lies not his enemy's, nor a poor man's ox or ass, but he himself, the poor, innocent, wretched man, sick and full of sores, desiring nothing but to be satisfied with the crumbs that are thrown to the dogs: and he passes over before him daily, and gives him not a drop of water.
Behold, is this not the fruit of the devil, even the devil himself in the flesh? For this is his way, where God does vain good deeds and works of love, he on the other hand does vain works of hate, and rejoices in this, if only he causes all misfortune. So does this one, too; nor does he go there safely, making no conscience of him that, as much as there is in him, he strangles his neighbor, but despises him as a damned man whom neither God nor the world regards; thinks there is nothing good nor pure in him, so leaves him, and becomes a devil's child in him, since he would like to become a god in him.
1) "one" is missing in the Erlanger.
19. This means (I say) that God, if one wants to see him in his works, even those that he does physically and temporally, is nothing other than vain inexpressible love, greater and more than anyone can ever conceive; Indeed, which is the most shameful thing, the world also does not respect, nor does it give thanks for it, although it sees so many innumerable benefits of God before its eyes every hour, that it earns honestly with its ingratitude every day, that God would not let the sun shine on it for a moment, nor let a straw grow out of the earth, nor grant it life. Therefore, he does not cease to love and do good without ceasing, even outwardly and in the flesh. I will keep silent about what he does when it comes to spiritual goods: He pours out, not sun and moon, nor heaven and earth, but his own heart and his dearest Son, so that he also lets him shed his blood and die the most shameful death, for us shameful, wicked, ungrateful people. 2) He also lets him die the most shameful death, for us shameful, evil, ungrateful people. How can one say otherwise here than that God is nothing but an abyss of eternal love; and again, love nothing but vain God? Therefore, he who has love must also have vain God, and be full of Him.
(20) Whether he intervenes at times to punish and afflict the world, he must do so, and cannot do otherwise. For if he should never punish us, we would soon choke and devour one another, and in the end his kingdom and all his good deeds would be disturbed and dampened. He cannot control our wickedness in this way, even though we see and feel all the plagues before us; what would it be like if he did not punish at all, and freely allowed all goodwill? But nevertheless he remains love, as his nature is love, so that even if he has to thunder, flash and punish, it is only out of love and a good heart. For he does it only to ward off the wicked, and must thereby frighten a little the stubborn, stubborn heads that rob, steal, sting, and live in all kinds of blasphemous behavior, for the sake of his own, who are oppressed and afflicted, and must suffer all the will of the world and the devil, that they may also be saved.
2) Erlanger: so also, -that he lets him 2c.
They are strengthened and refreshed, and see that they have a God who means them with faithfulness and can ride against everyone's wrath and rage; so that against us, who believe in him, even his wrathful works must be called love. For all this is done for our comfort and salvation against our enemies, who have neither love nor mercy, nor are willing to suffer.
(21) Just as one must say of a pious prince and lord: The prince is vain love and mercy toward everyone who comes before him; nevertheless, he must have sword, spear, halberds and rifles, executioners and executioners around him, so that he reaches out and throws down among those who strive against his kingdom and peaceful regiment, or harm his own. But in his hall and castle there is nothing but pure grace and love; and yet he must also do this by heart to protect his regiment and subjects, and he does this out of pure love. So also with God there is neither wrath nor disfavor, and his heart and thoughts nothing but pure love, as can be seen everywhere in all the works in heaven and earth; that he also proves his love for us by throwing in three things at times, as he must do for my sake and yours, so that we can comfort ourselves that the world's fierce wrath and furious, devilish hatred does not have to devour us or destroy us, but will not let anyone go out who acts against love; He will take care of the pious as warmly and faithfully as he did for Abel against Cain, but will let the wicked go and be punished because they do not want love.
(22) This he himself has depicted in nature and in his works. For even the natural masters, who have experienced and described the nature of animals, say of the bees that the king among them has no sting at all, yet all the others in the hive strike and sting and leave their lives over it; but he alone is without wrath: and although he neither harms nor can harm anyone for himself, he must still have those around him who can sting and keep him safe; for if he were to just go along, the foreign bees or bumblebees would kill him. According to this image, there is no anger in God's nature and essence, and nothing but vanity.
Love and goodness; but that he lets all kinds of plagues go, hail, thunder, flood, water, evil, monstrous beasts, hunger, war, pestilence, pestilence, and the devil from hell, he needs as a sting around him, so that he remains with his majesty, and protects and comforts his own; Otherwise, the devil would be too powerful, and grab his honor and crown, and dampen his kingdom, so that no one would know what God was and was able to do, and Christ with his gospel and Christians would even be suppressed in the world.
(23) Thus you see what it says: "God is love"; that everyone must see it and grasp it, if only he opens his eyes. For all his goods are before your eyes every day, wherever you look: the sun and the moon, and the whole sky full of light; the earth full of leaves, grass, grain and all kinds of plants, prepared and given to you for food. Item, father and mother, house, yard, peace, protection and security, by worldly authority regiment 2c. And above all, that he gives his dear Son for thee, and brings thee home through the gospel, to help thee out of all distress and trouble. What more could he do for you, or what more and better could you desire? This, I think, is a fire and fervor, that no one can reach such great love with thoughts. And whoever does not see or respect such things must either be blind as a bat or stone-hard and dead.
Since you (St. John will say), as Christians who want to be and know God, see this and know that God 1) is nothing but love poured out on us in the most abundant way, let this go to your hearts, so that you also do the same toward your neighbor. For it is not possible for anyone who feels such a fire of love that he should not also be warmed and ignited a little by it. And if you do this (he says), you have such comfort and benefit from it that you remain in God, and God in you. This is beyond all measure a great treasure and a glorious glory, to be certain that God is and dwells in and with us, yes, that we are in Him and with Him One Cake, as we will soon hear further.
1) Erlanger: er.
25 But he does not add these words in vain: "He who abides in love" 2c. For he has seen that this is a very strange virtue, and that we all soon become lazy and slothful, and there are many who accept the gospel, and attack it with great, brave earnestness, and also become joyful, and thank God for the grace, that they have been delivered from error and blindness, and are now to be regarded as the finest Christians, so that it is thought that they have eaten the gospel, and are so full of it that they pass over, making believe that they now love God and the world; But they are a fickle people, as Christ said of the seed that falls on the stony ground, which soon sprouts and grows as if it were to become something delicious, but as soon as the sun comes over it withers and dies. Luc. 8, 6.
(26) So these also looked well, but it lasted, as they say, one dance to the high mass. Just as it was with our Gospel, when all the world ran to the first, and it was a delicious doctrine, and it was to be hoped that everyone would become Christians. For it is a fine sermon, and is well received, that Christ is the only Savior, through whom we are redeemed and set free from all sins and evils, and in him we receive everything that is necessary for our salvation. This sounds well, and is comforting and sweet to hear; everyone wants to stick to it, and now everyone can talk and boast about it, preach and write all over the world; but nothing more comes of it. And that it was wrong is because they do not stay with it, but as soon as they want to change the weather, they want to prevent that they should leave their advantage, 1) that they must stand in danger of their food, honor, body and life, or someone says and does something to them that they do not like, then they become angry or lazy. The others, as obstinate, stubborn heads, fall away and cause trouble, separating the pure doctrine and the Christian church. Then it is all over, and neither love, nor faith, nor Christ remains, but only shells and deaf nuts, which keep the name of Christians, but lose the kernel and the core.
1) Erlanger: "that they should not leave their advantage". - The following words: "that they... Le-ens" are missing in the Erlanger.
They husk themselves, and weave together like the chaff of the pure grain, one here, the other out there; one has this to do, the other another, that he may arrange his own. And so they go about among themselves, as we now see, all boasting of the gospel. But what is the last of these? They do not remain in love, therefore they do not remain in God. This is: It is a false faith, and no reason nor root in the heart, but only grasped with the ears, and hovering on the tongue, and keeping the letters of it, as it is written.
27 You must not look far for examples of this. For how many of them are there now, even of the best people who praise the gospel, who for its sake would willingly lose a penny, or give up their stinginess and their courage? There is no farmer or citizen who, for the sake of the gospel, would give his grain at the market for a penny more, even if it is well spent, but if he could make it a guilder more expensive, he would do it much better; and a citizen, if he could sell his grain for beer, even if one would have to drink death on it, he would not make a conscience of it. Similarly, with all kinds of trade and crafts, since everyone is busy translating people, and only scrounges, stingy and harmed, God grant that the gospel and conscience remain where it can. And no one complies with them, no matter how highly they are admonished, but they act as if they wanted to defy us and the gospel. Just as among the nobility, Junker Scharrhan not only drives his will to courage with pride and defiance, but also tramples on the poor preachers and acts in the most disgraceful manner.
028 Behold, so they abide in love, that for the sake of a penny and their belly they despise the gospel, God, and their neighbor, and become much worse than the heathen. But if you want to be a Christian, you must remain in love in another way, so that you do to your neighbor what you would have done to yourself. And even if you have to suffer injustice and sorrow over it, so that you can leave everything behind beforehand, so that you can have only your Christ and this divine love.
2) Kofent - Thin beer.
Keep love. But these are still crude things that the secular regiment should defend and punish. I will keep silent about what people show each other in secret deceit, and yet under a beautiful appearance. Item, what happens about it, if one comes into spiritual things, where each one lets himself think the most learned and cleverest, and his conceit must be the best, there is no preacher, whom he does not know to reprove and despise; and none is among them, if he should agree and hold with us, make nothing different or better, who would not let himself think it would be a great shame for him. This means that all of them did not remain in love, but acted unpeacefully 1) and only preached for the sake of his belly or honor and fame, and caused sects. This is what St. John means in the front of this epistle (as I said), when he says Cap. 2, 19: "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us." As there are still many among us who hear and teach the gospel with us, need the same sacraments, and present themselves as true Christians; but they are among us as chaff among the grain; when it comes to the meeting, one sees who they are and where they belong. For there is nothing but pride, conceit, envy, contempt and the devil himself.
29 This means that St. John says in this epistle about "abiding": "He who abides in love abides in God. "And again, he who does not abide in love does not abide in God, nor God in him; he separates and sheds himself as a useless, unfit husk or chaff, so that it must be seen that he is not of the right grain. For it is not such a great art to begin a Christian life and love; but it is an art and an effort to remain in it and to persevere, especially when 2) temptation and resistance come along. Although there are still many coarse, crude people who fall away from themselves as rotten, worm-eaten apples or pears, and are drowned in their avarice, pride, envy 2c. These are unadvised, unworthy fruits, and
1) Jenaer: unfriendly.
2) "the" is missing in the Jena.
no use at all, as they neither should nor can stay.
(30) But we are talking about those whom the wind and the weather knocks off, that is, those who allow themselves to be overthrown by such temptations and thoughts: Why should I stay with the teaching? I can see that one does not get anything out of it, because one must incur all the world's disfavor, contempt, enmity, raging and fury, life and limb, and always stand at the head against the devil, the world and the flesh 2c. Who can come to this or stay with it, if he is to have nothing more of it? Then it is sore under my eyes, when I am supposed to be favorable to him, to do good and to wish for him, who puts all heartache on me, and does not grant me life; then it is hard to hold on, and not to be angered nor wearied, so that one does not 3) desist from good works. For it is so strange even for a Christian to want to grow weary and overcome impatience.
(31) But it shall not be so, but it is said, torn through and continued unhindered, it meets us sweet or sour, and goes over us, as it pleases, it is friend or foe, even if it were the devil himself, and always thought: I have not therefore begun anything that men should give me, or love and reward me; therefore I have not left it, though I get ingratitude, envy and hatred for it. As a Christian, I have helped everyone and done my best with all my strength, and I still want to help and serve them where I can (but so far that I suffer their mischievousness and malice, but do not approve of it). If they pay me badly, then I have put it there first, because I know that the world should not pay me, nor can it. But it shall not be so wicked as to overdo me, 4) but rather, contrary to it, I will continue to do good, not to you nor to anyone else, but for the sake of my Lord Christ, because he has continued, and has not allowed himself to be hindered, neither by the wicked world nor by the devil; and so I will freely strike my good deed into the air, and I will do it for the sake of my Lord.
3) "not" is missing in the Erlanger.
4) That is, that she be stronger and more persistent in her wickedness than I am in my adherence to Christ. Cf. ü 33: "my love shall be far too good for your wickedness" 2c.
willingly lose, as he has also done and still does.
32 For this reason St. John also says, "He who wants to serve and do good to the world must not think that he will earn gratitude or honor and good by doing so. For he that doeth it, and seeketh to be thanked, hath already lost and corrupted his good works, and shall not long abide in love. Now the whole world is so skilful that it neither wants nor can suffer ingratitude and contempt for its good deeds, but as soon as one is angered in one piece, or does not give as much thanks as he wants, the world is inflamed and raises such cries and ravings: I have done him so much good, and would gladly have shared his heart in the body; behold! how he pays me, that is the thanks thereof 2c. This means a pagan good deed (which whores and boys can also do), serving one, that one must thank thee for it, and celebrate thee as a god, and be as it were thy prisoner. For no heathen is so great when he does you good, and you do not thank him, that he is not angry and removes his hand. Yes, a cow would be angry, if it should give milk for a long time, and one did not want to give it grass.
33. But with the Christians it is not called to go back and to withdraw the hand, but to continue and to remain in love, that it is a divine, free, unceasing, yes, also a lost love with the people, and thus the benefit poured out, so that he does not speak like the world: I have given you so much and done so much, and you pay me like a rogue and a villain, so I will not give you a penny from now on, nor help you, if I could save you from death with a finger; but turn the page and say: I have served you, and done good according to my ability, and you pay it badly, that I deserve nothing for my kind heart and good deed but vain ingratitude. Well, therefore let it alone; you shall not be so wicked and ungrateful, my love shall be far too good for your wickedness; so far, nevertheless, as to punish what is to be punished, but therefore not to close hand and heart to him where he has need of love.
34 So you see what this is, abiding in love, both rude among men, but
Much more in the spiritual essence, where St. John urges the most, namely in teaching and Christianity, where one should bear and tolerate the other, help and advise, even if he is ungrateful and does evil for good. But such things do not enter into the human heart. For such love is not a natural art, nor grown in our garden, but a gift of the Holy Spirit, that a man may give love for sorrow, and for all wickedness and malice do all good, and not cease. Therefore he says: "He who abides in love abides in God," 2c., that is, where love is, there is and dwells God, and is not natural nor human, much less diabolical, but heavenly and divine. For God alone is the man who does not cease to do vain good to the world against the world's ingratitude and contempt, but devours and consumes all iniquity and wickedness by the fire of his love. A Christian should also have such a heart that he does not let himself be pressed by favor and friendship, and does not make himself so angry and bitter that his heart does not remain sweet through such divine love.
35 And so that we can do this the more easily, he gives us great comfort, saying: If you remain in love in this way, be confident and of good cheer, certain that you have a divine life, yes, God Himself is in and with you, so that you remain in God, and God in you. Not so that one thereby obtains a gracious God, for that must first exist through faith, since no one has nor is able to have such divine love (as I have said), for whoever has been justified by faith through Christ, and has received forgiveness of sins, and recognizes the love of God and feels it in his heart, must be inflamed by it, so that he also again feels loyal love towards God and his neighbor. For God has never loved anyone before (says St. John himself in this epistle, before and after), but he first 1) loved us and sent his Son to make atonement for our sin, and thereby made us his children. Now when one has taken hold of such love through faith, this fruit follows that we also show such love, and
1) "erst" is missing in , the Wittenberg and in the Jena.
have a sure sign and testimony, because we abide in love, that we find true Christians, and abide in God, and He abides in us.
How could he comfort more, or praise love more highly, than that it makes a divine man, who is one cake with him, and can boast when he loves his neighbor, and credits him with his ingratitude and displeasing works, whether he disgraces and afflicts him for his good deeds, that he has done as a god? Not as if he had founded the great church at Rome or Cologne, but as if he had done something more and greater than heaven and earth, namely such a work, which is called a divine work, and the best that the high majesty itself has done. Now none of us, if he had endowed a church or a hospital, would have his heart swell and blow out, and everyone would think: O, this is an exquisite work, which not everyone can do; God must look at it specially and reward it 2c. But what would it be against this that he says here, "He who abides in love abides in God," and vainly does such works as God Himself does? is no longer a mere man, but a God, and better than sun and moon, heaven and earth, and what is before the eyes. For God himself is in him, and does such a thing that no man nor creature can do. For any man that hath money and goods can build churches, and do such works as seem great and glorious; but to keep such love and sweet patience of heart toward all men, that is not man's art, neither is it man's ability.
(37) But no one believes and respects this; therefore we go along like good fellows, may anger God and the world for the sake of a word, and cause misery, do not want to suffer anything from anyone, and thereby lose such excellent comfort and glorious glory and defiance, which a Christian has from such love, and make us give a heavy account, that we so surely throw such things to the wind, and do not respect what we owe to God, and thank Him so badly for His love and good deeds. For if you remain steadfast in love, and count against one another what you do to your neighbor, and how God has done to you, you will find that according to the Gospel you are guilty of hun
Thousand cents, since your neighbor owes barely a hundred pennies. Then a laudable reckoning will be made, and you will 1) very well pass that you let love fall for the sake of a penny, yes, for the sake of a word, pour out your wrath, and untie both sackcloth and rope: And he up in heaven shall give thee all good things, deliver thee from death and the devil, preserve and keep thy life and limb, make as many angels wait upon thee, let the sun and the moon, the earth and all creatures serve thee without ceasing, that thou mayest but freely go and do that which pleaseth him nothing in all places, and mayest not even thank him in the whole year. Wouldn't he have a good right and reason enough to lead you along with him as you do to your neighbor and deprive you of all his good deeds? because he can raise a hundred thousand against you, since you don't have one against your neighbor.
(38) But no one thinks about it; from that moment on everything is forgotten and despised, which he daily shows us for gratuitous good deeds, and for which he must suffer vain ingratitude. But if we feel a little ingratitude, the whole world shall burn, and God Himself shall strike it with thunder and lightning. But how does Christ and God remain in you, and you in Him? He remains up in heaven, but you on earth, yes, with the devil from hell. But if you want God to remain in you with his love, and if you want to be one thing with him, and be called a divine man, then you must also remain in love, patience and good deeds toward your neighbor, for the two are stuck and grafted into each other. If you are such a divine, heavenly man, and do not let other people's ingratitude or malice take away your sweet heart, he will not let his love and fatherly heart be taken away from you either, but will smile on you sweetly and kindly and do all good, a hundred thousand times more than you can do to your neighbor, and give you ten thousand pounds where you give your debtor ten pennies, and stay with you, and put to you all that he has and is able.
(39) Behold, St. John would gladly awaken us with great, excellent, powerful, and powerful things.
1) "will" is missing in the Erlanger.
We are to live among ourselves in Christian unity and love, and to remain constant in this, so that we do not allow ourselves to be dissuaded from this, even if we are not shown love and gratitude for it again; but rather, we are to live friendly with one another among Christians, also to let love go unhindered toward others, and in short, not to let any thing be so evil as to deter us from this, but rather to continue and speak against it: My dear brother, what I have done to you, or am still doing, I have done out of true love, and have never desired that you should thank or reward me for it. If you thank me, God thanks you again; if not, it is just as much to me, for I did not do it for that reason, but what I do, I do for the sake of him who loved me so much that he died on the cross for me, an ungrateful and condemned man, and still does more good every moment than I am worth, or can thank him for.
(40) Now if we 1) let ourselves take such things to heart, and were so minded, then unity would remain in Christendom, and God would be with us with all good, and would live in such a way that He would have pleasure and joy from it with all the angels. But it is the wretched devil that we always hear it sounded and preached, and yet do not want to heed such excellent admonition and glorious consolation, and all remain in such a way that we love and do good only for the sake of thanksgiving, friendship and enjoyment, like the heathen and the wicked. And where this turns, all love and friendship ceases, and goes everywhere in the world, as they say: "If you were to carry someone on your back all the way to Rome, and once set him down unsteadily, the whole way would be lost.
(41) But I have said that this does not mean that one should approve ingratitude or injustice and not punish evil, or that one should give and do good to those who are not allowed to do so, or that one should not want to have or suffer our love and friendship. For that is not called loving either, if one wanted to pretend with them, to keep their friendship and let them remain in their wickedness. For for this one should not have any special
1) "us" is missing in the Erlanger.
Virtue nor patience, which Christians must have, so that they can say: This is not done right, and pleases me nothing, and is fair to punish; but nevertheless I will not let myself overcome it, nor let love stand, whether it hurts and is annoying. For thou shalt not make it so poisonous and wicked, yet my heart shall remain sweet and kind; if I can amend thee, well, if not, depart; yet I will remain pious, and for thy sake will not forsake my godly love, nor follow thy devilish grudge and hatred. But if thou art so wicked that thou wilt not keep my good deed, nor suffer it, I must let it be done. For who can give someone without his thanks? For even though God gives all good things to all the world without ceasing, and adds Christ to it, he cannot give it to those who do not want it; but because they reject it, he must lose his good deeds to them and let them go. 2c.
(42) So then he has praised love above all things that may be called on earth. For he makes such a thing called God himself, and he who has it praises it not as a man, nor as a prince, king or emperor, but as a God. And setteth him not in a bad place, yea, not above lords and princes, neither bad in paradise, but above all creatures, in GOD himself, that he and GOD are undivided. What is more delicious and glorious to wish for or to think of, than to be one thing with God, and to remain there, where the high majesty is? What are all houses of worship and monks against such a man? For none of them will ever increase in glory and price with his and all the world's holiness, so that he can say: He who remains a Carthusian or a monk remains in God, and God in him. For they have neither the Word of God nor the testimony of the Scriptures concerning their things, as every Christian has and can happily boast of, if only he will follow them. St. John now explains further in beautiful words what it is that God abides in us, and we in Him, and how love must be complete, unfeigned, and righteous, where there is to be such confidence and defiance that God is with us, and we with Him, and speaks thus:
In this love is fully with us, that we may have joy in the day of judgment.
(43) This also is a strong stimulus to love, and a great benefit, that through it we may have joy in the day of judgment. But he always speaks, as I have said, against the false brethren and hypocritical Christians, who have the gospel only in their mouths and on their tongues, and keep the foam of it, so that they make themselves believe that the gospel and faith are in words alone, so that much can be washed from them; and when they have heard it once, they alone are masters of the art, and no one can do it so well as they; they know how to judge all others, and to reprove all the world, and no one is so evangelical as they. But that it is a true help is seen by the fact that they do not think to live by it and to prove love, so that one could see that they are serious; they have not needed more of it than that they have heard that one can get forgiveness of sins and become blessed by faith alone, and cannot attain this by works. Therefore they become lazy and do not want to do any works; they always go under the name of faith and become worse than before, and live in such a way that even the world must punish them, let alone that they should stand before God.
(44) To this the apostle says, No, it will not do, though it is true that by faith we have and obtain all things; but unless we also make faith appear through love, it will certainly be nothing, but a mere false dream of faith, that thou mayest deceive thyself. Therefore, look at your fruits; and if they are not righteous, do not be comforted by your false delusion of faith and grace.
(45) Therefore he warns that we should not think that the gospel and faith are only in the words and thoughts we have of it, but that there must be such a thing planted in the heart, breaking out there, and making itself known through love, and such love as is whole and righteous against friend and foe. For this means (he says) a complete, that is, a fine round love, which has no deficiency, which makes it have a joyfulness, and can withstand
on the day of judgment. So with these words he leads us to judgment, so that it may be seen that it is serious and not to be taken in stride, as if there were not much in it and it were not so strict and harshly commanded. But he means, in my understanding, the last judgment of God, although it may be understood, as some also interpret it, of the judgment or sentence by which Christians are martyred or condemned, which is also not far from it. For it comes to this, that the conscience must answer as before God, that he who stands there also stands at the last judgment.
46. be it therefore the judgment, which or when it will, he wills that faith shall prove itself so, that, when it cometh to pass, when thou shalt take thy head, or the stretching of the legs, or the last day, thou mayest have a defiance, and be able to stand. For surely there shall be no lying nor deceiving, but there shall be one who shall approve thee, and put thy faith to the test, and try whether it be righteous. Then the empty, hollow faith will count for nothing, for it will be found that it has done nothing, nor shown love, but has been envious, hateful, stingy, proud, and only led the name of it; all this will have to come out, and cannot be hidden, especially when one meets the great proud spirits, who pretend to great, excellent holiness, and reform all the world, and do something special, so that everyone should say that they alone are true Christians; This lasts for a while, can be colored and adorned, but when the hour comes, all such talk falls away, and it becomes clear whether you have believed righteously and done the work of a righteous believer.
(47) Therefore see to it that you do not have the loose, empty shells of love floating on your tongue, for that is a cold, lazy, unfit love; but that it is a whole, complete love, which is the core and the marrow, so that it can make a joyful heart when death comes and the last judgment, so that you may not be afraid nor tremble, but may rejoice in the presence of the Lord.
1) Blaring - dazzling.
To God and to all the world I say: I have lived in such a way, praise God, that my neighbor cannot complain about me; I have not stolen, hated, robbed or blasphemed anyone, but have done good to everyone as much as I can. But if it sounds like this: I have boasted of the gospel, and done no good to my neighbor; I have been stingy and cunning, proud and disobedient, hateful and envious, so that your own heart must say: Woe is me, what a Christian I have been, how have I proved my faith! then you will be so afraid that both gospel and faith will be lost to you (if God does not specially direct and sustain you). For the devil will soon be behind you and read your register and say: What can you boast about faith and Christ?
48 Therefore he calls "perfect love" such a love, which is righteous as it should be, and walks as it should walk; not with mere words and boasts, like the empty shells or numb nuts, but like a full nut, since it is found in fact to be righteous, so that no one can reprove it on earth. (For to be perfect and blameless against God is another thing, as we shall hear). Such is the case when your heart does not punish you, but can take courage and remain fearless against the terror of conscience, death and devils, and thus say: "I have, in praise of God, confessed my Lord Christ before the world and against the devil, and have lived in such a way toward my neighbor that no one can complain about me, no one has harmed anyone, and everyone has gladly forgiven me and done good; then I know that he will forgive me again and do good, as he has also promised. Just as Moses himself praised God against his rebellious mob, Deut. 16:15: "Lord, you know that I have never desired a sheep that was theirs. Item, the prophet Samuel also defies his people 1 Sam. 12, 3: "If anyone can accuse me or convince me that I have taken something from him, or that I have wronged someone, let him stand up and accuse me freely 2c. David also boasts in the Psalter, Ps. 18, 25: "The Lord repays me according to my righteousness, and according to the pure.
I have done the work of my hands before his eyes. As if to say, "I know that I have governed my people and conducted my estate in such a way that I have not wronged or harmed anyone. For this is to keep one's hands clean, to deal righteously with everyone in public, so that no one can complain about it.
49 Every Christian must also have such glory, if he is to prove his faith otherwise than by righteous fruits, that he may plead before God and everyone that he has acted faithfully and rightly in his life or ministry, not taught unrighteously as a preacher, nor deceived or offended anyone as any other Christian, kept his marriage right, raised his children and his household well, harmed no neighbor, or even reconciled him and done him enough 2c, so that no one can accuse him from now on, and so find in himself such piety and purity (as David calls it), so that he can stand before all the world, and also maintain such defiance before God's judgment. For if a man should die as a Christian, who has never lived as a Christian, what will he have for defiance and glory, when both the world complains about him, and his own conscience testifies against him? And it will be very difficult for him to stand his ground. He should not despair, but there is an art to it, that he takes hold of Christ in the last hour, when he has neither experience nor signs of faith, and suddenly lifts himself up so high that he begins to believe in the very last moment of need.
50 But thou sayest, This is contrary to thine own doctrine. For thus we taught before, that by works we cannot stand, nor have and retain glory in the sight of God; how then is it said here: That through love we have joy in the sight of God? This is straightforwardly against faith 2c. Answer: Yes, that is true, and hold only such things firmly and surely. For I have taught and admonished diligently hitherto, and still, that the two should only be well and purely separated, faith and love, and that each should be taught and practiced rightly. For otherwise we are blamed, because we make such a big deal of the doctrine of faith that we neither preach nor practice good works, even though we are in the presence of the Lord.
All the world can testify that I have preached much more gloriously and powerfully about good works than they themselves who blaspheme us. But this we punish, because they do not distinguish between works and faith, but brew and mix them together, so that it is not known what faith or works do and give; indeed, before our teaching, they knew nothing at all about faith, and gave everything to works that Christ is to give through faith. But we urge that one have and keep a right instruction and certain understanding of both, how far faith and love or works go.
For the world does not want to go the right way, but always the wrong way; either it does nothing and does not work, or it does not believe; it always goes to the side, so that it lets either faith or love go; it will not and cannot take the middle road, so that it practices both, faith toward God pure and unharmed, and love toward the neighbor with a righteous heart. Just as St. John demands and drives both; although in this epistle he primarily intends to exhort to love, he also does not forget faith, and is always adamant about it. For this is also how it stands shortly before this text, when he says, v. 9: "How God has loved us through His only begotten Son, sent into the world that we might live through Him"; and concludes with these words, v. 15: "Whoever then confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, in him abides God, and he in God" 2c. There he gives it to faith, and yet here he puts the same words of love: "He who abides in love abides in God, and he in him." How does this rhyme together? Is it then both true that through faith we abide in GOD, and He in us, and also through love? Yes, both are true, but they are so far apart that you must distinguish and discuss them properly. For where they are to be thrown together, they cannot stand together.
52. but this is the difference, as I have always taught from the Scriptures, when it comes to the chief joy by which I am to stand before God against my sin: if he will keep account with me, then my life, work and love will never be perfect nor sufficient, but I must find another man.
who is called Christ, sent by the Father, as St. John said before, to make atonement for our sin. This is what I call the chief joy, or the chief glory and highest defiance, which alone must do and keep it when God's judgment comes, and stand against his wrath, by which all my life and deeds must be condemned to hell. Thus he himself called it above, Cap. 2, 28, where he tells us to remain with Christ, "so that when he is revealed, we may have joy and not be ashamed before him in his coming. This is also what he means by the preceding words, v. 15: "Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, in him abides God, and he in God" 2c. .
(53) But above this we must also have a glory, not only against God, but also before God and before Christianity, against all the world, so that no one can condemn us, nor accuse us with truth, as St. Paul Apost. 24, 15. 16. before the governor against his accusers, and says: "After I have believed, and have hope in God that the resurrection of the dead will be in the future, I strive to have an unharmed conscience in all things, both toward God and toward man," 2c., that is, to live in such a way that no one can offend or be angry with me. Item, 2 Cor. 1-, 12: "Our glory is this, that is, the testimony of our conscience, that we have walked in simplicity and godly integrity in the world," that is, that no one can accuse us of having gone about with hypocrisy or wicked deceit. Defy the false apostles and everyone, if they can accuse him of preaching unrighteously or of doing wrong with the gospel, just as Moses and Samuel defied their Jews, if anyone could come forward whom they had harmed. For a devout preacher should take with him the glory that he has preached the gospel rightly and faithfully, and should plead this against the devil and all the world, as St. Paul also writes elsewhere, 1 Thess. 2:19: "You are my glory and defiance, my joy and crown of honor in the day of the Lord, when I will draw you forth to be my witnesses and make my fame real.
However, even though he has and must have such defiance, he is not blessed because of it, as St. Paul also says in 1 Cor. 4:4: "I am aware of nothing, but that does not make me righteous"; I do have a good conscience and joy, but not against God Himself in His judgment, but before the world and all creatures, so that none of them can punish me, but everything good must be said of me. Yes, I also have the glory (he says elsewhere, 2 Cor. 11, 10.) that I can not only boast about my life and everything that others may boast about, but also about my suffering and affliction, that I have suffered so much innocently and acted so evil. I will boast of all this, but in such a way that I do not rely on God being merciful to me and giving me heaven, for there is another glory that I do not find in myself, but only in Christ. I will certainly boast about this before men and before God, so that he will also say yes to it, but this glory must first exist before him, otherwise it will not be valid before him either.
55. Therefore I say: Against God I rely on nothing but Christ; but after this defiance and glory I will stand with you before God, as St. Paul did with those of Corinth, and say: You know that I have preached rightly and faithfully, and that no one has yet harmed or hurt you. Each one must truly have this glory against the other, or even be guided by it, even if he does not do enough for his neighbor, or has behaved improperly, so that he nevertheless reconciles himself with him. For if we did not have such glory, we would also have to do away with the ten commandments. Therefore, we must live in such a way that we may call upon God to judge between us and all men, and testify before Him that we have lived rightly and Christianly.
(56) So now you have it both ways, that faith boasts against God, and thereby quiets and puts away his wrath, which otherwise we would have deserved, and only braves the fact that we have a Savior, Jesus Christ, through whom we are reconciled. This is our foundation and cornerstone, on which our confidence finally and eternally stands, and we know when all things are lacking and of ourselves nothing can boast.
that we have a high priest 1) seated at the right hand of the Father, who bore our sin in his own body, and sacrificed himself for us, and still represents us without fail, and speaks the best for us, that through him we may have mercy and forgiveness, and fear no wrath (as we well deserve). This is our highest defiance and strongest glory, by which we overcome sin, death, hell, and our own conscience; for to this we were baptized, and therefore shall live and die, and suffer all things that befall us.
57. The other, however, is that love boasts and defies, not against God, but against and against the whole world, that we have done everything according to our ability, or would gladly do so, so that no one can stand up and complain against us that we have deliberately offended, stolen or robbed him, or broken the ten commandments against him; And so to be haughty and proud against the wicked and shameful world, that it should not boast against us, but that we should suffer against it, as those who are of it, that it should put us to vain ingratitude and all plagues for our good deeds and love, that it may itself bear witness to us at the last day that we have so lived, and by our works show that we have been Christians. But whether we are still frail, and do not do as much as we would like, we hold ourselves to that chief article of Christ. For here we may always count on grace and forgiveness, both from God and among ourselves, as the Lord's Prayer teaches us, and the confession must always remain that we are sinners before God. And whether we can boast before the world: I have stolen from no one, nor have I done wrong, but before God we must say, "I have stolen too much from you, and have broken all the Ten Commandments. But this is my glory, that thou hast blotted out such a record, and hast not reckoned with me, but hast let all things be forgiven through Christ. If then we are reconciled to God and are one, we may well keep the boast against men, that they shall not lay anything against us, that they may accuse or condemn us before him.
1) Erlanger: Priest.
(58) From this you see that we do not condemn works as we are blamed, but rather exalt and praise them, so that through them we may have joy even in the sight of God when He judges. For these are truly good works in the sight of God, and it would be foolishness for me not to call them good works, and to take them for preaching the gospel, or for serving my neighbor in his position, and not to lift up my eyes and look joyfully at the whole world and defy it to say otherwise. For these are the works that God Himself has commanded to be done toward one another, so that I can say, "These are truly divine works. If they are divine works, then they must also have glory and praise, so that they are regarded as such, and not discarded or despised as loose, futile, incompetent works (as the monks and all great saints are works of their own choosing, which have no word of God, and do not proceed from love), but praised for such works, which God Himself must praise, and both angels, saints and all the world must say yes to them, so that every Christian can refer to them before God. As the saints in the Scriptures have done everywhere, as David in the Psalter; item, the prophet Jeremiah Cap. 17, 16: "Lord, you know what I have preached, that is right in your sight." Item, the king Ezechia Is. 38, 3.: "Remember, O Lord, how I have walked before thee in truth with a perfect heart, and have done that which was pleasing in thy sight. "2c.
(59) But when God comes with His judgment, where is the glory? Since the Scriptures say everywhere that no human holiness can stand before Him, would one have to forsake glory and even despair? Answer: No, not so; for I have said that this glory is valid before God, but not against God, or with God, that is, between Him and me alone. For there I have already the other glory, that I am baptized into Christ, and the heaven of grace is drawn over me, whether I have sinned, or still sin 1). But if it goes against the people, and is to boast how I have lived in my state at
1) Erlanger: stho.
I will nevertheless say this: I testify before you and all the world, and I know that God also testifies to me, together with all the angels, that I have not falsified God's word, baptism and sacrament, but have preached rightly and faithfully, and have done as much as was in me, and have suffered all evil for it, solely for the sake of God and His word. So all saints must have 2) (as said) both the glory of faith toward God, and also the glory of love before men, so that they are both with each other, and the other grows out of the first. 3) For he who can boast against God can also easily defy the world.
(60) This is what St. John calls glory or joy on the day of judgment, that he can have God and all the world as witnesses against all enemies and the devil. And calls it a true, full love, which shows and can prove that man has done and suffered what he should; and is not a false, colored, yes, a living love, which only confesses Christ, as far as it does no harm, and serves the neighbor, 4) as far as nothing is taken from him, but which reaches into it with earnestness, and has the right core and marrow in it. But it does not follow from this that this is enough, and that faith is not needed, but rather that righteous faith must first be present, which can boast before God of the Lord Christ, and recover from the same where we lack it. But when it is there, then you may also cheerfully praise love against all the world, as St. Paul does everywhere, and makes so much of the praise that one would think he was a trustworthy man. But it is necessary, as St. John shows here, to have joy in the day of judgment against the evil world, which blasphemes and persecutes us everywhere, and would gladly condemn and destroy all things.
(61) That is to say, love is rightly praised and powerfully preached; not like the useless rag-washers, the papists, who preached
2) Erlanger: "rühmen" instead of: haben den Ruhin.
3) Jenaer: grow.
4) So the Wittenbergers: Jenaer: dienen; Erlanger: diene.
5) Erlanger: the.
much slobbering about works, and crying out hostilely, that one must not preach of faith alone, and yet know nothing of saying how to believe, or how and why to love, without piecing and dripping here one work, and there one work. But we do not teach one work or two, but more and greater works than you can ever do, but with the proper difference that the two, love and faith, are not to be thrown together, but finely divided: that faith goes up to God and deals with him alone, but love has to do on earth with everyone, and must defy and boast against all the world. So they will not and cannot teach, but either give everything to works, or leave love altogether, and think that it is enough that they can say much about faith.
62. But stay on this right middle road, so that you keep both the main glory against God, where we finally and thoroughly have to put our trust, on which we are also baptized and both have to live and die, which is our Lord Christ, who has washed away our sin by his courage, and now sits at the right hand of the Father, giving us everything: And besides this, you can also boast and defy the odds of 1) your love, so that it does not stand in mere words, but can stand before God's judgment, and there prove that it was a right untainted faith, and a righteous complete love, which shows its virtue and nature by right works, so that it can be seen and grasped. 2c. Now he continues, and once again invokes God as an example, so that he may keep us in divine love, and comfort us when we feel bad about it, and feel as if it is too difficult and unbearable for us to always practice love in the evil world and among the poisonous, evil people.
For as he is, so are we in this 2) world.
63 There is the end of it. The servant should not be better off than the master, and should be a lazy, shameful servant who sees his master stuck in the deep mud,
1) "of" is missing in the Erlanger.
2) Erlanger: the.
and he wanted to go and lie down on roses. Now it happens here that God has to suffer from all the world for his unspeakable love, that they show him vain ingratitude for it, despise his word and work, and blaspheme and persecute him. For how many are they who thank Him once for some good deed or gladly give up a penny for His sake, when God gives them all kinds of goods in abundance? They live as if they had the right and it was given to them that they should use his gifts according to their will. Since we now see that God Himself is doing so with His love in the competition, we may consider that we will not have it any better, and neither wonder nor be angry, as if something strange or special were happening to us, but rather be glad about it, and the more joyfully defy and boast, as He can boast and defy (even though it is not yet at all the same thing, with our love and patience, and all that we are able, against the divine love and patience, which He must suffer from the world), 3) that we may be the more provoked to follow the same example, and not consider whether we must also suffer something, which, to reckon against Him, is much too little and small.
(64) For nothing else will come of serving the world eternally, that it may suffer and give thanks for it, but nothing else can come of it, but pious people, who gladly do it all good, persecute, defile and blaspheme it, since it has no cause, and must think of something to blame it, even if it should break it from an old fence; as they did to Christ himself. Since they could not deny his good deeds and miracles, and yet could not suffer them, they had to say: he casts out 4) the devils by Beelzebub, the devils' chief. Item, since he had helped all the people, and could not raise a complaint against him, nor did they have to call him rebellious before Pilato. Therefore, do not think that the world should recognize our good works or leave them unpunished, but even though they shine brightly, they must cover them up as under a dunghill, with their debauchery and defilement, so that they are even given to the devil.
3) These brackets are set by us.
4) Wittenberger: treibe; Jenaer: treibet.
Whoever does not want to consider this, may let Christ go, or leave the world. But he who wants to be a Christian must take comfort in the fact that it cannot go any other way, nor should it go any other way, because God Himself does it this way; and must act like a good apple tree, which offers its fruit to everyone, and bears and scatters it openly, even among the swine and evil beasts that tear it up.
Therefore, let us also live in such a way (St. John wants to say) that we may always keep such defiance of love until the day of judgment, and be able to say before God: Dear Lord, it has happened to me just as it happened to you. I have done everyone's best, and gladly served all the world, but it has also thanked and rewarded me as it did you, with venomous hatred and all malice, so that we may be like God and boast with him (although our glory is nothing compared to his), so that the world may not raise anything against us, nor pretend to excuse itself, as if we had not told it, advised it, and done everything we should do to help it; But that we may put down her glory, and against it have every right to complain against her, because she will not now be wronged nor punished, and have neither counseled nor helped her of us, but for that very cause persecuted and condemned us.
(66) But in that day it shall be found and made manifest before God and all creatures, that he shall say unto her, I have given thee heaven and earth, the sun and the moon, and all goods, and have caused my gospel to be preached to thee, to save thee out of thy sins and thy miseries, and have offered thee all grace and eternal life freely. But how did you stand against it? Like a desperate evil fruit of the devil, which neither wanted to recognize nor accept any benefit or grace, but strived and raged against it to the utmost. In the same way, all the saints will then stand and testify against and against them, saying: We have served thee with our bodies and lives, and have helped thee faithfully and gladly for thy salvation and all good things; this thou canst not deny, and the same out of full right love, as the right love of God is and is. For if it were not right perfect and divine love, then
We will take a different view of the matter and say, as the world is wont to do among itself: I would let you have hellish fire and all misfortune, that I should do you more good. For why should we be allowed to burden ourselves with all people's hatred and enmity, contempt, travel and misfortune for nothing? Which we might well be above, if we would seek our own, and also give leave to the world, and say unto it, If thou be such a herb, the devil love thee.
67. But true love does not do this; it does not let any thing, neither evil nor good, love nor suffering, hinder it, but always continues with its love, and does not see what the world does, or what it deserves, but how God does, and what he suffers because of his love, and always sings its little song: I have not begun anything for your sake, but for the praise of God and for your good; if you do not want to recognize it, we will save it until that day, when we will read the register against each other, and you will also have to hear my praise, and make it true without your thanks, with your eternal harm.
68 Behold, so shall a Christian be equipped, that he may be like unto his Lord, and have such glory as he hath, and for his sake do all that love can do. For this is a fine and glorious consolation, that at the last day we shall be able to plead that we are like him, and that he will bear us witness and boast himself before all the world. Just as it happened to the prophet Samuel in 1 Sam. 12:3, when he defied his judgment against his people, whether he had ever taken anything from them or desired anything from them, God said to him, Cap. 8:7: "They have not cast you away, but me, that I should not be their Lord."
69 Because we know and believe this, we can also despise the world as defiantly as it does us. For what do I care, if I am a Christian, that the world should condemn my preaching, or pay all my good works with ingratitude? What have I lost by it, or they gained by it? Nothing, but that she will be deprived of her glory at the last day, and will have to leave it to me without her thanks, and condemn herself, even though she surely despises it now, and will not give it to me.
in the wind. How could she harm herself more, or benefit me more, if she did or gave everything she had and was able to?
70. For this reason a Christian is a blessed man and a mighty lord, more than all lords and all that is great on earth, even though he is despised, poor, miserable and afflicted in the eyes of the world, that he may defy and boast against everyone, and no one can do him any harm, even though the world tries all its wickedness and malice on him, as little as it is able to harm God; For he becomes like God, and has the very glory that God has; and this he attains only by doing love and good to everyone, and in return suffers all suffering and evil, just as God, his Lord, does. Why then should we fear, or why should we be angry and grumble, when we come to such honor and glory, and at the same time say with God to the world, "What have I done to you, that you persecute and blaspheme me so shamefully? Have I always helped thee and done thee all good? I would not give the glory for the sake of all the world's good and honor. For even if we do not earn heaven with it, it is comforting to us now and an eternal honor hereafter, and serves to make the world ashamed, so that it will have to stand before us with all its shame, and may not lift its eyes against us.
See, St. John wants to incite us to righteous love, which the world does not have nor can have. For it cannot and will not suffer anything for it, and as soon as it feels ingratitude, it rages and rages as if it wanted to tear down heaven and earth; it can do nothing but reproach and reproach everyone for what it has done. But it will not do in the sight of God to boast of other people's ingratitude and wickedness, thereby letting yourself be overcome and your love extinguished; and you have already lost your reward and comfort, because you do it only for the sake of 1) fame, and just by this you have ruined and lost your glory in the sight of God.
(72) But a Christian does not base his glory on other people's piety or wickedness, but looks to God that he may have such glory, saying, "My Lord has given me the glory of God.
1) Erlanger: um.
He has given me life and limb, his grace and all goods, which I have not earned, and much more than I need or can consume for myself. Therefore, I will serve and share with other people as much as I can, and I will not cease to do good, just as he does not cease to do good to me and to all the world. If they thank me, it is good; if not, it is just as much, for I should not and will not do better than my God and my Lord Christ, who gives all his creatures into the hands of evil tyrants and villains, and showers them with all goods, and yet earns nothing with them but the beautiful Deo gratias, that they blaspheme and disgrace him without ceasing. So also, his Son Christ lets himself be crucified, carries our sins on his neck, and dies for the whole world, that it may live, and be redeemed and free from sins and the power of the devil. But she goes to him, and will not hear such preaching nor suffer it, blaspheming and persecuting his preachers and Christians, and setting up all false worship and his own holiness in defiance and vexation of him. This is how he has to pay, the dear faithful Savior. Since he is not better off, what wonder is it that we are thanked, or what better thing can we do and hope for?
73 Therefore, learn to practice such righteous works of love, which, as I have said, and St. John also says in this epistle, is not in thought or word, but must be shown in deed with all one's heart. John also says in this epistle, is not in thought or word, but must be shown in deed from the heart, that one helps, advises and does the best for everyone, with all one's strength and ability; and that such a righteous heart and earnestness be, which does not let itself be deterred, whether one on the other hand grants it [love] the very worst or says and does it, and turns and interprets everything in the worst way. Otherwise love is not perfect nor righteous, but only colored, and a sign that one does not do it for God's sake, nor follows Him, but stands only on other people's piety and thanksgiving, which should stand on faith and the Lord Christ. Therefore it shall not hinder thee, that for his ingratitude thou shouldest injure him, or corrupt him, or wish him evil; for
2) Jenaer: like.
He will find enough hell and devils where he will not. So then love stands right on its right ground, as it should stand; not from your neighbor, but on your faith, and arises according to the right divine love.
Therefore I have often said, and must still boast (just as St. Paul did), and the longer the more: I would have long since given up preaching and teaching, and no man should be able to do it, if I should not do it for God's sake alone; for I have reason to say to half the people every day: Now go and help yourselves, or another in my place. For it grieves me more than any thing on earth that I must daily see and feel such shameful ingratitude, especially from those who should be our best friends and dearest brethren. 1) But it must be as Christ did. But it must be as Christ says John 13:18: "He who eats my bread tramples me underfoot," and we must eat it into ourselves and overcome it, and always comfort ourselves that it was not started for their sake, nor left for their sake, but started for God's sake, for the good of everyone who wants it, and stayed that way. If they trample us underfoot and fill both our hands with it, we must take it as a good thing and not be surprised, because it is not happening to us but rather to him, but still without any harm to us.
75 For we will also boast with Paul, 2 Tim. 4:7, 8: "I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is appended unto me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day. "2c. Behold, how proud is this man with his righteousness, when he otherwise confesses himself a sinner everywhere, and wants to be nothing everywhere; and even though he says in 1 Cor. 4:4 that he is not aware of anything, yet for this reason he does not consider himself righteous before God. But for the sake of his race or office, he boasts about himself to the highest degree, and does not want to be deprived of such glory, as he says in 1 Cor. 9, 15: "I would rather die, than that someone should destroy my glory.
1) Jenaer: terrible.
And this shall be his crown and glorious ornament at the last day, that he hath faithfully executed his office, and hath helped the ungrateful world; though he attain not salvation thereby, but by Christ and his baptism.
(76) Now all these things are for this purpose, and are preached for this reason, that we not only do love and good works gladly, but also do not throw them to the wind or regard them lightly, but know that God regards them as glorious and great. Otherwise, who could bear to work day and night and serve everyone, if he did not know whom he was working for and what benefit he was bringing about, and if it was all vain labor? As it is evil in the world and is lost; but it is not lost before God for that reason. Therefore we should also consider this great and glorious, so that we can boast before God with a good conscience, and he confirms such glory; yes, to become like him in it, because we see that it is just like us, so that we do not have cause to complain, nor become tired or weary3) of doing good, and do not look at what the world does, but how God does both to it and to us without ceasing.
Fear is not in love, but complete love casts out fear.
With these words he interprets what he means for a joyfulness on the day of judgment, of which he said, namely, that one should not then fear or be frightened. For true love does not suffer fear, that is, an evil, desponding, fleeting conscience, which bites, and laments, O woe, I never did no good 2c., but where there is love, there is an undaunted, joyful, and undaunted heart and conscience, which is not afraid nor afraid of a rustling leaf; but will surely let towers fall, thunder, lightning, and weather pass, and be angry who will not laugh, and stand firm, cheerful, and bold. For such a one knows that he can remain well before everyone, and no one has to complain against him. Not that by this he can put away the fear of his conscience from his sin and God's judgment or
2) Erlanger: when.
3) In the original: "vberdrossen" - tired of. Wittenbergers and Jenaers: verdrossen.
But as he said above of the glory and joy which we have through love toward men, so he says also of the same fear, that it should not be thrown together, nor drawn into this text, what is said of the fear which we have before God. For he did not intend here to speak of what we call, according to the Scriptures, the fear of God, which is a good, praiseworthy fear, not a fear or trembling, but a fear that God honors, which should always be with a Christian, just as a pious child fears his father. Nor of the fear or trembling of the heart in high spiritual matters, but still remains in that which he began to speak, namely, of love toward one's neighbor, and what this benefits and gives, namely, that one may defy all the world, and be afraid of no one; that it all may remain here, when one is to act toward men.
For that one may boast against God 1) and be without fear, something higher belongs to it (as has been said) than our loving and working. There the devil can make this text even false to us, when it comes to the high battle of faith, where the heart must stand in fear and disputation, whether God is gracious to it 2c., by which he so crushes the devout hearts that they do not know where to stay, and probably consume all their strength, sap and marrow over it; as David writes of himself in many psalms, since there is so much miserable and sad lamentation of terror, fear and anxiety, that it is to be wondered at by such great holy people; and the Lord Christ himself had to feel such anguish in the garden, that the sweat of blood flowed mildly from him, and bore such fear and terror for us, and overcame in himself, and we alone have to overcome through and in him.
79 Therefore faith alone has to struggle with the same [fear], and it only happens to those who already have a strong faith and spirit, and also lead a blameless life, and do much good and suffer, that they must not be afraid of anyone; just as the holy man is not afraid of anyone.
1) Erlanger: could.
Apostle St. Paulo, who works day and night on the Gospel with all his strength, and suffers all kinds of hardships, journeys and troubles because of it; But nevertheless, over such a holy life (of which he boasts against everyone that he is not aware of anything, that he has not acted unfaithfully or falsely with anyone), he still has to fight with the devil and suffer that he frightens him and makes him stupid, and so weak that he can hardly live, and always complains how he has to bear fear inwardly, terror outwardly, and is in anguish everywhere. 2c., 2 Cor. 7, 5. This is called the fear of weak faith, since faith struggles with God and yet in such weakness is victorious through God's power and strength. But this is too high and not to be dealt with here.
80 So we remain here in the lower degree, where it can be understood very well, namely, that this remains the apostle's opinion: If you live in love and prove your faith in such a way that no one can reproach your life and work before God, then you have joy and can be secure and without worry, and put away all fear. For the devil cannot take such things away, even though he blasphemes them with evil, poisonous words, and is able to prevent me from boasting that I have been baptized and am a Christian, that I have led a divine state or office, and that I have waited for it with all diligence. Therefore thou mayest well defy it, and keep a merry heart, both against the devil and against all the world, that they may leave thee unaccused and undaunted. Otherwise, where this is not the case, and the devil and death press upon a man, the heart soon begins to sink, and melts like the snow before the sun: O woe, I have been too near to my neighbor here and there, I have not conducted my estate rightly, nor faithfully attended to my office, and have sought only my own advantage, temporal honor and thanksgiving with it, and vain woe and anguish and terror come upon him, in his own heart. Although it is true that one should therefore not despair in any way, but hold fast with faith in Christ, that we are baptized in him, and have forgiveness of sins; nevertheless, one cannot avoid fear or terror, and if faith receives a great blow, that it is weakened, as it is not well planted, nor rooted and grounded.
But if he is not well trained, he stands very weak and loose, so that it becomes sour for him to remain before such a storm. Again, where it is well driven, and proves itself in works of love, that it is rooted and bears fruit, it can remain all the more firm, immovable and unshaken.
For this reason this epistle is not directed against faith, as if one should build the foundation of salvation on works, or for the sake of it let our confidence fall on Christ, but against the sure, false Christians, who boast much about faith, so that they see and do not deceive themselves with such false, vain boasting: I have been baptized and am a Christian, therefore I am not allowed to do anything more, but seek that their faith may be rightly rooted and grounded, and so try and prove itself that it may stand firm, and overcome the shocks and tempests of terror. Otherwise, your glory and security will soon fade away and vanish like the smoke in the air; and it will not do for you to rely on it, thinking (as the sophists also teach) that if you have only a speck of grace and faith, that is enough for salvation; but beware, if you have no more than such a speck, and leave it in the ashes, lest the devil come and pour a bucket full of water into it, and your faith and everything go out.
For it requires much to make and keep the faith strong. But it becomes strong, as St. Peter, 2 Ep. 1, 8, and St. John teach in this epistle. John teaches in this epistle, when we feel it and it breaks out externally in our lives, like a flame from a small spark when we blow into it; which otherwise always diminishes and finally dies out on its own if it is not preserved, and like the young seed in a dry field, if it is sown correctly; but where it has no sap, and in addition the sun comes on it with its heat, it must soon wither.
It is true that whoever has the grace to go forth with faith as a baptized child, or to take hold of Christ as the thief did on the cross, is fine and good, even though he cannot boast of any good works. Just as the same thief
publicly, both himself and the Jews, confessing or praising and calling on Christ alone, Luc. 23:40-42. But this is not for everyone, and no unbeliever can do it; nor can anyone who is still weak and untried in the faith. Therefore beware that you do not save it to the last hour, nor rely on it as if you could always come to faith, lest you lack it and come too late, and so dry up and wither away that you have nothing, nor find anything when you ought to have it. This is also what St. Paul means when he preaches about love, 1 Cor. 13:1: "If I spoke with the tongues of men and with the tongues of angels"; item, v. 2: "If I had all faith, so as to move mountains, and had not love, I would be nothing" 2c. For if a man thus goes safely in the delusion, as if he had faith, and yet never experiences it, he must rot and wither, and nothing is found anywhere, when it comes to the meeting, where it should be found.
The apostles saw this, and so do we. For the world always remains in such a way that it either boasts falsely of faith, or wants to be too holy without faith. If one preaches about faith and grace, no one wants to do works. If one is driven to works, then no one wants to believe, and those who keep to the right middle road are strange. Yes, it is also difficult for devout Christians. For I confess for myself, and no doubt others must also confess, that I lack such diligence and earnestness, which I should have now much more than before, and am much more negligent than under the papacy, and now there is nowhere such earnestness in the Gospel as was seen before with monks and priests, since so much was endowed and built, and no one was poor who did not want to give something. But now there is not one city that wants to feed a preacher, and nothing goes but vain robbing and stealing among the people, and let no one defend them. Where does such a shameful plague come from? From the teaching (say the screamers) that one should not build on works nor trust. But it is the wicked devil who falsely ascribes such things to the pure, wholesome doctrine, that his own and the people's
We are also guilty of our old Adam, who always wants to take the wrong road, and thinks that there is no need, even though we do not do many good deeds; and so we suddenly become lazy and careless, and get bogged down in it, until we lose the juice and strength of faith altogether.
For this reason the dear apostle exhorts us so highly and so dear that we take heed, and let ourselves be in earnest, and take good heed lest these things escape us, lest we deceive ourselves, but seek to be sure of these things, and also to have such glory and joy as a sign by which faith outwardly proves itself, that we may cheerfully defy and stand against the world, even at the last judgment, that it may have nothing to justly accuse against us. As St. Paul everywhere sets himself as an example according to Christ, and especially teaches the preachers of God's word that they should live blamelessly, so that they may be able to defy the world, whether they can be accused of anything, therefore they may be punished. Just as we must and will at the last day dispute with the pope and his crowd and boast that we have preached the truth, and have been heartily soured, and have suffered all kinds of folly, mischief and misfortune for it: so we also defy all tyrants and enemies, whether they can punish us with truth, and in short want to be judged by no one, but (as St. Paul says) we want to judge the world. 1 Cor. 6, 2.
86. But all this is still such a glory, which alone goes between us and men. For how we stand before God is not for the world to judge, but each one must answer God for himself, and it is not your business how I live for myself, or even what I do to other people. But if I did not help you, because 1) I should help you, or do harm to you, then you would be right against me, and my glory would be taken away from me, so that my heart could not be safe and free from terror, whether it should not therefore let my confidence in Christ fall. But still it takes effort that it grasps the same and holds fast to it. But here is the advantage and
1) Erlanger: where.
Defiance before: Whether the devil and the world will accuse me of remaining undaunted before them, and I must not become ashamed or pale, but can defy them so that they must remain silent. 2)
(87) Behold, this is the benefit and fruit of love, which St. John calls being without fear, or casting out fear, and above, v. 17, called "joy in the day of judgment. Again, if this is not the case, then you have the disadvantage of becoming ashamed and suffering people to praise you and judge you, as St. John also concludes and says:
Fear has torment; but he who fears is not complete in love.
For when thou shalt come to judgment, and the world together with thine own conscience shall convict thee of thine unclean life, the blood shall soon spring to thine eyes, and the heart shall tremble and shake, that it shall sour thee, and at least thou shalt not sweat over it. But you should not be condemned for this, and nevertheless put your trust in Christ, and in him recover from your lack and damage. But this will be quite stupid and weak, and you must nevertheless suffer the pain and feel a thorn in your heart and conscience. For such terror hurts the heart, and makes it fearful and anxious, and is a great hindrance, as said above [§ 78], to joyful confidence and trust. For with this, you make two kinds of work for yourself, before you get rid of this thorn in the hard features, and in addition overcome the thunderbolts, so the devil drives into your heart in the high faith struggle; and thus at the same time you must defend yourself on both sides against two enemies, namely, against the wrath of God, which we all must feel, and in addition against the world and your neighbor, who accuses you before God.
Now we have enough to do to win the high battle by faith against the fear of God's wrath, so that we must not burden our conscience even more. For it is not possible that the
2) This entire paragraph is missing from the Wittenberg.
3) Erlanger: dürften.
The heart should not be frightened when it knows itself guilty of such an unchristian life. Therefore it is a great freedom and salvation from such fear, which is against love and grows from below, that is, against the world, that it must leave you satisfied and innocent. But this does not take away the fear that comes down from above from God's wrath and judgment, unless it comes first through another man, who is called Jesus Christ, who was baptized with his baptism and gospel, and is not of our work or ability, but only of his gift.
90. But do you say, "Yes, where is the man who has done such things as St. John demands and may boast of himself, that he has lived all things blamelessly in love? I would like to see him. Answer: We do not dispute whether there is anyone who has achieved this and is so completely perfect that he lacks nothing, but we preach and urge that people strive for this, that they are serious, and that they act as if they wanted to do and live in this way, otherwise no one will be found who is so pure and holy in life that he does not do too much or too little; otherwise the Lord's Prayer, in which Christ teaches all his apostles and saints to pray like this, would be false: Forgive us our trespasses 2c. As even now the Anabaptists and all sorts of cults have hitherto presumed to do wrong, who have led such holy and austere lives that they should not seek forgiveness of sin. But we do not want to do the Lord's Prayer wrongly, and we do not want to throw away this article, but rather keep it as our highest treasure, since our salvation and happiness lie in it.
91. For our flesh and blood and this life do not suffer us to be without sin and various infirmities; but we should see to it that we do not sink into them and let them rule over us, but stand and work to do what our office or position and the love of our neighbor demands, and where we have been lacking or negligent, that we mend our ways, and so stand daily in resolution and diligence, and always continue in them, and not leave them. Yes, even if someone has stumbled or gone too far to the side, he can still get back on his feet.
and keep to the road, and only do not take the wrong road. Thus, he can always retain the glory that he has devoted himself to love for everyone and remain free of the fear that the world cannot punish him for the sake of his life, because his whole life has been directed toward doing the best for everyone. If, however, there remains some deficiency in it, and not all the individual pieces are so purely exquisite, the world has neither to judge nor to blame, but belongs to the register called forgiveness of sins.
(92) Thus a Christian always has the advantage (St. John says) of keeping a joyful heart and courage, even in the presence of God in judgment, so that he may not be afraid, nor have pain and anguish of conscience, as one who has not lived in love. For he knows that the world cannot justly punish or condemn him. Although this is not possible, that a man should be able to do right by everyone, and the world should not reprove and judge his life and work, even if he were the most excellent and perfect. But whoever wants to look at how people judge him, and whoever dares to make the world praise him, I have no other advice for him than to put on a gray skirt and run away from all people into the desert, and become a hermit, then he would be considered holy. But not to me such holiness; for it will not stand before God's judgment in the end, nor have the glory of remaining in love.
If you are a Christian, you should not care how the world treats you, for it is no different, that it should not reproach and judge something, even if it is only a little warmth under the eyes, even if the face and the body are completely pure and beautiful. Yes, she cannot refrain from giving false judgment, contempt, and ingratitude to the pious for their good deeds and good works. Therefore we too must despise her again, and nevertheless continue, and with our love retain our glory and joy, and nevertheless defy God's judgment. Then we will dispute with her and show her what good works we have done, of which she has none.
but blasphemed and profaned: let her then, without her thanks, and with everlasting reproach and harm, punish and condemn her own blasphemous mouth, and praise and glorify us all the more gloriously, as much more as she now blasphemes and reproaches.
94. I will (if God wills) on the last day also bring a good record of my good works, so that I have served the world and everyone, even my worst enemies, against my angry tyrants and enemies, and who they are, the coarse donkey heads and lying mouths, who now can do nothing at all but cry and blaspheme against Luther, so that they will have to praise and exalt me gloriously, and cry alas and woe over themselves that I should not now take the goods, honor and praise of all the world for their blasphemy and defilement. For this shall be my beautiful crown, as of most precious gold and stones.
For this reason a Christian must not do more than see to it that he directs his ministry rightly through love, so that glory may be found and not remain outside, and the more glorious and greater, the more he must suffer dishonor and contempt before the world. If it does not please the world, there is nothing in it. Nor is it pleasing to the devil, nor shall it be pleasing to him; and so it shall be called: For the sake of her blasphemy and poisonous mouth nothing 1) has been done nor left; but she again shall suffer from us, that we now so highly despise her and defy her, and afterwards at the last judgment shall make true and confirm our glory with her own testimony, and [the world shall] 2) have no thanks nor grace to reward with God.
96) Now you understand what St. John means by these words: "Fear is not in love, but perfect love casts out fear," namely, that this much is said: "It does not suffer one another that a true Christian, who is not a hypocrite, but righteous and loves in deed, should be afraid and terrified, but has already cast out fear, which follows where love does not exist, since the heart soon begins to
1) Jenaer: not.
2) Added by us.
He shudders, even from his own thoughts, when it occurs to him: "This is how you should have lived; this and that you did not do. That is why he says: "Fear is a torment", that is, it makes the heart afraid and woebegone, so that it does not know where to stay, and is a real torment in hell. Who does not know this, try it.
(97) And indeed it can be seen in many who, because of their sins, are in trepidation and terror of conscience when the hour comes, how they act so fearfully and miserably that many of them kill themselves. But this is not felt and respected by the great, raw multitude, who go safely along, and only load more and more sin upon themselves, as long as the hour also comes, and the repentance presses: so then it is resisted to the last, that they know no more help nor counsel.
For it is hard and difficult for the pious when the devil comes upon them, even with false fear and terror, because he makes them conscience of small or trivial things, or even of good works; just as he is a master of making sin and of making it more sinful, and can blow a great fire out of a little spark. That I would set myself as an example, how in such a case he often drew many a sweat from me, and made my heart throb, before I threw myself about, and took my defense from God's word, namely my commanded office and my service, which I have done to the world, which he must not make false. For where you do not have this, he can soon rush you, and press you as if the whole world were on his neck. As if, when he sees the hour coming, he will once attack our mobs and fanatics, and hold nothing else up but this: "Listen, Squire, what have you preached and done? Who told you to do it, or called you to do it? And will make them so afraid with this one word that I would not gladly take ten worlds and suffer such pain if I should die.
(99) For it is also difficult, as I have said, when one has lived and done according to God's word and command, so that He does not overtake man with His terror, and faith must stand for itself in a hard struggle, even though love is justified.
As is said above [§ 48 ff.] of St. Paul and other apostles and saints, who boast so defiantly against the world that it seems too much, and talk as if they had already won the battle: and yet the same, when it comes to faith, another battle arises, which fights not with the world, but with God. There is no defiance of justice, nor of one's life; but only pleading and begging for pure grace, as the 6th Psalm and many others show. There it is not said: Love casts out fear, but Christ casts it out.
Nevertheless, this glory must also be there to take away the fear of the world, otherwise the heart must also be in torment. For such a conscience grieves grievously, and is the greatest cross on earth, as those know and testify who have experienced it. Therefore, we should be all the more diligent to overcome such sorrow and suffering, so that in this lower degree we may retain a joyfulness and defiance toward the world, and not fear it, as the dear prophets, apostles and saints have done.
Behold, the holy apostle St. John has most strongly and diligently exhorted to love and its works, against the single, worthless Christians, who go along as if it were enough and all was accomplished, having heard the gospel and been in baptism, and now have done nothing more, nor lived; yea, more evil, unfaithfulness,
Robbing and stealing, as before, as if they had it right, and could not spoil it 2c. And warns that they watch, and do not deceive themselves, and know that where they live thus, there will certainly be no love. But where there is no love, there will be no faith either, but mere foam and harmful hypocrisy, and no glory nor joy in the heart, but terror and fear, anguish and chastisement, when the hour comes for everyone to punish you with all justice. But again, if you have love, you can prove before God and the world, and all creatures, that you have been a righteous Christian, that you have not only had the shells or husks of faith, and have adorned the doctrine you boast of with your life, so that you can defy everyone and remain silent, and thus go on happily as one who has been baptized into Christ, and has done and suffered what he should do and suffer. For we must live and die on the fact that our doctrine, life, status and ministry come from God's word, and that we serve everyone according to our ability. And if there be any other lack or infirmity, let Christ take it away, and let it be filled with the Lord's Prayer, and let it be forgiven one to another through love: so that no man shall have no fear in his heart, but that his heart through Christ shall stand against sin, the devil, and death, and through love against the world and all the power thereof, amen.