PATTERN OF SOUND WORDS

Author: revblanken

  • Chemnitz’s Homily Outline for the Ascension of Our Lord (Himmelfahrts Tage)

    Chemnitz’s Homily Outline for the Ascension of Our Lord (Himmelfahrts Tage)

    The following is my translation of Martin Chemnitz’s Homily Outline for the Ascension of Our Lord (Himmelfahrts Tage deß Herrn) as found in his Postilla (Vol. II, pg. 193). Chemnitz uses a composite text that includes Matthew 28:16–20, Mark 16:15–20, Luke 24:50–53, Acts 1:4–14, and 1 Corinthians 15:3–8. Square brackets indicate my own personal notes or additions.

    Chemnitz’s Homily Outline

    In order that such may be done all the better by us through God’s grace, so we want to direct this sermon in a simple way and thus grasp thus:

    1. First, that we take not of the accounts, how they have been described thus far by the evangelists and apostles, what the Lord had done during the forty days which He spend with His disciples after His resurrection before He ascended into heaven in a bodily manner (leiblich Weise), how He finally carried out the ascension on the fortieth day and had allowed it to be seen by His apostles and disciples, insofar as that He lifted His feet into the air from the Mount of Olives and thus ascended even higher until a cloud came and had placed itself between the sight of the apostles and the body of Christ and which shortly thereafter led Him to heaven. This shall be the first part.
    2. Second, we want to further search out from other places in Scripture how the holy fathers and prophets, in the Spirit, had looked through the clouds, and had become aware of this most-Christian and most powerful triumph which the Lord Christ has held in the air and in heaven at His ascension, the like of which has happened to no other potentate on earth; which thereafter also the Holy Spirit, when He was given to the apostles, had properly showed and revealed to them. Therefore, they have spoken and written so gloriously and powerfully about [Christs’s ascension] as the prophets in the Old Testament, that even Paul in his sermon, which He gives in Ephesians 4[:8] on this article [of the ascension], expressly refers to David and has taken from Psalm 68[:18] the words used and introduced concerning the ascension of Christ, so that one can see from it the unanimity of this doctrine among the saints (die Einhelligkeit dieser Lehr bei den Heiligen) in the Old and New Testaments.
    3. Third, how thereafter God the heavenly Father had further received His beloved Son into heaven, and set Him with great solemnity and glory upon the thrown of majesty (den Stul der Maiestät) and has given Him, according to His human nature (nach seiner menschlichen Natur), inexpressible majesty and glory. There, He is also preparing our place for us, that we, in His time, shall come to Him and be with Him in eternal joy and glory also, as He Himself is; and there He now intercedes (vertritt) for us with His heavenly Father, governs (regiert) and protects (beschützet) us on earth, preserves (erhält) us, and provides (versorget) for all our needs of body and soul.
    4. Fourth, how we ought to rightly make use of this doctrine of such a glorious ascension of Christ, so that we also can grasp from it enduring comfort and joy in our hearts.

    To these four points Your Grace (E. L.; an abbreviation for Eure Liebden) should now give attention and mark them in this sermon, and thus rightly learn to rightly understand this high article as it is set forth in Scripture according to such instruction; then, without doubt, the Holy Spirit will be present it it so that we can also understand the use of this doctrine and comfort which is contained herein.

  • Chemnitz’s Homily Outline for Fifth Sunday after Easter (Dominica Rogationum, Vocem Jucunditatis)

    Chemnitz’s Homily Outline for Fifth Sunday after Easter (Dominica Rogationum, Vocem Jucunditatis)

    The following is my translation of Martin Chemnitz’s Homily Outline for the Fifth Sunday after Easter (Dominica Rogationum, or, Vocem Jucunditatis) as found in his Postilla (Vol. II, pg. 176). Chemnitz’s gospel text is John 16:23b–33 (beginning from “Amen, Amen…” or “Most assuredly…”). Square brackets indicate my own personal notes or additions.

    Chemnitz’s Homily Outline for Rogate

    “Now in order that a pious Christian cannot falsely use (fälschen) this doctrine, so we want to divide it thus:

    1. First, we want to remember how much depends on it, that on prays and performs this divine service (Gottesdienst) with all diligence, and how therefore dear prayer has been in use and has remained in constant practice among all the saints and children of God at all times [e.g., Acts 2:42; Ephesians 6:18; Colossians 4:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18].
    2. Second, that there is a great distinction in prayer, that not ever prayer is pleasing and acceptable to God [e.g., Isaiah 1:15]; how one therefore thus ought to take care that, above all things, he removes from the way everything that defiles and corrupts a prayer so that it does not become displeasing and abominable before God [e.g., Psalm 66:18; James 4:3].
    3. Third, then what all belongs to right prayer (rechten Gebett); how it must be directed on certain grounds, and to what the heart ought to look when one wants to pray so that God can be at peace with our prayer and may hear it and accept it, that we may thereby obtain that which we seek from God through it. Namely, that we first call upon the correct true God (den rechten wahren Gott) who is God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit [Matthew 28:19]. Thereafter, how we ought to pay attention the causes (die Ursachen), which ought to move us to prayer, such as God’s will and command (Gottes will und Befehl) [1 John 5:14], our great present need (unsere fürstehende hohe Nicht) [e.g., Psalm 50:15], and the dear God’s kind promise and pledge (Verheissung und Zusage) that He will surely hear our prayer [e.g., Matthew 7:7; John 16:23–24].
    4. Lastly, how we ought to bring all of this together and into Christian use; how the heart ought to learn to exercise itself through prayer before God; how we ought to seek the eternal good (das ewig Gut) from God with full confidence and faith, and with what condition we ought to pray for daily bread and temporal need (tägliche Bordt und zeitliche Notturft).

    We want to handle these points briefly and simply in this sermon. May the dear God indeed grant that it may produce much fruit in us so that we may accustom ourselves and be diligent (uns gewehnen und befleissigen) to pray willingly, often, and with devotion (gern, oft, und mit Andacht).”

  • Chemnitz’s Homily Outline for the Fourth Sunday after Easter (Dominica Cantate)

    Chemnitz’s Homily Outline for the Fourth Sunday after Easter (Dominica Cantate)

    The following is my translation of Martin Chemnitz’s homily outline for the Third Sunday after Easter (Dominica Cantate) as found in his Postilla (Vol. II, pgs. 161–62). Chemnitz’s text is John 16:5–15. Square brackets indicate my own personal notes.

    Chemnitz’s Homily Outline:

    Now because this text seems to be a dark text which not everyone can easily grasp and understand, so we will deal with the doctrine briefly and simply which is prescribed to us herein:

    1. First, we will hear how in the Gospel Christ shows us that we ought to properly know what He has for a kingdom, and how He leads it, also what goods and jewels He distributes to us in His kingdom so that we do not imagine as if we chiefly ought to expect temporal prosperity, joy and pleasure in the kingdom of Christ, but rather that we turn away from our thoughts and know that Christ’s kingdom is a heavenly kingdom [John 18:36] and that He gives and distributes to us the eternal goods, so that we do not therefore set ourselves on things temporal (Zeitliche), but rather on things eternal (Ewige) [Colossians 3:2]; and how we ought to have our greatest pleasure and joy in this when we hear these this and concern ourselves with it, and thereafter strive that we might become partakers of these goods; but how naive and foolish we are that we do not particularly concern ourselves with it, but rather become sad over it when our fortune and wellbeing do not immediately begin in this life, which the Lord here rebukes in us.
    2. Second, it is also brought to our remembrance how the Son of God deals with us when He wants to bring us into the fellowship (Gemeinschafft) of His kingdom, that for this He uses the Preaching Office (Predigampt) through which the Holy Spirit is effective and works in us so that we also come into the kingdom of God and may become partakers of the goods which He has acquired for us, and how the Holy Spirit deals with us in this, namely that He teaches (lehret) us the right way through one comes into the kingdom of Christ, and if we fall short of the right way, that He at that point rebukes us (straffen) and teaches us to know our sin and our unbelief and that we lack the righteousness that is acceptable to God and that we do not trust in God from the heart, but rather that we fear the devil and the world more than we fear God; but when we recognize our lack and failure, then at that point He further comforts (trösten) us so that we do not despair on account of our sins, nor that we become distressed too much while under the cross.
    3. Third, what benefit it is for us that the Holy Spirit thus carries out His office (Ampt) by manner of teaching, by manner of rebuking, and by manner of comforting (Lehrweise, Straffweise, und Trostweise), namely that He leads us thereby into all truth, to the righteousness that is acceptable before God, and that He comes to help us in our weakness, comforts us while under the cross, and points us to the hope of the future eternal salvation.
  • Chemnitz’s Homily Outline for the Third Sunday after Easter (Jubilate)

    Chemnitz’s Homily Outline for the Third Sunday after Easter (Jubilate)

    The following is my translation of Martin Chemnitz’s homily outline for the Third Sunday after Easter (Dominica Jubilate) as found in his Postilla (Vol. II, pgs. 143). Chemnitz’s text is John 16:16–23a (ending with the phrase “On that day, you will ask me nothing”). Square brackets indicate my own personal notes.

    Chemnitz’s Homily Outline

    In order that we may take away something useful from this text, that we can make use of it for doctrine (Lehr), remembrance (Erinnerung), warning (Warnung), and comfort (Trost), so we want to parse this sermon in these two parts:

    1. First, how the Lord Christ in today’s Gospel says to His disciples and to all Christians literally and clearly that they ought to know that if they want to be children of God, the cross will by no means stay away, but rather it will certainly come upon them [e.g., Matthew 16:24; Acts 14:22]; therefore, one must learn this beforehand, while he is still outside of the cross, so that he may all the better prepare and gird himself to bear the cross with patience when it comes; and how we ought to rightly understanding the doctrine of the cross (die lehr von Creutz), how one ought to vies the cross, how one ought to judge it from God’s Word and not according to reason (Vernunfft), and how each one ought to bear his own cross, as God has laid it upon him, and be content with it, not looking to others to see whether or not it is lighter or heavier for them than for us [e.g. Galatians 6:4–5].
    2. Second, we want to hear what the Son of God has set before us in today’s Gospel for a beautiful and glorious comfort (ein schönen, herrlichen Trost) [John 16:20, 22], which we are to seek amid the cross (im Creutz) and by which we ought to sustain ourselves so that we do not become faint-hearted (or, discouraged, kleinmütig) and despair, but learn to remain still before God in patience and by God’s grace endure what God has sent upon us. For first, we know that it is God Himself who distributes this cross among His beloved children, that it comes from Him and from no other, that it is His desire (sein Lust) to hide His face from us at times [cf. Isaiah 54:8]. And second, [we know] that God does not act from a wrathful disposition (zornigen Gemüt), but rather from a Fatherly heart (vätterlichen Hertzen), that it may turn out for our best [Romans 8:28]. Furthermore, He says that it is only a small thing to do, that it is only a transitory thing (ein Ubergang), that it will not last forever, but only is as a moment (literally, “blink of an eye,” ein Augenblick) [cf. 2 Corinthians 4:16–18]. And lastly, that we ought to take comfort ourselves that all our sorrow and misery shall one day come to a good and desired end (zum guten und gewündschten Ende), when, after this life, we shall partake in eternal blessedness instead of the temporal cross.

    We will [now] deal with both parts of the text of today’s Gospel. May the dear God grant us all His Holy Spirit so that we may usefully grasp this reminder, doctrine, and comfort (Erinnerung, Lehr, und Trost) and make use of it in a Christian manner, and thus also learn to keep still before God and accept all things as love, whatever God will lay upon us according to His Fatherly will. [Amen]

  • Chemnitz’s Homily Outline for the Second Sunday after Easter (Dominica Misericordiae Domini)

    Chemnitz’s Homily Outline for the Second Sunday after Easter (Dominica Misericordiae Domini)

    The following is my translation of Martin Chemnitz’s homily outline for the Second Sunday after Easter (Dominica Misericordiae Domini) as found in his Postilla (Vol. II, pgs. 117–18). Chemnitz’s text is John 10:11–16, 26–30. As far as I know, the last few verses are not normally included in the reading for this Sunday and this may be unique to Chemnitz. Square brackets indicate my own personal notes.

    Chemnitz’s Homily Outline

    “In order that we may now deal with this doctrine so that we may grasp and retain something useful from it, we will deal with aforementioned text of today’s Gospel this time in four parts:

    1. First, we will hear how this Gospel speaks of the single Good Shepherd of whom the sheep are His own, who therefore takes care of them with such faithfulness that He lays down His life for them rather than allowing them to fall prey to the hellish wolf, and how herein the entire office (Ampt) of our beloved Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is described and grasped, and how we ought to learn to know and consider from this the faithfulness and and great love of the Lord Christ.
    2. Second, when we know this, that Christ is the only Good Shepherd, who has acquired and merited salvation for us, His little sheep (Schäflein), granting it also to us all together that we may become partakers together of these goods, therefore, He ordains (verordnet) in His stead (an seine Stat) other faithful pastors (Hirten) and caretakers of souls (Seelsorger), to whom he commits and entrusts His little sheep [see Ephesians 4:11ff.]; how they ought to conduct themselves in their office (Ampt), that they be found faithful and neither neglect nor lead astray the little sheep from the Lord Christ; and how they ought to lead and carry out their office with great diligence, that they remember that the time will come when they must give an account [Hebrews 13:17] to the Chief Shepherd (Ertzhirten) [1 Peter 5:4] on that day as to how they have carried out their office, and thus, how they ought to expect either reward or punishment according to what they have done.
    3. Third, how the devil also sends his apostles so that he may also enlarge his kingdom and draw away the little sheep of Christ to himself and snatch them, strangle them, and devour them. In order to do this, he makes use of false teachers, who with their lies and errors lead the people away from the pure doctrine onto an erring path and seduce them through scandalous examples so that they all turn aside from God’s ways and fall prey to the hellish wolf. Or when He cannot accomplish anything through such wolves in a place, then he makes use of the hirelings, who indeed conduct the teaching (Lehre) rightly, but do not make right use of the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven1 [by] not rebuking false doctrine, not warning their little sheep of [false doctrine], not speaking to anyone concerning their sins, but rather they are concerned only that in their office they may have everyone’s favor and enjoy great benefit and pleasure from their hearers; how one ought to learn to recognize such wolves and hirelings so that he can guard himself and beware of them, because there is great danger and concern in this that such people deprive us of our salvation and blessedness.
    4. Fourth, concerning the little sheep, how thy ought to conduct themselves, how about all they ought to hold fast to their Shepherd, the Lord Christ, hear His voice, and follow Him, how they ought to listen to the preachers which Christ has ordained (geordnet) in His place (an seine Stat) and given to them, how they ought not to despise them, but rather to accept their teaching, how they ought to guard and beware of wolves and hirelings so that they are not led astray by them and thus delivered into the jaws of the hellish wolf; and what comfort they should have if they are and remain the little sheep of the Lord Christ, how they ought to comfort themselves already at this time that they will be pastured and be cared for with temporal and eternal pasture, that is, that they will have their necessities, and that they will be sustained through the saving nourishment of the divine Word and the most worthy Sacraments to eternal life, and thereafter, in the world to come, that they will have fullness and satisfaction.

    We will now deal with these four parts briefly. May the beloved God be richly among us with His Holy Spirit, grace, and blessing, and grant that we may rightly receive this teaching (Lehre) and heartfelt warning (Vermahnung) from our faithful Shepherd as obedient little sheep, and make Christian use of it. Amen.”

    Footnotes:

    1. See Chemnitz’s previous homily outline for the First Sunday after Easter (Dominica Quasimodogeniti). ↩︎
  • Chemnitz’s Homily Outline for the First Sunday after Easter (Dominica Quasimodogeniti)

    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. ↩︎
  • Chemnitz’s Homily Outline for Holy (Maundy) Thursday

    Chemnitz’s Homily Outline for Holy (Maundy) Thursday

    The following is a translation of Chemnitz’s outline for Holy/Maundy Thursday (“Green Thursday,” Gründonnerstag) as found in his Postilla (Vol. I, pg. 648). Chemnitz uses a composite text from Matthew 26:20–39, Mark 14:12–25, Luke 22:7–20, and 1 Corinthians 11:23–29. The text in parentheses comes from the original text. I have added additional text in square brackets to aid the reader.

    Chemnitz’s Outline:

    “This present day, which we call Good or Green Thursday (guten oder den grünen Donnerstag), has at all times been honorably, commendably, and Christianly observed in the holy Christian Church of the New Testament, and it observes this not out of frivolity or custom, but because of the remarkable history and great deeds which the Son of God, our dear Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, accomplished on this day.

    1. For first, the Lord Christ today had eaten the passover lamb (Osterlamb), according to the Law and order of God (nach Gottes Gesetz und Ordnung) [Exodus 12], and according to the manner and custom of the Old Testament, and thereby bid farewell (Valete gegeben) to Moses and the entire Old Testament [see Hebrews 8:13].
    2. Second, He immediately thereafter instituted, ordained, and established the New Testament of His body and blood, which He gives us to eat and to drink in His Supper (in seinem Abendmal), that we thereby be reminded of His death [1 Corinthians 11:26], and by this means be assured that we also ought to enjoy His suffering and death (seines Leidens und Sterbens geniessen) for the forgiveness of our sin and the assurance of our salvation.

    So we will now briefly deal with these two parts and see what we have therein for instruction (Lehr), necessary reminder and warning (Erinnerung und Warnung), as well as constant comfort (Trost), and how we can apply them usefully.”

  • Chemnitz’s Homily Outline for the First Sunday of Advent (Ad Te Levavi)

    Chemnitz’s Homily Outline for the First Sunday of Advent (Ad Te Levavi)

    The following is my translation of Chemnitz’s homily outline for the First Sunday of Advent (Ad Te Levavi) found in his Postilla (Vol. I, pgs. 4–5). The gospel text is Matthew 21:1–9. Parentheses indicate the Scriptural citation or contain Chemnitz’s notes. Square brackets indicate my personal annotations. See also Chemnitz’s homily outline for Palmarum.

    Chemnitz’s Homily Outline:

    1. “Firstly, here with today’s Gospel, we thereby make the the beginning of the Sunday gospels in our churches, we deal with the fact that our King and our High Priest is not a newly introduced Messiah, but rather, He is the same one who was promised to the Fathers, in whom they also hoped, the one whom God the Father finally has sent and given that all the world hear Him (Deuteronomy 18[:15–22]), and through whom they ought to be saved, to whom God has pointed us toward in prophetic Word, and He alone that we ought to hear, receive and thereby abide in. This foundation is shown and demonstrated today to all pious Christians from God’s Word, so that we may be certain that we have the right Messiah, and, besides this, that we have the old faith which all the Fathers and the Prophets had. Of these two chief points the Jews were lacking, who when their Messiah came to them, they did not want to recognize Him nor receive Him, as John laments in John 1[:11], “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him,” etc. Even today, the blinded Jews are lacking both of these two pieces and thereby lose their salvation. Here, we hear who the right Messiah is, and how we ought to correctly recognize Him and accept Him with the old pious Jews and the holy prophets, that we do not want to know of any other messiah than the one whom the Fathers and the Prophets saw and knew in the Spirit, and the one whom they also pointed us toward.
    2. Besides this, we ought to consider this in relation to Advent, what a great blessing of God it is that that this Messiah did not only come once in the flesh to accomplish the work of salvation such that He is now gone now that He is in His glory and will no longer concern Himself with us, His children, here on earth as to whether we come to salvation. Rather, we ought to lift up our souls today and learn to recognize this grace and blessing of God, that the same one who obtained and merited salvation for us wants also to come to us now today and also bring it about with us that He will give us into our laps the goods which He has obtained for us that we may also partake of them through the means [of grace], of which the prophet speaks when he says, “Say to the daughter of Zion: Behold, your King comes to you!” [Zechariah 9:9], etc. And who this daughter of Zion is, namely, not only the Jews, but rather also the Gentiles, until the end of the world, as the prophet says. And when we are reminded of this and told this today at the beginning of the Sunday gospels, so we ought to thank our dear Lord Jesus Christ for it from our hearts and be happy about it, as the prophet says, “Rejoice, you daughter of Zion!” so that when we go elsewhere, and do not consider this high and great blessing of God as we ought and do not always thank God for it, that we nevertheless today do this at the very least in the great congregation of God (Gemein Gottes), when we are with one another so that God may be given His due of many thanks from many people together, as St. Paul says in His second epistle to the Corinthians [2:1:11, 14, 15; 9:12, 15].
    3. But chiefly, this is also to be well-noted, that in today’s Gospel we have a beautiful guide as to what the right ancient religion and doctrine is, which bears witness that this alone is the truth of the divine Word and is a power of God unto salvation for those who believe in it (Romans 1[:16–17]).”

  • Chemnitz’s Homily Outline for Palm Sunday (Palmarum)

    Chemnitz’s Homily Outline for Palm Sunday (Palmarum)

    The following is a translation of Martin Chemnitz’s homily outline as found in His Postilla (Vol. I, pg. 604). Chemnitz uses a composite text, based on Matthew 21:1–17; Mark 11:1–11; Luke 19:28–48; and John 12:12–41. Parentheses indicate the Scriptural citation or contain Chemnitz’s notes. Square brackets indicate my personal annotations. See also Chemnitz’s homily outline for the First Sunday of Advent (Ad Te Levavi).

    Chemnitz’s Homily Outline:

    “Now in order that we can grasp these accounts all the better, because this account is somewhat extensive, so we want to divide it thus:

    1. That we want to hear what happened on the way between Bethany and Jerusalem, how the Lord went on foot from Bethany, not by the most direct way, but rather according to the Mount of Olives, and how He had a donkey and a colt brought to Him at that place, upon which He sat down, the disciples laid their clothes under Him, the people had strewn the way with branches and wished Him good luck in His kingdom, what conversation He had with the people until he came into the city, what He gave them as a warning, and what other preaching He had done before He arrived in the city.
    2. What happened in the city when He rode in and the people ran around Him, how the entire city was excited and wondered where this would go.
    3. What happened in the temple, how He reformed it and blessed the children of Levi according to the prophecy of Malachi [3:3], and how He was received by the children, and how the high priest had undertaken in vain to hinder this.
    4. And lastly, what He gives to the despisers as a farewell (Valete), and how he warns them how God will punish them for the sake of their ingratitude both bodily and spiritually if they do not repent.

    Therefore, we want to briefly go through these four parts of the account, because we have already dealt with the doctrinal points mostly on the [First] Sunday of Advent.”

  • Chemnitz’s Homily Outline for Judica (Lent 5)

    Chemnitz’s Homily Outline for Judica (Lent 5)

    The following is a translation of Martin Chemnitz’s Homily Outline for Judica (Lent 5), as found in his Postilla (Vol. 1, pgs. 576–77). Chemnitz’s text is John 8:46–59.

    Chemnitz’s Homily Outline:

    “Now this Gospel has many beautiful and necessary doctrines in it, which we want to handle in an orderly manner.

    1. First, of the fierce conflict between Christ and the Jews, in which one denounces the other, that finally comes to such seriousness that the Jews become so incensed that they want to stone Christ to death, even in the temple. From this we learn that a preacher cannot be friendly at all times when he wants to carry out his office with faithfulness and proper seriousness and zeal, as he is commanded by God, but rather must also at times be sharp and zealous when necessity demands it. The world becomes bitter and angry over this and can hardly tolerate such, and therefore becomes ill-disposed toward preachers and lies in wait for an opportunity to take revenge on them, to which they must not concern themselves with, but rather, regardless of all of this, they must do what belongs to their office and what is demanded of them by God, whatever the world may say about it.
    2. Second, what the fierce conflict between Christ and the Jews was about, namely, over religion and doctrine, which was the right doctrine of God’s Word, and what was the true Church of God. When the Jews appealed to their church, Christ on the other hand appealed to His own, when they said they were God’s people and the church of God, Christ said no to this. They boasted that because they were Abraham’s seed according to the flesh, they were righteous and free from all sin. Christ showed them that they are all sinners, and can be saved nowhere else than in Christ their promised Messiah, whom they despised, and did not want to hold as the Messiah, and thus, finally, they will also certainly die in their sins. Over these points Christ fought with the Jews so fiercely, which He does not want to be taken from Him, therefore He is so zealous.
    3. Third, how the Lord is not only zealous against His opponents and enemies, and speaks with the same sharpness and threatens those who persist in their own held opinions against God’s Word and their own consciences, what will therefore follow, and what danger they stand in, that they will die in their sins; but He also preaches as a mediator for the comfort of repentant and believing sinners, who hear His word and believe in Him, that through Him they will be saved, and be protected from eternal death.

    We want to handle these three points in this sermon, and set forth the chief doctrines which are presented to us here. The Almighty grant us His grace and Holy Spirit that we may thus hear and learn this, that from it we be certain of our faith, hold steadfastly and firmly to the pure doctrine, so that finally, through Christ, we may be freed from our sins, protected from eternal death through faith, and be and remain children and heirs of eternal life.”