PATTERN OF SOUND WORDS

Tag: Apostolic Office

  • Aegidius Hunnius’s Sermon Outline for the Epistle of Sexagesima

    The following is my translation of Aegidius Hunnius’s introduction and sermon outline for the Epistle Reading of Sexagesima (2 Corinthians 11:19–12:9) from his Postilla (Vol. I, pgs. 255–256). Square brackets and footnotes are my own notes and additions.

    Explanation of the Epistle

    Beloved in the Lord, all ambition and fame-seeking was foreign and far from St. Paul; he sought his honor not in himself, but rather in God and in His Lord Christ. As he writes to the Galatians in the sixth chapter: “Far be it from me to boast, except concerning the cross of Jesus Christ” (Galatians 6:14).

    But the false teachers who had snuck into the Christian congregations undertook to diminish this precious worthy apostle and make him despised among the Corinthians, which Paul would have suffered and gotten over silently if the contempt were about His person alone. However, the deceitful evil enemy most of all desired to bring the Gospel into contempt and to make wide room and opportunity for the false apostles with their unsound doctrine, so that they could come forward with it into the marketplace and sell their unfit evil truth as good, their false doctrine as pure evangelical truth, thereby falsifying the pure doctrine, leading astray the simple, and murdering souls, indeed, even wrecking the Gospel with eternal harm to many people.

    Thus, the holy teacher and apostle Paul was urged by necessity to recount in an extensive record what good he did in regard to the Gospel, how much he suffered and endured over it, also that he had studied and learned his doctrine through a heavenly revelation in the paradise of God. He did all of this not for himself for his own boast, but rather for the praise, honor, and glory of God, for the advancement of the Gospel which he preached, for the edification of the Christian congregation in Corinth as well as in other places, and, on the other hand, for the annoyance the devil together with his scales, and for the detriment, destruction, and demise of his damned kingdom.

    We will listen to the beloved apostle and summarize this text into two chief points:

    1. First, how he does not make himself equal to the false apostles from Judaism only on account of his origin and blood [v. 11:22], but rather also far surpasses them in his labor and tribulation he suffered for the Gospel [v. 11:23–29], and thus boasts of his own weakness [v. 11:30, 12:5, 9].1
    2. Second, how he also boasts of the power of God, namely, the glorious revelation that happened to him in the third heaven [v. 12:1–5], and boasts of the doctrine which he learned there to properly save its reputation against the diminishment of his enviers.
    1. “Troubles are not always punishments or signs of wrath. Indeed, terrified consciences should be taught that there are more important purpose for afflictions, so that they do not think God is rejecting them when they see nothing but God’s punishment and anger in troubles. The other more important purposes are to be considered, that is, that God is doing His strange work so that He may be able to do His own work… Therefore, troubles are not always punishments for certain past deeds, but they are God’s works, intended for our benefit, and that God’s power might be made more apparent in our weakness. So Paul says God’s strength “is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).” (Ap XIIb.61, 63) ↩︎

  • Notes and Useful Applications for 1 Corinthians 4:1–5 from Das Weimarische Bibelwerk (1877)

    The following is my translation of the notes and useful applications for the Epistle Reading of the Third Sunday of Advent (Gaudete), 1 Corinthians 4:1–5, as they are found in Das Weimarische Bibelwerk (1877). Square brackets indicate my own notes and additions. For the useful applications, I recommend the reader see this very helpful article by Dr. Benjamin T. G. Mayes.

    I. A statement against those who had low regard for Paul and the other apostles. (v. 1–13)

    Annotated Text

    1. Therefore, let everyone consider us as * Christ’s servants and stewards over God’s mysteries (in the preaching of the Gospel and the distribution of the Holy Sacraments in the house of God, that is, the Christian Church, 1 Timothy 3:15. Luther: “The mystery is the Gospel, in which the divine goods are hidden and expressed to us.”).

    * Matthew 16:19; Colossians 1:25 (2 Corinthians 4:5)

    2. Now nothing more is to be sought in stewards than they * be found faithful (in their office; and not that they all together are adorned with high exceptional gifts).

    * Luke 12:42

    3. But for me it is a small matter (I do not consider it a high matter), that I be judged (in an inconsiderate manner) by you (that you at one time criticize this lack or that lack in me, especially, that my speech is despisable, 2 Corinthians 10:10, and that I do not preach with lofty words and high wisdom, 1 Corinthians 2:1), or by a human day1 (that other men hold me highly and praise out of favor, Jeremiah 17:16), I do not even judge myself (how high I am to be regarded on account of the gifts God has granted to me and how much I have labored; much less is it fitting for you to judge me).

    (2 Corinthians 6:8; Job 9:2ff; Psalm 103:3; Psalm 143:2)

    1 * Even if I am otherwise judged in an ordinary court.

    4. I1 am aware of nothing against myself (no unfaithfulness or willful negligence in my office or any other gross sin);2 but in this * I am not (by God) justified (as if nothing at all were lacking in me and I could therefore stand before God’s judgment by my own righteousness); but it is the † Lord (namely, Jesus Christ, the judge of the whole world) who judges me (who will judge me at His time, namely, on the Last Day, when He then, according to His promise, not only will publicly my diligence in my call which has flowed forth from faith before all angels and men, but rather He will also richly reward me from pure grace).

    1 Greek: “For I” [γὰρ]

    2 * (I therefore do not shrink back from this either)

    * Exodus 34:7

    † Psalm 35:24 (Job 27:6; John 5:27)

    5. Therefore, do not judge1 (out of curiosity and inconsiderateness) before the time until the Lord comes (on the Last Day), which will also bring to light (reveal) what is hidden in darkness (and is carried out and maintained in great secrecy) and reveal the council of hearts (what each has thought and had in mind and with what intention and opinion that one has done this or that);2 then each one’s (each faithful servant of Christ and steward of God, 1 Corinthians 4:1) praise (and wage) will befall him from God.

    (Matthew 7:1; Romans 2:5, 16; Romans 14:10; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 20:12)

    1 Greek : “in no way,” or “in no part”

    2 Greek: “and” [καὶ]

    Useful Applications

    I. CORRECTION: That we ought to give due honor to teachers and preachers because they are Christ’s servants and (spiritual) stewards over God’s mysteries, that is, over the Holy Word of God, wherein the same mysteries are revealed to us and the heavenly benefits are set forth. (v. 1)