17TH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY
Text: Ephesians 4:1-6
Source from Back to Luther with German archive reference. Back to Walther's Epistle Sermons.
Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Cord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love. Amen.
Dear friends in Christ Jesus.
During the whole time that there have been true believers and zealous confessors of the truth, they have always been blamed for being the enemies of peace and unity. Even when the great prophet of the Old Covenant, Elijah, met King Ahab, we read that the king immediately cried out in anger to him: "Art thou he that troubleth Israel?" 1 Ki 18:17. We hear the same thing of the time of the New Covenant. When Paul, the great herald of the Gospel, was arraigned before the Roman Governor Felix, the accusation against him read: "We have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world." Acts 24:5.
During the time after the apostle, we read that Christians were declared enemies of public peace and law, yes, enemies of the whole human race, not only by the heathen rulers, but often Christians were called by other Christians, disturbers of peace and unity. In the same way Athanasius the brave confessor and defender of Christ's divinity, accused of being an enemy of peace in the church,
had to spend twenty years in exile. Again when 300 years ago Luther, the man of God, again announced the pure Gospel after a long time of falsehood and loudly testified against errors dangerous to souls, he also was everywhere considered, even among those who wanted to be friends of the Gospel, as one who confuses the Christian Church. And finally, what must we also in our time experience? Because we do not want to take part in the so-called newly instituted Evangelical Church union, we are also accused of wilfully tearing the body of Jesus Christ and preventing that unity to which every Christian is so earnestly admonished in God's Word.
Of course, it is true, my dear hearers: If true Christians could be rightly accused of being the foes of Christian unity, they would be in a tragic situation. For, indeed, all Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are full of exhortations to peace and unity. The chief thing contained in the prayer of the Lord for his Church is: "Neither pray I for these," that is, the disciples, "alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word, that they all may be one, as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one is us; that the world may believe that thou hast sent me." Jn 17: 20.21. That is why Paul says to Timothy: "Follow peace with all them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart." 2 Tim 2:22. Yes, in the Letter to the Hebrews we read: "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord." Heb 12:14. In these words eternal salvation is denied to all who do not follow peace with everyone.
My friends, though it seems as though true Christians must lower their eyes in deep shame when accused of being the foes of peace and unity, this is nothing but mere appearance. The unity for which the Lord once besought his Father for his Church, and to which the apostles earnestly admonished the churches founded by them is something entirely different than what this beautiful name usually bears. It is Christ himself, the eternal Prince of Peace, who was accused before Pilate of being the disturber of the peace of the Church. His accusers cried out: "He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry." Lk 23;5. But as little as true Christians are intent upon starting and promoting false peace, just so great a zeal they show in founding and promoting true unity. Wherein this consists is told us in our today's Epistle, from which we now want to try to learn to know it. May the God of peace and unity grant us his light and his grace to do this.
The text. Ephesians 4:1-6.
The Epistle just read falls into two parts; in the first part the Apostle Paul exhorts in general that Christians should walk worthy of the calling wherewith they are called, with all humility and meekness and patience; in the second section he exhorts particularly that they should be diligent in keeping the unity of the Spirit. Now since this first exhortation was already directed to you last Sunday, let us today above all direct our attention to the second part of our text. I present to you:
THE TRUE UNITY OF THE TRUE CHRISTIAN CHURCH
I will show you:
1. Wherein It Consists.
2. Upon What It Rests, and finally,
3. By What Means It Is Preserved.
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I.
" Endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." v.3; in our day these words of our text they frequently call their watchword who have begun or embraced a so-called church union. They suppose that with these words the apostolic and divine seal has been pressed upon their union. " Endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace;" these words are, therefore, often urged upon true Christians who do not want to take part in this newly organized church union, and it is thought that these words reprimand and judge them.
But as they deal with many other passages of Scripture in our day, so also with this one; careful thought is not given to it; they misunderstand and misuse it.
For what is really the unity which they try to found by this so-called church union? It is only an external, physical, earthly, visible one. Whilst in their heart and mind Christians believe different things, think differently, are minded differently, they intend to found a unity which consists in carrying on certain pious works, e.g., the work of missions and the spreading of the Bible; calling each other at least brothers and sisters, although they are not in their hearts; holding one formal divine service together; appearing together at one altar, and accepting certain rites. And he who does not want to take part in a mere outward union is called a foe of Christian unity and is told: Have you not read what the apostle writes: " Endeavor to keep the unity" ?
However, the apostle does not write only this but: " Endeavor to keep the unity OF THE SPIRIT." It, therefore, is not the mere outward unity to which the apostle exhorts but " the unity OF THE SPIRIT." The true unity of Christians or the true Christian Church, therefore, consists of an inner, invisible unity, one of heart, mind, soul, and spirit. And so also the apostle immediately continues with the words: " ONE body, and ONE Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling." V.4. The true unity of the Christian Church does not consists in being joined together externally like the dead ones of a house, but like living members of a living body which is pervaded and suffused by one Spirit, namely, the Holy Spirit.
Though Christians have different earthly callings and stations in life, their unity consists in having only one calling; it concerns heaven which they all hope for alike, because it belong to them all without distinction. The first Christian congregation at Jerusalem once stood in such a unity; it is written of this congregation: "The multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul." Acta 4:32.
Therefore, do not be deceived, my friends, when, for example, the Roman Church proudly boasts of its unity under the mighty rule of its visible head, and when it with malicious joy points to the disunity which prevails in the midst of so-called Protestantism. Do not be deceived by the outward unity which is being brought about here and there by the church unions of our day. It is not this mere external unity of which the Holy Scriptures speak and to which they so earnestly exhort us. All external unity without the inner unity of the Spirit is nothing else but the unity of a corpse in the cemetery; no matter how much it glitters in men's eyes it counts for nothing in God's; it is an illusion, yes, it is a positive sign of spiritual death.
II.
My friends, now that we have briefly seen wherein the true unity of the Christian Church consists, let us in the second place also try to learn upon what it rests.
The foundation upon which they today usually build the unity of the church and upon which particularly the unity of the church of unionists rests is that everyone can believe what he thinks is right, the most widely differing opinions are tolerated in the church, and this difference is covered with the mantle of love. No opposition is raised against false doctrine but silence is maintained even in the face of the crassest falsification of God's Word. As proof that this is correct, they quote the words of our text: " Endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit IN THE BOND OF PEACE." However, the bond of peace, it is said, is nothing else than love; hence, true unity rests upon love. This, however, is a great error. The apostle does not say: " Endeavor " to found or make, but " to keep." that is, maintain, preserve " the unity of the Spirit." So it simply is not true that according to our text true unity could be made by and rest upon the bond of peace or love. No, this must first be in existence; but when it exists, it should be preserved and cultivated by the bond of peace and love.
But that upon which true unity really and alone rests is stated in our text when we read: " ONE Lord. ONE faith. ONE Baptism. ONE God and Father of all. who is above all, and through all, and in you all." Vv.5.6.
See, the true unity of Christians rests upon the fact that they confess one Lord, namely Jesus Christ, have one faith in their hearts, are baptized with one Baptism and are the children of one God and Father. If this foundation is laid, then unity rests upon the true foundation. On the other hand, if this foundation is lacking, if one confesses this, another something else, if one believes this, another that, if one considers Baptism merely a ceremony, another considers it a means of grace, namely, the washing of regeneration, briefly, if there is not one faith and one confession, then all this external unity is nothing but a false unity, a mere illusion, a farce, nothing but lies and deceit.
As much as the apostles have urged true inner unity which rests upon one Lord, one faith, one Baptism, one God and Father, just so earnestly have they, on the other hand, warned Christians against external unity with those they are not of one faith and confession. With great earnestness Paul writes 2 Cor 6: "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers; for what fellow ship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." Vv.14.15.17.18. Moreover, the same apostle writes: "I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned, and avoid them." Rom 16:17. Again he cries to Titus: "A man that is an heretic after the first and second admonition reject." Tit 3:10. Yes, in the first chapter of the Letter to the Galatians we read: "Though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed." Gal 1:8. And even John,the disciple of love, writes in his Second Epistle: "If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed; for he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds." 2 Jn 10:11.
Hence, far be it that God should command us to keep an external unity with those with whom one is not one in faith and confession; rather in God's Word this is earnestly forbidden and is an abomination before God. Therefore when Luther in the 1529 at the Colloquy at Marburg did not extend the hand of brotherhood to the errorist Zwingli, this was not lovelessness but faithfulness
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and obedience to God and his Holy Word. And if we even now do not want to take part in the newly organized church union, this is not done in egotism, stiffneckedness, hatred of peace and unity, but out of love to true unity which alone pleases God which rests upon one faith and one confession.
III.
Now the question arises: If this true unity is already to be found, how is it preserved? Thirdly, let me answer this question.
In order to do this, all kinds of ways have been proposed from olden times on. Most think that the best way of preserving true unity is to have a supreme church court which by its utterance decides and settles all strife and to whose utterances everyone submits unconditionally for the sake of the office. The papacy insists on this. It is stated: How is it possible to preserve the unity of the church if there is no supreme judge, a pope with his council, in the church? The history of the Church teaches us the result of using this method. External unity is maintained in this way to a degree, but the true inner unity is lost.
The apostle prescribes an entirely different way in our text. He writes: " Endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." According to the apostle the correct means is " the bond of peace:" what he understands by this we see from the preceding verses where the apostle exhorts Christians to be humble, gentle, patient, and loving.
And thus it is; when God has granted unity of the Spirit on the basis of unity of faith and confession, then no one dare judge the other; then· among each other no one dare cast everything upon the scales; then one must rather be prepared to overlook much, very much, pardon all manner of weaknesses and failings in each other, and cover them; then one must gladly give in to the other; then no one dare try to win followers for himself. Yes, in this way and no other the precious treasure of true unity is maintained and preserved.
Well then, my dear hearers, our faithful God in great mercy has granted us also this treasure. For our church and congregation is built upon the principle: " ONE Lord. ONE faith. ONE Baptism !" Then let us listen to the exhortation of the apostle in our text: " Endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit." Let us be on guard against false unity and false peace like against a poisonous serpent with a shining, glittering skin; but let us carefully cultivate true unity of the Spirit, faith, and confession by being gentle, humble, patient, loving toward each other, briefly, " in the bond of peace:" thus the God of peace will be with us. And finally when this time of strife and conflict will be past, we will enter into the mansions of eternal peace, where no struggle, no conflict will any more disturb our unity, where we will all be perfectly one with the Father, Son, and Spirit, and with all the angels and elect praise and laud him with one mouth into all eternity. Amen.