Chemnitz’s Homily Outline for the First Sunday after Easter (Dominica Quasimodogeniti)

The following is my translation of Martin Chemnitz’s homily outline for the First Sunday after Easter (Dominica Quasimodogeniti) found in his Postilla (Vol. II, pgs. 89–90). Chemnitz’s text is John 20:19–31. Square brackets indicate my own personal notes.

Chemnitz’s Homily Outline

“Now in order that we may handle this doctrine in a useful manner, so we will set it forth in these points:

1. First, here is described, because the Lord Christ had previously declared that He had to suffer and die and rise again, in order that He institute the preaching office (Predigamt) on earth: How He has instituted the preaching office (Predigamt), and how preachers and hearers ought to thereby be reminded how the preaching office must and ought to be carried out, that thereby everything happens in the name of Christ and in the stead of Christ (in Namen Christi… und an Christi statt), and what He gives to preachers and to hearers as a reminder (Erinnerung) and for doctrine (Lehre).
2. Second, how the Lord did not only institute the preaching office (Predigampt) in general (ins gemein), but rather directed it that it ought to be carried out that it be (seien) the keys of the kingdom of heaven, by which the unrepentant are to have heaven closed to them and the repentant are to have heaven opened and unlocked to them. And how the preacher ought to carry out and use these keys. Also, what the hearers ought to think of the keys, how they ought to use the loosing key for consolation (Trost), but ought to use the binding key for warning (Warnung), and how they ought not think, ‘Why do I care whether heaven is being barred only by the preacher? What power (Macht) does he have?’ But rather we ought to consider what the Lord says here: that what the preacher does here is valid in heaven with our Lord God and is effective there [John 20:23].¹
3. Third, how no man of high or low station (Standts), ought to presume to hinder God in this order and not allow the preaching office (Predigamt) to take its course both in its teaching office (Lehrampt) as well as in its rebuking office (Straffampt).² Because God wants to maintain this order (Ordnung), and thereby be efficacious and through this means allow His treasury to be opened so that from it all the treasures of God—which are God’s, which the Son of God has acquired and earned for us through His obedience, suffering, and death—may be brought forth and be distributed among us. And how, the devil therefore sets himself so opposed to this office (Ampt), and especially the rebuking office (Straffampt). Therefore, all Christians, preachers, political authorities, and hearers ought all the more strongly to uphold it, that this office may be carried out unhindered among them.

We will now deal with these three points briefly in this sermon. To this end, the blessed God give us His Holy Spirit, that we may hear and learn fruitfully.”

Footnotes:

1. The reader should remember and consider the Small Catechism’s explanation of the Office of the Keys: “The Office of the Keys is that special authority which Christ has given to His church on earth to forgive the sins of repentant sinners, but to withhold forgiveness from the unrepentant as long as they do not repent.” ↩︎
2. The rebuking office (Straffampt) is typically dealt with more explicitly on the Fifth Sunday after Easter because of John 16:8, “And when the Paraclete comes, He will convict/rebuke the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.” See Chemnitz, Postilla, Vol II. pgs. 166ff. See also Johann Gerhard, Theological Commonplaces, Vol. XXVI/2, § 270. ↩︎