PATTERN OF SOUND WORDS

Tag: Jews

  • Notes and Useful Applications for Isaiah 2:2–5 from Das Weimarische Bibelwerk (1877)

    The following is my translation of the notes and useful applications for the Old Testament of the Ember Wednesday of Advent, Isaiah 2:2–5, 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. Isaiah deals with the future calling of the Gentiles to the Kingdom of Christ. (v. 1–5)

    Annotated Text

    1. This is that which Isaiah, the Son of Amoz, saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. (The prophecy belongs to the New Testament.)

    2. It shall come to pass in the latter time that the mountain where the house of the Lord (the Kingdom of Christ and God, where He will dwell and reveal Himself) shall certainly be higher (Luther: “that one no longer needs to run here and there, but rather will certainly find God,” namely, in the Christian Church, which is built upon Christ as the Rock, Matthew 16:18; the same is also called Mount Zion here because it was first assembled together in Jerusalem at the time of Christ and His apostles and then from there spread itself into all the world) than all mountains and be exalted over all hills (the Christian Church and the Kingdom of the Lord Messiah [Christ] will far excel all other kingdoms and will have a different and better condition than the Church of the Jewish people), and all the Gentiles will run1 to it (Luther: “as water runs with force and freely of itself”);

    * Jeremiah 3:17; Micah 4:1 (Psalm 68:16–17)

    1 Hebrew: “flow” (in heaps)

    3. And1 many people will go forth and say, “Come, let us go to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that He may teach us His ways, and that we may walk in his paths. For from Zion the Law will go forth, and the Lord’s Word from Jerusalem (the apostles will begin to preach the doctrine of the Gospel at Jerusalem and in the Jewish land, and from there spread it until the end of the world, Acts 1:8).

    (Psalm 50:2; Psalm 110:2; Zechariah 8:23)

    1 Hebrew: “For it will happen…” (This is an explanation of what preceded.)

    4. And He (Christ, to whom His heavenly Father has given all judgment, John 5:22) will judge among the Gentiles and rebuke many people (He will convince them through the preaching of His Word that they have merited eternal damnation, and therefore admonish them that so that they may flee from such condemnation and be all the more eager and willing to accept His Gospel). Then they1 will make their * swords into plowshares and their spears into sickles (Luther: “or reaping hooks.” Jews and Gentiles will in Christ will have love and value for one another, and not, as previously, be hostile toward one another, rather they will have one heart, mouth, and mind according to the Gospel). For no people will2 lift up a sword against another, and they no longer learn war (They will no longer hold so stiffly to pagan idolatry, but rather will give themselves captive with their reason under the obedience of Christ, 2 Corinthians 10:5).

    * Micah 4:3 (Isaiah 11:3ff.; Romans 12:16; 1 Corinthians 1:10, 16:14; Ephesians 2:14)

    1 Hebrew: “for they shall” — (This is Christ’s doctrine of love from true faith, John 13:34ff.)

    2 Hebrew: “shall” — ([At the same time,] lawful governmental war protection, which comes from love toward one’s own, still remains unchanged in times of need according to Romans 13:4)

    5. Come now, you of the house of Jacob, let us * walk in the light of the Lord (Christ; that is, the converted Gentiles will admonish the Jews themselves to true recognition of God in Christ).

    * John 8:12

    Useful Applications

    I. DOCTRINE: Concerning the universal call of the Gentiles to the Kingdom of Christ through the preaching of the Apostles. (v. 2–4)

  • Notes and Useful Applications for Romans 15:4–13 from Das Weimarische Bibelwerk (1877)

    The following is my translation of the notes and useful applications of the Epistle Reading for the Second Sunday of Advent (Populus Zion), Romans 15:4–13, 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.

    I. A proof from the example of Christ. (v. 1–13)

    Annotated Text

    4. Now whatever was written * beforehand (in the Psalms of David and other books of Holy Scripture concerning Christ and other articles of our Christian faith) was written for our instruction, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scripture (through patience which grows out of the comforting sayings of Scripture) would have (no one therefore may think that what is written about Christ does not concern us, but rather that we also are hereby directed to Christian patience with the weak) hope (of the redemption from all crosses and of eternal life).

    * Romans 4:23–24; 1 Corinthians 10:11 (2 Timothy 3:16)

    5. Now may the God of patience and comfort (who imparts patience and comfort to His own in the power of the Holy Spirit through His Word) grant you that * you be of a single mind among one another1 (and do not stir up quarrels among one another on account of differing uses of middle things, but rather bear with one another and yield to one another) according to Jesus Christ (according to Christ’s teaching and example);

    * Philippians 3:16ff. (Romans 12:16; 1 Corinthians 1:10; Psalm 133:1)

    Greek: “in the same way, be minded among one another and toward one another” [τὸ αὐτὸ φρονεῖν ἐν ἀλλήλοις]

    6. that you praise and single-mindedly with one mouth (and heart) praise the God and Father (God, the Lord, who is the Father) of our Lord Jesus Christ (to whose praise and honor all your doings ought to be directed).

    (Acts 1:14, 4:24)

    7. Therefore, receive one another among yourselves, just as1 Christ has received you (and us all) to God’s praise (that we, for this our redemption which has happened through Christ, praise God the Lord here temporally and there eternally and thank Him and also show much patience to our neighbor Christians to the same end).

    (Romans 14:1ff.)

    1 Greek: “also” [καὶ]

    8. Now I say (Luther: “This is the summary of summaries of this epistle: Both Jews and Gentiles shall be saved, etc.”), that Jesus Christ became * a servant of the circumcision (Luther: “Servant, that is, apostle, preacher, and messenger, sent personally to the Jews and not to the Gentiles), for the sake of the truth of God, to confirm (to fulfill) † the promises made to the fathers. (Christ has deemed the Jews worthy in a high way, those to whom He was especially promised, that He, in His own person, preached the Gospel to them; therefore, the Gentiles ought not despise them on account of the fact that they still observe some things from the Levitical Law.)

    * Matthew 15:24

    † Acts 3:25

    9. But that the Gentiles praise God for the sake of * His mercy (which they have obtained from God through Christ; therefore, because Christ also received the Gentiles into grace and has had the Gospel preached to them through His apostles, the Jews ought not despise them as strangers of the testaments of the promise; on the other hand, those converts from the Gentiles ought to patiently endure that weakness of the [Jews], when they cannot resign themselves at once to the freedom of Christians from the Mosaic  ordinances), as it stands written: “Therefore, I (Christ) will praise You among the Gentiles, and sing to Your name (I will have the Gospel preached also among the Gentiles and thereby work in their hearts that they may rightly know You, My heavenly Father, and may also praise and extol Your name).”

    * Romans 11:30

    † Psalm 18:50; 2 Samuel 22:50 (Ephesians 2:16)

    10. And once more * He says (Christ through Moses), “Rejoice you Gentiles with His people (as fellow-partakers of His people).”

    * Deuteronomy 32:43; Psalm 67:5

    11. And once more (through David), * “Praise the Lord, all Gentiles, and praise Him all peoples.”

    * Psalm 117:1

    12. And once more * says Isaiah, “There shall be the † Root of Jesse (Christ, in the time of the New Testament, will spring forth from the root of Jesse, that is, from the lineage of David, the Son of Jesse), and the one who will arise to rule (in His Kingdom of grace through His Word and Spirit) over the Gentiles (who will stand as “a banner for the peoples,” as the words in the prophet read, [Isaiah 11:10]); in Him will the Gentiles hope (and seek Him, as the prophet says).”

    * Isaiah 11:10

     Revelation 5:5 (22:16)

    13. Now the God of hope (the one who works hope and all Christian virtues in believers) fill you with all (spiritual) * joy and peace (the peace which springs forth from peace with God) in faith, that you have1 (receive in your hearts) the full hope (of eternal salvation) through the power of the Holy Spirit.

    * Romans 14:17

    1 Greek: “overflowingly,” that is, “that you do still more than I say to you in the hope, etc.”

    Useful Applications

    I. DOCTRINE: That the Holy Divine Scripture was given to us so that we might have patience, comfort, and the hope of eternal life among the tribulations of this life through its teaching and instruction. (v. 4)

  • Notes and Useful Applications for 1 Corinthians 1:18–25 from Das Weimarische Bibelwerk (1877)

    The following is my translation of the notes and useful applications of the Epistle Reading for the Feast of the Holy Cross, 1 Corinthians 1:18–25, 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. A report against two vices, which have been found over the Preaching Office: one, where the people, who are otherwise completely union in religion, nevertheless become divided for the sake of the teachers; second, where people, because of human wisdom and vain eloquence, marvel highly at the false teachers. (v. 10–31)

    [v. 10–17 omitted due to the appointed reading]

    18. For the Word of the cross (the doctrine of the Gospel concerning Christ, the crucified) is (according to their erring thoughts, v. 25) foolishness to those, * who (in their unbelief) are perishing; but to us, we who are (through faith in Christ) being saved, it is ** a power of God (through which He strengthens us and keeps us to eternal life).

    * 2 Corinthians 4:3.

    ** Romans 1:16.

    (Cf. 1:24; 4:10)

    19. For it stands * written: “I will make as nothing the wisdom of the wise, and the understanding of the understanding (those who in divine matters follow their human reason) I will destroy.

    * Isaiah 19:14.

    (Job 12:17)

    20. Where * are the wise men (among the Gentiles)? Where are the scribes (among the Jews)? Where are the philosophers? (those who can make from human skill many disputations? Among all these, is there anyone who knows how to declare the counsel of God for our salvation?) Has not God the ** wisdom of this world made as foolishness? (And what they put forward as the way to salvation, is it not shown to be foolishness? Because they regulate the doctrine of the Gospel according to reason and do not receive it in simplicity of faith, they thereby become fools before God.)

    * Job 12:17; Isaiah 33:18.

    ** Baruch 3:28.

    (Matthew 11:25; Romans 1:22)

    21. For because the world (the philosophers) through their (imagined) wisdom * did not know (but rather much more became futile in their reasoning, Romans 1:21) God in their wisdom, it well-pleased God, through the foolish preaching to save those, who believe in it. (That is, because body Jews and Gentiles much more value their earthly and natural wisdom rather than the heavenly wisdom, which God reveals through His Word and in His works, and therefore they neither know nor honor Him, much less can they be saved; so it has pleased His eternal wisdom through the preaching of the Gospel, which appears entirely strange, absurd, and silly to the philosophers, to save all those who believe in it, whereby the highly-praised wisdom of the world is made to shame and pure foolishness.)

    * Matthew 11:25; Luke 10:21.

    (Isaiah 55:8ff.)

    22. Since * the Jews demand signs (they do not allow themselves to be content with the evident and powerful miracle-signs of Christ and the Apostles, but rather continually, of their own mind, want to have new and greater miracle-signs) and ** the Greeks (the Gentiles) ask according to wisdom (they judge the doctrine of the Gospel according to their reason, and want to have it proved from philosophy).

    * Matthew 12:38; 1 Corinthians 16:1; John 4:48

    ** Baruch 3:23.

    (John 6:30)

    23. But we preach the crucified Christ, (who) * to the Jews is a stumbling block (who was from the beginning and still is; who seemed to them much to lowly and powerless that He should be the promised Messiah who was to deliver them from their bondage. And it was no small scandal for them that He was condemned to death by the great council in Jerusalem as a blasphemer), and to the ** Greeks is foolishness (it seemed to be, as those thought it was great foolishness if one should believe that through the death of one man the sin of the entire world has been atoned for and [eternal] life has been won).

    * Matthew 11:6; John 6:61; Romans 9:32

    ** 1 Corinthians 2:14

    (Acts of the Apostles 26:24)

    24. But to those who are called (through the Gospel to knowledge of Christ, and do not despise such call willingly), both Jews and Greeks, we preach Christ (who indeed is [the Christ] in fact, whether or not they recognize Him as such), * divine power and divine wisdom. (The holy Apostle calls Christ divine power and divine wisdom, not only because He is true God, of one essence of the Father, and divine power and wisdom is essential to Him, but also because God proved His power and wisdom through Him, in that Christ through His suffering and death has blotted out the sin of the entire world, has powerfully overcome death and the devil, and has thereby fulfilled the most wise counsel of God concerning our salvation; that He also has revealed this same divine wisdom in the preaching of the Gospel, and thereby has gathered a Church for Himself from the human race, which He powerfully sustains and protects against all the the raging of the gates of hell; and finally, because He has made us wisdom from God, v. 1 Corinthians 1:30, and we are preserved by His power through faith unto salvation, 1 Peter 1:5.)

    * Romans 1:16; Colossians 2:3.

    25. For the divine foolishness (what the Gentiles who demand wisdom, v. 22, according to their corrupted reason judge as foolishness) is wiser than men are (not only than human wisdom, but rather also than men themselves); and the divine weakness (what the Jews, who demand signs, v. 22, consider as weakness) is stronger than men are. (Luther: “Divine foolishness and weakness is the Gospel, which is foolish in the eyes of the wise, but is powerful and wise in the eyes of Christians.”)

    [v. 26–31 omitted due to the appointed reading]

    Useful Applications

    III. DOCTRINE: That generally, those who are foolish, weak, ignoble, despised, and nothing before the people of this world are chosen and called by God by faith to eternal life; but on the other hand, many among the wise, powerful, and noble (for the sake of their unbelief) are rejected to condemnation, v. 26–28. DOCTRINE: The grace of God is still to be recognized and praised in a congregation, wherein the chief work, His pure Word, goes rightly, even though many deficiencies are otherwise found therein, v. 4–30.