PATTERN OF SOUND WORDS

Tag: Efficacy

  • Notes and Useful Applications for Luke 8:4–15 from Das Weimarische Bibelwerk (1877)

    The following is my translation of the notes and useful applications for the Holy Gospel of Sexagesima, Luke 8:4–15, 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.

    4. Now, when a great people were with one another, and had hastened to Him (Christ) from the cities, He spoke * by a parable (to thereby clarify the dissimilarity of the hearers of the divine Word):1

    * Matthew 13:3; Mark 4:2

    1 † However, He used this parable on a good occasion to so great a crowd of various kinds of people, and for the most part from the countryfolk, who were present.

    5. “A Sower went out to sow His Seed; and as He sowed, some fell on the way was trampled, and the birds among the heavens devoured it.

    6. And some fell among the rocks, and when it came up,1 it withered because it had no moisture (no dampening, from which it could have been rooted more deeply and grown further).

    1 Greek: “after it had come up” [καὶ φυὲν]

    7. And some fell among the thorns, and thorns grew up with it and choked it (before it ripened).

    8. And some fell on a good land, and it came up and (some) bore * a hundredfold fruit.” When He said this, He called out, “Whoever has ears to hear (and received the gift from God to grasp and to understand), let him hear (let him diligently pay attention to it and be mindful of it in his heart as to what I mean with this parable).”

    * Genesis 26:12

    9. Now His disciples asked Him and said, “What does this parable mean (what is signified by it)?”

    (Matthew 13:10)

    10. Now He said, “To you it is given to know the mystery of the Kingdom of God (this and other hidden spiritual things which God has revealed in His Word and Gospel); but to the others (those who despise such mysteries and do not allow their right understanding to be seriously applied to themselves) in parables (with success, nevertheless, from their guilt, because they do not concern themselves further with it), * that they do not see it (do not understand what they ought to know for their salvation), even if they see it (even if they, with their external eyes, see my miracles, which I perform to strengthen their faith and to make them righteous and saved through faith), and do not understand, even if they hear (what I preach to them).

    * Isaiah 6:9–10; Matthew 13:14; Mark 4:12; John 12:40; Acts 28:26 (Matthew 11:25; 2 Corinthians 4:3)

    11. But this is the parable (its right understanding): The seed is the Word of God.

    12. Now that which is on the way, are those who hear; thereafter the devil comes and takes the (heard) Word from their hearts (tears it out of the heart or hinders it so that it does not come into the heart rightly; when the people in matters of religion are always doubting, when they secure and accustomed to sin, eagerly hear something new and splendid, sleep during the sermon and evade it with strange thoughts, do not allow themselves to be moved toward correction, etc.), so that they do not believe (draw no right, living, and active faith from hearing of the divine Word) and (thus, in the lack of true faith) are not saved.

    (1 Peter 1:23; Hebrews 4:2)

    13. Now that which is on the rock (the rock on which the seed of the Divine Word was sown), are those who when they hear receive the Word with joy (because they hope to have good days with it); and they have no root (the Word of God does not take deep root in their hearts, therefore there is no endurance along with their faith); for a time (so long as it goes well with them) they believe, and at a time of temptation (when cross, tribulation, and persecution break in) they fall away (from the Word of God and from saving faith).

    (2 Timothy 2:10)

    14. Now that which fell among the thorns (the hearers, among whom the seed of the Word was sown as among thorns), these are those,1 who hear it, and go (secure) among the cares, riches, and pleasures of this life (as soon as they have come from Church and heard God’s Word, they run and race, strive and scheme after temporal goods, vain honor, the pleasures of this life, the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and proud living, 1 John 2:16, so that these are their foremost concerns) and (with these anxieties, the seeds of the heard word) are choked and bring forth no (ripe) fruit (so that the seed cannot bring forth any fruits of faith and good works within them).

    (1 John 2:15ff.; Sirach 31:1ff.)

    1 Greek: “but as concerns that which fell among the thorns, these are such who” [τὸ δὲ εἰς τὰς ἀκάνθας πεσόν, οὗτοί εἰσιν]

    15. But that which is on the good land, these are those who hear (as well as understand) the Word and * retain it in a decent, good (upright) heart (purified from strange thoughts, greed, evil lust, envy, hatred, etc.), and bring forth † fruit (through a holy and godly life) in patience (so that they do not allow themselves to be turned away from God and His Word by the cross, temptation, and persecution, or by the nuisances of the world).”

    * Acts 16:14

    † Hebrews 10:36 (Matthew 13:23; 1 Corinthians 15:2; Hebrews 6–7; Revelation 3:8–10)

    Useful Applications

    II. CORRECTION: That we, when we become believers through God’s Word, ought not fall away during the time of temptation and persecution. (v. 15)

  • Notes and Useful Applications from Isaiah 55:10–13 from Das Weimarische Bibelwerk (1877)

    The following is my translation of the notes and useful applications for the Old Testament Reading of Sexagesima, Isaiah 55:10–13, 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.

    III. Consolation in the power of the divine Word, what it will work in the repentant. (v. 10–13)

    Annotations

    10. For just as the rain and the snow fall from heaven and do not return from there, but rather water the earth (very richly), and make it fruitful and increase so that it gives seed to sow and bread to eat;

    11. Thus shall the * Word, which proceeds from My mouth also be. It shall neither return to Me empty, but rather do what pleases Me, and shall succeed in that for which I sent it (shall nevertheless be effective at all times in the hearts of certain men).

    * Acts 12:24 (1 Corinthians 2:4ff.)

    12. For you shall set out in joy (from your spiritual captivity), and be led in peace (into your heavenly eternal Fatherland).1 The mountains and hills shall exult with glory before you, and all the trees in the field will clap with their hands (all creatures shall themselves, as it were, rejoice with you).

    1 Hebrew: “be brought to this (to the Church of Christ as a gift of the Lord; see Isaiah 18:7).”

    * Isaiah 44:23 (66:21ff.; Psalm 96:12; Psalm 98:8)

    13. The fir will grow instead of the thornbushes, and the myrtle instead of the briars (the Gentiles, who were unfruitful, withered thornbushes and briars before their conversion shall be made fruitful through the Word of the Gospel and through the Holy Spirit for all good works); and it shall be a name and eternal sign for the Lord that shall never be eradicated (the call of the Gentiles and the salvation of the Church will bring redound to the eternal praise and glory of the divine name, and also be a mark of the power and saving truth of the Gospel).

    (Isaiah 41:19; Matthew 16:18)

    Useful Applications

    III. DOCTRINE: Concerning the abundant power of the preached Word of God in the conversion and salvation of men. (v. 10–11) CONSOLATION: That God will not withdraw from His Church until the end of the world. (v. 13)