John 1:20 – He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.”
“John persisted in his calling and faithfully carried out the task to which God had appointed him; he bore witness to Christ the Lord and directed the people away from himself to Christ. The Jews should have paid heed to his testimony, taken it to heart, and realized that John was bearing witness to Christ and not to himself, especially since he declared unequivocally (John 1:20): “I am not the Christ [we shall return to these words later], but I have been sent to witness to Him. I am shouting and proclaiming that He is the Light and the Life of man, full of grace and truth.” John was commissioned to point to this Christ and to lead all mankind to Him, so that he might induce all who were dead in sin and sitting in darkness and the shadow of death (Luke 1:79) to come to Him, to believe in Him, to be animated and illumined by Him, and thus to become partakers of His grace and truth. For this was the purpose of Christ’s incarnation, death, and resurrection, that all believers in Him might be justified and saved.”
(Martin Luther, Sermons on the Gospel of St. John, AE 22:126)
John 1:21 – And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.”
“[The question arises:] In what sense does this same [John the] Baptist deny that he is a prophet (John 1:21), even though he was considered as and honored with the title “prophet,” not only by his father Zechariah (Luke 1:76) but also by all the people of Israel (Matthew 14:5; Mark 11:32)? We respond: Some people take the question of the messengers from Jerusalem as referring to the outstanding prophet promised in Deuteronomy 18:18. However, because they had already asked John if he was the Christ, the question of whether he was that great prophet would have been repeated uselessly. You see, it could be said only about the Messiah that He was that outstanding prophet who had promised through Moses, unless we wanted to say that those messengers and the Sanhedrin of Jerusalem had completely erred from the true meaning of this prophecy, something that anyone who notices their stupidity and blindness would easily believe. Some respond by saying that John denied that he was a prophet because Christ said he was greater and more excellent than the prophets. Some claim that when John denies that he is a prophet, he was regarding the fact that he is not one of the prophets of the Old Testament, about whom it was said in Matthew 11:13, “For all the prophets prophesied until John.” Some claim that the messengers asked and John replied about Elisha, who himself had ordered Naaman to be dipped in the waters. Some thing that John denied that he was a prophet because of his humility, even though he truly was a prophet. Some people suspect that John refused to accept the honor of prophet because he was not undertaking a duty of the political office, which the prophets in the Old Testament used.
But it is more simple to respond that John adjusted his response to the question of the messengers. They were asking him if he was a prophet, that is, if he was one of those ancient prophets, long dead already, who had been recalled to life through a Pythagorean transmigration of souls. You see, Elias Levita testifies in Thisbi that the Jewish leaders at that time had embraced the idea of the transmigration of souls, something we also conclude from the words of Herod (Matthew 14:1; Mark 6:14), where he makes this judgment about Christ: “John the Baptist has risen from the dead. That is why these powers are at work in Him.” However, the sense of the question is revealed especially from what comes before it. They are asking whether he is a prophet in the same sense as they ask whether he is Elijah. But they are asking if he is Elijah in this sense: Is he that Elijah, the Tishbite, who was carried into heaven by a fiery chariot and whose return in his own person they were awaiting, according to the misunderstood prophecy in Malachi 4:5? Therefore they are also asking him if he is a prophet in this sense: Is he one of the ancient prophets recalled to life by a divine miracle? This we conclude very clearly form the words of Luke 9:7–8, “Now Herod the tetrarch heard all that Christ was doing, and he was perplexed because it was said by some that John had been raised from the dead, by some that Elijah had appeared, and by the others that one of the ancient prophets had risen.” Therefore John had first denied that he was Elijah in that sense in which the messengers had asked if he was Elijah in his own person, even though the angel (Luke 1:17) and Christ Himself (Matthew 11:14) call him “Elijah” in a different sense: because he went ahead of that Messiah in the spirit and power of Elijah. In the same way, he denies that he is a prophet in that sense in which the messengers had asked him if he was a prophet, that is, one of the ancient prophets brought back to life, even though in a different sense he truly was a prophet: a herald of repentance and righteousness, the forerunner of the Messiah, a minister of the New Testament, etc.”
John 1:23 – He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.” (Isaiah 40:3)
“This is an answer which no learned, wise, and holy man can endure, and John must literally be possessed of the devil and be a heretic. Only sinners and fools think him a holy, godly man; give way to his crying; and make room for the Lord, removing the obstacles from His way. The others, however, throw logs, stones, and dirt in His way; they even kill both the forerunner and the Lord Himself for daring to say such things to them. Why? John tells them to prepare the way of the Lord. That is to say, they do not have the Lord nor His way in them. What do they have then? Where the Lord is not, nor His way, there must be man’s own way, the devil, and all that is evil.”
(Martin Luther, Sermon for the Fourth Sunday of Advent, AE 75:178)
“Is it not a wrong and strange way of speaking when [John] says, “I am the voice of one crying”? How can a man be a voice? He ought to have said, “I am one crying with a voice”! But that is speaking according to the manner of the Scriptures. God told Moses: Aaron “shall be your mouth” (Exodus 4[:16]); that is, he will speak for you. Job says, “I was an eye to the blind and a foot to the lame” (John 29[:15]). Similarly, we say in German about a miser that gold is in his heart, and money in his life.
So here “I am the voice of one crying” means: “I am one who cries and have received my name from my work. Just as Aaron is called a mouth because of his eloquence, I am a voice because of my crying.” And that which in Hebrew reads “the voice of one crying” would be translated into Latin and German as a “a crying voice.” In the same way, Paul speaks of “the poor of the saints” instead of “the poor saints” (Romans 15[:26]), and of the “mystery of godliness” instead of “the godly mystery” (1 Timothy 3[:16]). Just as when I say “the language of the Germans,” I would say better “the German language.” So here “a voice of one crying” means “a crying voice.” The Hebrew tongue speaks this way much more.”
(Martin Luther, Sermon for the Fourth Sunday of Advent, AE 75:180–81)
“The ministry of the Word is that of God Himself, which he Himself wants to carry out through ordained means and instruments in His church… as John the Baptizer says in John 1:23, “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness,” which Luther renders thus: Ich bin eine Stimme eines Rufers (I am a voice of a crier), in order to indicate that it is another who is crying through John.”
(Martin Chemnitz, Loci Theologici, Vol. 8, pg. 1314)
“In Exodus 4:14–16, it is recorded that when God the Lord wanted to send Moses to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt through him, that He assigned his brother Aaron for him…
In this account, Moses is a prototype of our Lord Christ; Aaron, however, is a prototype for John the Baptist. For just as Moses and Aaron were the two most prominent men in the Old Testament, so also Christ and John are the most prominent in the New Testament.
Just as Moses was sent to rescue the nation of Israel from Egypt and to give them the Law, so also Christ was sent by the Father “to give His life as an ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28); and to bring forth from the bosom of the Father the teaching of the Gospel (John 1:18)…
Like Aaron, who was born from the tribe of Levi, who went out with joy to meet his brother Moses and spoke to the people all that the Lord, through Moses, commanded him to say, as well as giving testimony that Moses truly had been sent by God as a physical savior; so also in the same manner John—who was also born from the tribe of Levi—went out with great joy to meet his cousin, Christ; and, as he heard the voice of the Bridegroom, he greatly rejoiced over it (John 3:29). By the command of God, he also spoke to the people and testified about Christ that He was the only Mediator and Savior, the true Light and the Little Lamb of God who bears the sins of the world (John 1:29).”
(Johann Gerhard, Sermon for the Fourth Sunday of Advent, in Postilla, Vol. 1, pgs. 36–37)
“The fact that John says here he is a voice of a preacher and baptizes with water, he thereby teaches us that he and other preachers of God the Lord make available their voices and their hands for preaching and for administration of the holy Sacraments. it is God the Lord, however, who is speaking through them, admonishing, and administering the holy Sacraments. “For God exhorts through us,” as St. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:20 and again in 2 Corinthians 13:3, “Christ is speaking through me.” … That’s why we should not look at the person of the preacher but rather at God’s working and power. “So, it is neither he who sows, nor he who waters some, but rather God the Lord who provides the growth and thriving success” (1 Corinthians 2:7).
(Johann Gerhard, Sermon for the Fourth Sunday of Advent, in Postilla, Vol. 1, pgs. 40–41)
“The sound of trumpets beautifully expresses the condition and office of the ministry. You see, they should “lift up their voices like trumpets and declare to the people their transgressions” (Isaiah 58:1). The trumpet gives off no sound by itself; rather, someone must blow into it. So also ministers speak by the Holy Spirit (Matthew 10:20). They are “the voices of one crying” (John 1:23). The trumpet presents a very clear tone, which people can hear from a distance. So also the sound of truth resounds a very long way.”
The following is my translation of Martin Chemnitz’s explanation and sermon outline for the Gospel of the Second Sunday of Advent, Luke 21:25–33, as found in his Postilla, pgs. 42–43. Chemnitz uses a composite text based upon Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 17, and Luke 24. Curly brackets indicate marginal notes in the original text. Square brackets indicate my own notes and additions.
Image found in Chemnitz’s Postilla, pg. 40
Sermon for the Second Sunday of Advent
Explanation of the Gospel
{In which part of our Catechism this Gospel belongs}
The doctrine of today’s Gospel belongs in the [second] article of our Christ faith, which reads, “I believe that our dear Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, God’s only-begotten Son, became man for my sake, and through His suffering and death, He has paid for and made satisfaction for my sins and the sins of the entire world, He rose again the third day from the dead, and ascended into heaven, from thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.” And the order of the doctrine in the Sunday gospels proceeds finely after one another, as in this way the dear ancients [i.e., the Church Fathers] have ordered the texts of the Sunday gospels so that either the following gospel explains the one that precedes it, or as far as the doctrine is concerned, that it follows upon what precedes.
{A summary repetition of the doctrine for the First Sunday of Advent [Ad Te Levavi]}
Thus, eight days ago from today, we heard in the Gospel for the First Sunday [of Advent] about the first coming of the Lord Christ, which has not only happened once when He came in the flesh in a visible manner, when He Himself taught and preached, and also finally accomplished the work of redemption, but rather, which still happens to this day and endures until the end of the world [Matthew 28:20], when He comes to us through the Word and His Holy Sacraments in all grace so that He might call us from all our sins, from death, from the devil, and from hell, so that we may once again be reconciled with the dear God, and may come to eternal life. And this doctrine concerning the first coming of the Lord Christ serves to this end, that we not neglect the time of grace, but rather that we recognize our king, embrace Him, seek Him, receive Him, serve Him, and be thankful.
{The Second Sunday of Advent concerning the coming of Christ for judgment, as it follows after the First [Sunday]}
This doctrine was presented to us eight days ago. Upon this now follows today’s Gospel, which further instructs us, that, if we do not receive the time of grace, nor make right use of it, then we must further learn from God’s Word and allow ourselves to be instructed what will then one day follow after it, namely, that God at times punishes those who despise His Word in this life, although not all.
{The good fortune of the godless offends the pious.}
With most people it goes in such a way that the pious complain that things go better for the wicked and the godless than they do for God-fearers, which often causes great offense. Likewise, when pious Christians hear that their King is coming to them with many goods and treasures which He wants to bring to His subjects, yet which nevertheless is not fulfilled in this life, then they think that nothing will come of it, that these are only empty words, and there is nothing behind it, only “good words of Paul” (bona verba Pauli), as the scoffers are accustomed to speak concerning the comfort of the Gospel.
{The godless despisers will be punished on the Last Day.}
Then comes this Gospel and gives us a beautiful instruction and says: There will come a different day, a different time, when the heavens will crack open and the elements will be melted [2 Peter 3:10], and then it will be said: those who have received the King, they will stand on that day, but those who neglected and despised Him, of them it will be said, “And the people will be terrified on earth and will languish.” [~Luke 21:26?]
{To what end Christ has His coming preached}
This is the first thing that we ought to consider in today’s Gospel. And because much depends on this for us—that we may rightly prepare ourselves for that day of the last coming of the Lord Christ of which we can have no certain proper report as to when He will come, and, although God in His Word has wanted to reveal to no one the time and hour when this day shall come, even the angels themselves [Matthew 24:36]—so the Son of God nevertheless does this for our good when He first tells us beforehand that this day will certainly come. Thereafter, He also clearly and properly recorded the signs which will precede the Last day and by which one can know that the [Last] Day is not very far; for in addition He has also described how things will proceed on that [Day], as to how the Judgment will be held, what pertains to the process, but especially in what manner the Son of Man will come, namely, in great power and glory, that there will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars, how the earth and all that is in it will be burned up, that men will tremble, and that the waters will roar. However, the foremost reason for which the Lord reports this is as Mark describes, “Take heed, watch, and pray, for you do not know in which hour the Son of Man will come. What I say to you, I say to all. Watch yourselves that your heart not be weighed down with feasting and drinking, and the cares of sustenance.” (Mark 13[:33–37], [Luke 21:34])
Concerning these points, we want to hear a brief instruction in today’s Gospel.
Division of the Sermon [Sermon Outline]
When we heard eight days ago that the King is present with many goods and treasures which the world does not regard, and yet the pious often think that because they do not receive the goods from Him into their hands in this life and that therefore it is nothing and everything said to us concerning this King is in vain; that we, on the contrary, know that it will not remain so for all time, but rather the end will carry the burden (das Ende wirdt die Last tragen), when the day comes which God has appointed in which our King will no longer come in a poor miserable form as He once did at the time to the Jews, but rather with great power and glory to judge the entire world, as St. Paul says in Acts 17[:31], that all creatures will tremble because of it, and then the godless will learn who He is whom they now utterly despise and the pious will find that they have not believed in Him and hoped in Him in vain.
How each person, to whom his salvation is dear, ought to prepare for it and make himself ready for the time, so that the Day of the Lord may not come upon him unexpectedly, because He will come suddenly and when one expects it the least, as a thief in the night, or as lightning, or as the birds are caught; and what things one should be diligent in, namely, three things: (1) that we guard ourselves against gluttony, drunkenness, and the cares of sustenance; (2) that we watch, prepare, and arm ourselves with everything that serves to this end so that we may be fitted and ready to stand on that day; and (3) that we pray that God would make us fit for all of this, because our guarding and watching will otherwise not accomplish it (außmachen; [read ausführen]).
How finally, we ought not fear this day, nor be terrified of it, but rather rejoice and lift up our heads, because this day is not a day of wrath (ein Tag des Zorns) for us as it is for the godless, but it is a day of refreshment (ein Tag der Erquickung), a day when everything will be restored to us which may have been lacking to us in this life.
The following is my translation of Martin Chemnitz’s sermon for the Twelfth Sunday after Trinity as found in his Postilla (Vol. II, pgs. 429–434). Chemnitz uses a composite text based off of Matthew 15:29–31 and Mark 7:31–37. Curly brackets indicate marginal notes present in the original text. Square brackets indicate my own notes and additions. I have broken up some of the longer paragraphs for the sake of readability.
Composite Gospel Text (Matthew 15[:29–31]; Mark 7[:31–37])
And when Jesus went out again from the region of Tyre and Sidon, He went on further from there and came to the Galilean Sea, in the midst of the region of the Decapolis, and He went up on a mountain and sat down there. And there came to Him many people, having with themselves the lame, the blind, the mute, the crippled, and many others, and they cast them at the feat of Jesus, and He healed them so that the people marveled when they saw that the mute speaking, the crippled were healed, the lame walking, the blind seeing, and they praised the God of Israel.
And they brought to him a deaf man who was mute, and they asked Him that He lay hands on him, and He took him aside from the people, placed His finger in his ear and spit, and touched his tongue, and He looked up to heaven, groaned, and said, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be thou opened.” And immediately his ears were opened, and the bond of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke right. And He forbid them that they should tell no one. But the more He forbid them, the more they spread it, and they marveled beyond measure and said, “He has made all well, He makes the deaf hear and the speechless speak.”
Explanation of the Gospel
{Ordering of the Doctrine in the Sunday Gospels}
If one pays attention diligently to the order of the Sunday Gospels, then one has from it a beautiful reminder (Erinnerung). We have previously heard how God punishes those who despise His Word, and how one should guard against such punishment so that he makes the temple of God to a house of prayer (Bethauß). It is also reported how one can make it into a house of prayer in the Law, in the article of justification or the Gospel, and in prayer according to the example of the tax collector [Luke 18:9–14]. Thereupon it follows that we do not have such from our own powers, but rather, with respect to this, we are deaf, mute, and blind.
{Summary of the Doctrine of this Gospel}
Before the Fall, we were thus created so that we made the temple a house of prayer in the Law, the Gospel, and the doctrine of prayer, so that when God saw everything that He had made, it was not only good, but very good [Genesis 1:31], especially the rational creatures, angels, and men. However, many of the angels have fallen; also, the serpent deceived mankind and thus sin came into the world and everything became wicked so that we are now deaf and blind by nature. But God had compassion on us and sent His Son, who has now brought again into right what was corrupted in Adam through Satan, and has thereby healed us, that He makes healthy our external members where we understand it most easily; likewise, He thereby heals our inner wound and evil from which we cannot rescue ourselves, as we are “children of wrath” (Ephesians 2[:3]) and our ears are deaf, our eyes are blind, are are tongue is bound, but God alone rescues and helps. And finally, that He thereby frees us from eternal punishment. Thus, He has made all things good [Mark 7:37], and He still does it, says Mark, and for this He uses lowly means: He speaks a word, He spits, He places His finger in the ears, etc. Then, one might think that the ears should well be stopped much more, and the eyes become darker! But when Christ uses such despised means, whereby the Word of God and the most worthy Sacraments are signified, He thereby helps and makes all things good, so that the temple among us becomes a house of prayer, and God may thus graciously turn away the well-deserved punishment. These we do not want to deal with at great length now, but rather only want to pay attention to what this Gospel teaches us for comfort under the cross (zum Trost im Creutz).
{Division of the Sermon}
Now there are here three kinds of people: [1] the Gergesenes [i.e., the crowd], [2] the mute man, [3] and the Lord Christ, and thus there are also three kinds of doctrine under the cross which we thus want to make use of and that we want to take away from this lesson.
First, what we ought to do and think when God lays a cross upon other people.
Second, how we ought to conduct ourselves when we ourselves come under the cross.
Third, what the Lord Christ does here, and what we have to comfort ourselves in Him.
The following is my translation of Martin Chemnitz’s homily for the feast day of St. Bartholomew (Nathanael) as found in his Postilla (Vol. III, pgs. 106–117). Curly brackets indicate marginal notes present in the original text. Square brackets indicate my own notes and additions. I have broken up some of the longer paragraphs for the sake of readability.
Gospel Text (Luke 22:24–30)
A dispute also arose among the disciples as to which among them ought to be the considered the greatest. But [Jesus] said to them, “The worldly kings exercise lordship (herrschen), and the authorities call themselves gracious lords (gnaädige Herrn), but not in this way for you; rather, the greatest among you ought to be as the youngest, and the foremost as a servant. For who is the greatest? The one who sits at the table? Or the one who serves? Is not thus, that it is the one who sits at the table? However, I am among you as a servant (ein Diener). But you are those who have been with me in my afflictions (Anfechtungen). And I will bestow the kingdom upon you, as My Father bestowed upon Me, that you shall eat and drink at My table and My kingdom, and sit on thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel.”
Explanation
{History of St. Bartholomew}
On this day we observe the commemoration of the Apostle Bartholomew, of whom we have nothing more in the history of the Gospels that that he was chosen by Christ to be a disciple without means [John 1:43–50], instructed by Christ in His school, and finally, chosen to be an apostle, and together with the others, he was filled with the Holy Spirit, made fit (düchtig) to preach the Gospel in the whole world.
{The Death of St. Bartholomew}
Other histories further testify concerning him that, when the apostles had divided themselves through the entire world, he made his way to India and there spread the doctrine of the Gospel and planted a Church of God, and then finally, King Astyages had him put to death and had his head struck off. Some say that since he would not abstain from teaching, he was nailed to the cross and taken down again from it and that afterwards his skin was flayed from him while he was still living.
Chemnitz is referring to the account recorded by Eusebius of Caesarea, where he only records that Bartholomew went to India. Later traditions speak of Bartholomew’s martyrdom. One martyrdom account only mentions his beheading by King Astreges (ANF 8:553ff.). It seems that the tradition of his skin being flayed is a later tradition. Others held that Bartholomew went to Armenia instead.
{Dionysius}
Dionysius [the Areopagite] makes mention of this concerning Bartholomew, that he used this parable (Gleichnuß) in his sermons, that he said, “The Gospel is both a short and long doctrine,” from which it is to be inferred that he maintained the distinction in his preaching, that for the simple he made short a simple sermons and briefly summarized the doctrine of the Gospel in a few chief points; but at the same time, he reminded his hearers that it is such a rich and expensive doctrine, which one cannot completely study in this life, but rather it is only a part that we grasp here, but the rest one must spare for that life in the glorious high school where we shall completely study it from the foundation and learn and understand everything perfectly.
This quote from Dionysius the Areopagite may be found in his Mystical Theology (MPG III.999–1000), which reads, “Thus the divine Bartholomew says that theology is both much and least, and the Gospel is both broad and great, and, on the other hand, concise.” The Latin reads, “Hac utique ratione divus Bartholomaeus ait et copiosam esse theologiam, et minimam, atque Evangelium amplam et magnum, et rursus concisum.” The Greek reads, “Οὕτω γοῦν ὁ Βαρθολομαῖός φησι, καὶ πολὴν τὴν θεολογίαν εἴναι καὶ ἐλαχίστην καὶ τὀ Εὐαγγέλιον πλατὺ καὶ μέγα, καὶ αὔθις συντετημημένον.”
{Why This Text is Appointed for This Day}
Now this Gospel, which your grace has now heard read, has been appointed for this day because therein the Lord Christ promises and assures all preachers and pious Christians who must suffer and endure much in this world on account of their confession that He will grant them His kingdom after this life, that they shall thereafter come to great honor, and that they shall rejoice in eternal joy and blessedness after this temporal cross, misery, and persecution. Otherwise, one might think, “What does it profit us if we are pious and have love for the doctrine of the Gospel? How does it go with those who diligently and faithfully preach and present the doctrine and those who hear it? They must suffer so that everyone in the world hates and avoids them, that they are persecuted and even killed. Who then would want to have any desire for this, that he should commit himself to it, if in the end one has nothing else to expect than such pitiful pay and profit, as Bartholomew and many others have received?” Then the Gospel comes and says, “Be at peace, dear children, and do chiefly seek temporal fortune and prosperity by the Gospel, but rather see to it that after this temporal life you should obtain the kingdom of God, which is My kingdom, which I have won, wherein you shall be with Me in eternal joy and blessedness.” Thus this text corresponds very well to the history of Bartholomew and the one fits nicely with the other. [The history of Bartholomew] is an example of the cross and suffering of Christians, and alongside it, the comfort of which pious Christians should hereby remind themselves.
Division of the Sermon
Now we want to pay attention to this Gospel in these three points:
How the history says that after Christ had reported to His disciples that now the hour and time had come in which He must suffer and die and thus establish His kingdom [cf. Luke 22:16, 18], He thereafter also conferred with His disciples everything that He considered needful for remembrance before His departure, and had fed them with His body and blood, and admonished (vermahnet) them how they should conduct themselves against the impending danger so that they would not be overpowered by the devil and showed them the great danger that was present; and how thereafter the apostles took occasion so that they began to fall into fleshly thoughts (fleischliche Gedancken) and supposed that Christ would lead a worldly kingdom (ein weltliches Reich) in which they would be great, notable lords, and murmured among one another who then would have preeminence among them in such a kingdom of Christ; and how Christ so kindly admonished them and said to them that it would be quite a different situation in His kingdom and led them away from such thoughts; and what we thereby ought to remember.
Second, how Christ makes a distinction in this text between His kingdom and those who serve Him in His kingdom, and between the worldly kingdom, and those servants who are great and notable, who have power, honor, and riches, who are called ‘gracious lords,’ and who are highly esteemed by everyone. However, they should not imagine that it will go also with them who are servants of Christ, but rather that it will be quite the opposite for them, such that whoever wanted to be greatest in the kingdom of Christ must be the servant of the others, be laden with much toil and labor, and along with it expect nothing else than the world’s ingratitude, envy, and hatred.
Third, how the apostles conducted themselves at the admonition of Christ, that they did not become impatient, and did not throw the keys of the kingdom which Christ had promised them at His feet and renounced their service to Him; rather, they gave themselves to this and were at peace with it when that they heard it was vain and to no purpose if they wanted to hope for temporal joy and glory, and let it be enough for them that Christ promises them the eternal inheritance of the heavenly goods and assured them that those who had preached to the highest in that world [that] the world will be judged, they would then be co-judges (Beiseitzer) of the judgement.
We will now briefly hear a report of these three parts in the Gospel of today’s Apostle’s Day.
The following is my translation of Martin Chemnitz’s homily for the Eighth Sunday after Trinity as found in his Postilla (Vol. II, pgs. 369–92). Chemnitz uses a composite text based on Matthew 7:15–27 and Luke 6:43–49. Square brackets indicate my own notes and additions whereas curly brackets indicate marginal notes present in the original text. Please note that this page is a work in progress.
Gospel Text
Forthcoming.
Explanation
Forthcoming.
{Division of the Sermon}
This is thus the summary of this Gospel, whose explanation we now want to pay attention to in these four points.
First, that we want to see to this, how the Lord Christ does not vainly make this earnest admonition (Vermahnung) to the Church and the congregation (an die Kirche und Gemeine) that they ought to watch themselves when they have and hear God’s Word taught clearly and purely, that they also then ought to remember that the time could come when they could be robbed again of this precious treasure so that we are not scandalized when we see that it still goes on today that where the pure doctrine and Church of Christ is, there the devil also has a chapel there and wants to bring in his false lying-doctrine (LügenLehre) among the people.
Second, that we not only ought to know that false teachers will arise at all times and trouble the Church of God and presume to seduce Christians with their false doctrine, but rather that He also earnestly and diligently admonishes us that we ought to beware of them and fear them, so that we also not be led into an error through them.
Third, because the false teachers can cleverly cover their knavery and deceit, we must therefore learn to recognize them so that we may beware of them and not be deceived and led astray by them so easily. How we ought not concern ourselves with the external sheep’s clothing (eusserlichen Schafpeltz), but rather ought to look at their fruits and mark them, what they say and teach, and from what fruit the tree bears, take judgement of each preacher (Prediger).
Finally, fourth and last, when we now have God’s Word clearly and purely and God has preserved us from false doctrine, and allows His Word to be preached to us without any falsification (Verfälschung), that we nevertheless ought not think that it is now enough and we need nothing more because we hear God’s Word, make use of the sacraments, pray, and call upon God our Lord, and lead a fine external appearance before the world; rather, that we should then look closely that we do not deceive ourselves, do not fall into security (Sicherheit) and let it remain only with the hearing of the Word and external exercises (äusserlichen Ubungen), but that we ought to be diligent to conduct ourselves according to God’s Word in our lives and do the will of God the heavenly Father, and thus may not be only mouth-Christians (Maulchristen) and hypocrites, but rather true Christians and doers of the word, and not only hearers.
Your grace ought to now pay attention to these four points in this sermon, and thereby grasp simply and finely grasp the right use of this Gospel.
The following is my translation of Martin Chemnitz’s explanation and homily outline for the Sixth Sunday after Trinity (Postilla, Vol. II, pgs. 348–50). Chemnitz’s Gospel text is Matthew 5:20–26. Square brackets indicate my own notes and additions. Curly brackets indicate marginal notes in the original text. I have also broken up some of the larger paragraphs for the sake of readability.
Gospel Text – Matthew 5:20–26
Jesus said to His disciples, “Unless your righteousness is better than the scribes and the Pharisees, you will never come into the kingdom of heaven. You have heart that it was said to those of old, “You shall not murder, but whoever murders, he shall be liable to judgment.” But I say to you, Whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment. Whoever says to his brother, “Racha!” [i.e. empty-head], will be liable to the council. Whoever says, “You fool!”, will be liable to the hellish fire. For if you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that you have something against your brother, so leave your gift there before the altar, and go to him and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Be well-disposed (wilfertig) toward your brother quickly, because you are still on the way with him in order that your adversary not hand you over to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the servants, and you are thrown into the dungeon. I tell you, truly, you will never come out from there until you have paid the last mite (Heller).”
Explanation
{Summary of the Doctrine of This Gospel}
In this text we have the explanation of the Fifth Commandment, how we ought to rightly understanding what the meaning of this word is when it says, “You shall not murder.” Now you often hear that the Gospels are so divided that one can therein can set forth the Christian doctrine and teach it to the common man. Now since the Law and the Gospel are the chief parts of Christian doctrine, the ancients [i.e., the Church fathers] have thus ordained it that on Sundays they ordinarily teach the Law and the Gospel. So we now we have hear the explanation of the Fifth Commandment, and not the entire Law altogether. Why is it then useful and good that one learn the Law? And why is it good that the correct understanding of the Law is urged in the Church? John thus distinguishes between the Law and the Gospel: “The Law was given through Moses, but grace through Jesus Christ.” [John 1:17] Now since the preaching of the Gospel properly belongs to the office of Christ, what need is there, then, that the Law be urged?
Christ Himself shows here in this Gospel why the one who shall teach the Gospel must first preach the Law. This is now the reason: The Pharisees thought that they could be saved through their good works. They asked nothing about the Gospel because they thought, “If we can be saved through ourselves when we do much as is possible for us, then what need do we have of Christ?” This stood in the way so that Christ could not teach the Gospel without the Law, therefore, Christ takes up the Law first.
Another error still hindered Christ so that He could not teach the Gospel. Christ had now preached the Gospel an entire year. Now there were many people who thus understood it: “If [the Gospel] has the meaning that God does not forgive sin on account of merit, but solely for the sake of CHRIST’S merit, why should we then ask about the Law? Let it thunder freely! We have nothing to do with it!” As CHRIST says, “I have not come to abolish the Law. This is not the meaning [of the Gospel]. I have come to fulfill the Law. Therefore, it is not the same whether the Law is kept or not kept. I say to you, before heaven and earth should pass away, it shall not happen that a single letter or tittle pass away from the Law which is not thus fulfilled.” [Matthew 5:18]
{Use of the Doctrine of the Law for Our Time}
Thus now that Christ had a reason that He wanted to preach the Gospel, so He had to first make the way through the Law. This reason applied at that time, so does one now have the reason that he should also preach the Law? Pay attention to the entire world and to all men, and then you will see that we have much more reason than Christ to urge the Law.
{Against the Papists}
One one side, we have the papacy. The Papists allow it to become sour for themselves, live strictly, etc., then they say that they thereby merit forgiveness of sins. When much is said of the Gospel, it does not strike them where the path has not been first made through the Law, that no one can become righteousness and be saved through the Law.
{As Well as the Evangelicals}
And pay attention also to those who hold to and confess themselves to the doctrine of the Gospel, and then you will see how greatly it is also necessary for them that this preaching of the law remain in practice among them next to the Gospel. For many think thus, “The Gospel holds these both against one another, that God is indeed angry because of sin; however the Gospel says, ‘Do not ask about that. Do not concern yourselves with it. God is merciful, who has given His Son for our sins, it is now all good.” In this opinion, many people go on their way and heap up sin day to day and yet still want to be saved nonetheless.
However the people that do this misuse the Gospel as a cover for shame (Schandideckel), and this is not its use. Therefore, one ought always to preach and teach the Law next to the Gospel and what is meant by this, that God in the law is an enemy of sin (der Sünde feindt ist), and makes Himself known otherwise and is friendly toward us in the Gospel, and allows His wrath to fall and speaks grace to those who repent, believe, and lead a new life. For a Christian must be able to distinguish this, and “He is a good theologian,” says Luther, “who properly knows and understands the distinction between both of these doctrines, the Law and the Gospel.” Whoever does not consider this distinction or reflect on it, also goes away in security and brings God’s judgement upon his neck.
This reminder serves to this end, that each person may know what the use of the doctrine of the Law is for us, and how we ought to rightly understand it. Therefore, certain commandments of the law are interpreted and explained by Christ in order that one can understand from it the right understanding of the doctrine of the entire Law.
{Division of the Sermon}
In order that we may deal with this Gospel in a useful manner, so we want to lay out its doctrine briefly and simply in these points, and divide this sermon into three parts:
That in this Gospel Christ teaches how the Law shows us what kind of righteousness we have through Christ. Likewise, how the Law shows directs us from our own works to Christ’s works and merit.
How here the right understanding and use of the Fifth Commandment, and under it, the entire Law, is shown to us; how a Christian, who has now become righteous ought to make use of the Law unto true repentance (rechter Buß) so that he may remain in right faith with Christ.
What ought to move and cause us that we gladly reconcile with our neighbor and do not delay reconciliation for a long time, and how we are to be good-willed and well-disposed toward this.
We will now divide the sermon briefly into these three points, and deal with them in a simple manner.
Concerning the First Part
{Concerning the True Righteousness Which Counts Before God}
The Lord Christ begins in today’s Gospel by saying, “Unless your righteousness is better than the Pharisee’s righteousness, you will not come into the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 5:20). Here, you hear that Christ is speaking of such a righteousness that is necessary for us unto salvation, through which we come into the Kingdom of Heaven. And He lays out this righteousness through the explanation of the Law. He shows what sort of righteousness it must be through which we ought to be saved.
{The Pharisee’s Opinion}
The Pharisees were of the opinion that they would be saved, all their heart and mind were set on it; so now they took the Law unto themselves, they were zealous for it, as much as they could, they allowed it to become sour for themselves. Nevertheless they clearly saw that they could not keep the Law entirely and ward off all wicked sinful desires and inclinations toward evil, nor control their wicked thoughts. But that this is still not the perfect keeping of the Law, our Lord here shows this to them in the actual explanation and exposition of the Fifth Commandment and several others in the following text. Thus, by this He takes away from them all their thoughts and false delusions which they had previously imagined. For they thought thus: “It is indeed true that God says in the Fifth Commandment that a man ought not be angry; however, how can a man entirely refrain from this, that he should nevermore be moved to anger? So, this is also one of the lesser sins (der geringen Sünde), God does not ask much about it if a man only takes care that he does not kill his neighbor with his fist. Whatever other transgressions happen alongside this against the Fifth Commandment, God is surely at peace with it, He does not want to deal so strictly with us if we only do so much as is possible for us and bring it as far as we can; and by this, we merit eternal life.”
These were the thoughts of the Pharisees and the scribes which they built and founded their salvation upon; if one meant good and did what he could, then God must be at peace with him, especially if he guarded himself against great sins and vices, then that would be entirely enough.
{Christ’s Position}
However, Christ will not let this be good enough for them; rather, He says, “Unless your righteousness is better than that of the Pharisees, then you cannot go into the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 5:20). For this is the meaning of the Ten Commandments, they want to be kept pure and perfectly; if the least thing, even a tittle, is lacking, then all the rest counts for nothing. Indeed, even if were possible for a man to keep the entire Law except for the least letter, then a man cannot thereby be saved. The reason is this: God did not give His Law in such a way that He says, ‘Whoever keeps some of it and as much as he can, he is excused even if he cannot keep all of it perfectly.’ Rather, it says, “Whoever does not keep all that is written in the Law, he is cursed and condemned.” Therefore, the Apostles St. James says, “If anyone keeps the entire Law and sins in one point, he is guilty of all of it” (James 2[:10]).
Indeed, dear Lord God, who then can be righteous if God deals so strictly with us? “No one,” says Paul, “if He deals so strictly with us” (Galatians 3[:10]; Romans 2). For God demands a perfect obedience, indeed He deals so strictly and demands such a strict obedience from us that it is impossible for even one to keep and fulfill it all. And whoever does not keep it perfectly as God has commanded, he is cursed.
{To What End the Law Ought to be Preached}
Now to what end does this doctrine serve when it is presented to us so earnestly that it brings us to despair when we hear that God demands that which is impossible for us to keep in His Law and says that if we do not do it perfectly, then we shall be condemned? Does not such a doctrine bring nothing other except despair? Answer: No, that is not God’s intent, that thereby He should seek such a thing. Rather this is directed to this that it ought to drive us and direct us away from our merit and works to another ground upon which we should build our salvation; and that we should dismiss the Pharisees and scribes who allow it to be sour for themselves and suppose they will thereby be saved. However, the Law says, “It is lacking in you, you cannot do it. There is no one who can keep the Law.” It is certainly true that you do not kill with your fist; yet, you still sin against the Fifth Commandment with thoughts and words when you hate your neighbor and transgress against him with words and say, “You fool.” And when you do this, then you are guilty of the hellish fire. For the Law demands a perfect obedience of anyone who wants to be saved otherwise through the Law. The righteousness of the Pharisees will not avail us, there must be a better righteousness [Matthew 5:20]. But where, then do I obtain this righteousness? We do not find it in ourselves, but rather a mercy seat (ein Gnadenstul) has been set before us, namely, Jesus Christ (Romans 3[:25–26]; 1 Corinthians 1[:30]). There we find the righteousness which is perfect and endures before God.
The word for mercy seat in Greek is ἱλαστήριον. “God set forth [Christ] as a mercy seat (ἱλαστήριον) by His blood” (Romans 3:25) . It is a reference to the mercy seat which was placed upon the ark of the covenant in the Old Testament (see Exodus 25:17–22). The blood of sacrificed animals in the OT was placed upon the mercy seat to make atonement before God (e.g., Leviticus 16:13–19).
{What is the True Righteousness}
What kind of righteousness is this then? There are many people who fall into this opinion as if it were such a righteousness that because God has given us His Son that it now has the meaning as if God said, “I have indeed said in the Law ‘You shall not murder; you shall not commit adultery; etc.,’ but now I want to let go of all of it; I will not even think of sin anymore.” So many of us understanding this article concerning righteousness. But Christ leads us to another ground on this from which one can see what is the meaning of this article. And the ground comes from the Law. And now Christ thus says, “I have come to give you life; but I have not come for this purpose: to abolish the Law, that God no longer ask whether or not the Law is kept.” No, the Law must be fulfilled, and it is laid out as such, just as Paul precisely explains in Galatians 3 and in Romans 3. Therefore, you ought to know that not only is the one who murders guilty, but also whoever says to his brother “Fool!” is guilty of the hellish fire; whoever says “Racha!” [i.e., empty-head] is liable to the council. God has written this with His finger; it cannot be changed. All of it must be fulfilled if you want to be saved through the Law. Now Christ has come that He give us the righteousness which God demands of us in the Law. For we could not obtain such a righteousness from ourselves. What now has Christ done? Did He say, “This shall not longer be in force”? No. The Father says of Him, “You are in the stead of man. There it is written, “Cursed is the man who does not keep everything that is written in the Law” [Deuteronomy 27:27]; whoever acts against it, he is guilty of the hellish fire. You must bear this, if man is to be saved otherwise.” For the Law cannot fail. It is God’s eternal unchangeable will. Therefore, you should not think thus: “God will no longer pay attention to sin.” No! Everything must be fulfilled which has been written. Because we cannot do this, God therefore sent His Son who has fully satisfied the Law, and we are justified for His sake because He has fulfilled the Law.
One must mark this well, for whoever does not pay attention here cannot comport himself in this matter, but rather falls into such thoughts: “Well, God is indeed the enemy of sin, but now that His Son has come, He has let His wrath fall away and no longer upholds the Law.” Those who think this way fall into security (Sicherheit); but we must stand fast upon this ground: It is impossible that a tittle of the Law ought remain unfulfilled. It must all be fulfilled, but we cannot do it. Therefore, the Son of God has come who has taken the Law upon Himself and fulfilled it; and for His sake, because He has fulfilled all of it, we are also righteous. Thus, the Law drives us away from our own righteousness to another righteousness. The Law must be fulfilled, but we cannot fulfill it; therefore, Christ comes in our stead and fulfills the entire Law that we thus might obtain eternal righteousness.
{Conclusion of the First Part}
This is the first part that we ought to mark in this sermon, namely, that the Lord Christ did not only preach the Gospel to His hearers, but rather also the Law. He thereby remove this delusion from the hearts of the people so that they do not think that God has now allowed His law to fall away because He has given His Son to as Redeemer of the world, and that now each man may do whatever he wants and that it would in no way harm him. CHRIST has paid for all sin and made full satisfaction. Likewise, the LORD says that this is not its meaning. The Law is the unchangeable will of God, and it must remain and must be fulfilled. When the Pharisees then come and say, “Behold, we do the Law and keep it; we our diligent that we conduct ourselves obediently in our whole life and conduct to it as much as possible. Thus, we will be justified through works of the Law, right?”
“Yes,” says CHRIST, “If you could keep it perfectly, then that would be something, then you would be saved by it, but there it is lacking and it fails you. For if you already do as much as is possible for you, and live externally according to the Law and guard yourselves against gross actual sin—murder, manslaughter, adultery, fornication, and the like—yet, you nevertheless have evil desire and inclination in your heart, then you still have evil thoughts and words which are contrary to God’s Law. Therefore, if your obedience is not perfect, then you cannot thereby stand before God. You must look for a better righteousness.” Where does a man find this? “Christ has made righteousness for us by God.” (1 Corinthians 1[:30]. See that you lay hold of Him, then you shall be saved through Him. This is the first doctrine.
Concerning the Second Part
{Explanation of the Fifth Commandment}
Forthcoming.
Concerning the Third Part
Forthcoming.
{Conclusion of the Sermon}
These are the three parts of doctrine that we ought to maintain from this sermon.
What is the true righteousness which counts before God, how we ought to rightly know and learn this from the Law and the Gospel.
Concerning the right understanding of the Law of God, that it is not enough that one does something, but rather that one must entirely keep it.
How one ought not live in envy and hatred (Neid und Hassz), but rather be well-disposed toward reconciliation in order that God also forgive us our deficiencies and errors (Mängel und Fehl).
The following is my translation of Martin Chemnitz’s homily outline for the Fifth Sunday after Trinity (Postilla, Vol. II, pg. 237). Chemnitz’s Gospel text is Luke 5:1–11. Square brackets indicate my own notes and additions. Curly brackets indicate marginal notes in the text. I have also broken up some of the longer paragraphs for the sake of readability.
Explanation of the Gospel
God the heavenly Father, who in Matthew 20 is liked by the Lord Christ to a house-father (Haußvater; [οἰκοδεσπότης]) calls and admonishes all His children and servants within His great household, that is, all men, that they should gladly and diligently hear the Word of God before everything else; and that they should continually exercise themselves in godliness (Gottseligkeit), and thereafter, diligently and faithfully attend to their work and promises them, in addition, that if they show themselves as His dear children and faithful servants, then He will give and bestow them a fitting livelihood in this world. And this Gospel shows that both of these points can very well stand next to one another, and indeed always ought to, namely, that [1] one serves God and then [2] attends to his work with diligence. For the four men who mentioned here were not godless fishermen, but rather when John the Baptist began to teach and to preach, these were the first who had received his sermon and followed it. Thereafter, when John saw Christ coming toward him and said, “Behold, this is the Lamb of God, who bears the sin of the world” (John 1:29, 36), Andrew reported it to his brother and said, “We have found the Messiah, for whom so long a time we have longed for” (John 1:41), and thus they followed him and when they had listened to Him for a long time, they returned again to their vocation (Beruf), for they had not yet been called (berufen) to the apostolic office (Apostelamt). But now when the Lord is preaching at the Sea of Gennesaret, they come to Him again, and after the sermon has been delivered, He commands them to work and says, “Now, at this very moment, launch out into the deep and cast out your nets” (Luke 5:4).
{Idleness has not been commanded by God.}
From this it is then to be seen that our Lord God by no means wants that a Christian man should entirely renounce all other earthly work so that he desire to undertake or do nothing other than perhaps singing in the church, etc. as was taught in the papacy and asserted that one may otherwise profane the spiritual estate and orders [i.e., monasteries]. Precisely for this reason, in John 6, when very many people were following after Him had the opinion that they would not need to work with Him and yet could have their sustenance, the Lord Christ did not consent that they should make him king, but rather left each one in his vocation (Beruff).
Even so it is portrayed here for us that a Christian ought to hold both together; he ought to gladly occupy himself with God’s Word persist in prayer for God’s blessing, and thereafter in order that he may also acquire daily bread it is said to him, “Go to work!,” as David also points in Psalm 128:2, “You shall feed yourself the work of your hand.” Thus, one must not tear apart or separate that which God the Lord wants to be carried on next to one another in His household, that is, that one must uphold and keep both the Seventh Commandment, in which work is included and commanded, as well as the Third Commandment concerning the Holy Day and the Divine Service (Gottesdienst). Peter must not only catch fish, but he must also learn Christ’s preaching, the Word of God, so that through the Word his toil and work may be sanctified and be blessed.
Chemnitz is alluding to Martin Luther’s explanation of the Third Commandment in the Large Catechism, § 91ff.
Thus, under the Seventh Commandment, our work can continually remind us of the Third Commandment, that we were not only created for work in this toilsome life, but rather, that we should bring to mind the gracious will of God and in the midst of our work comfort ourselves with the coming eternal joy, when after all our toil and work we come to rest and celebrate the eternal Sabbath, and thus shall have life and full satisfaction (John 10[:10]).
{Example}
Now this is often presented to his here and there in Holy Scripture with glorious sayings, but in today’s Gospel, it is presented to us with a beautiful living example. Peter, John, James, and Andrew had previously been with John in the wilderness and listened to him; thereafter, they also come to the Lord Christ, indeed, in this Gospel they hear His sermon. Now when they have heard the Word of God and the sermon is over, the Lord Christ says to them, “Go now back to work, make a cast,” and He Himself gives an instruction and command that they ought to again apply themselves in their vocation and usual work so that the Seventh and the Third Commandments thus be carried out alongside one another.
{Practice of this Doctrine}
Yet, one ought to carry this out, especially with respect to the Third Commandment, so that it not made only into an Opus Operatum, and one would think if only the work itself had been performed and churchgoing had taken place that it would then be enough even if one would never think of it even once afterward. Rather, one ought to undertake it as David says in the 119th Psalm, “Lord, Your statutes, or Your Word, are my counselors” (Psalm 119:24), that is, “everything that I hear and learn from Your Word, I use it thereafter in all my doing and refraining (thun und lassen), and Your glorious sayings, they are my closest advisors.”
{Christian Usage with Prayer for the Blessing of God}
Therefore, in former times it was customary in the Christian Church that one gathered together in the morning and called upon God so that He would give His blessing upon the work of the day. Likewise, in the evening, one gave thanks publicly to dear God for His protection. This is still also practiced among us, when, among other things, the ringing of the prayer bell at certain hours encourages people, even in the midst of work, to the fear of God and Christian prayer so that you begin and end your work with God’s Word, just as this account shows that after the sermon was heard the Lord said to Peter to cast out the net, and then, when the work was done, that they followed after Christ.
{Luther}
And this is described so simply and beautifully especially for this reason, so that, as Luther says elsewhere in his explanation of the Gospel in Matthew 8, that when the sea restless, then we ought to learn to say this proverb: “Christ is with me in the ship.” So you also ought to learn this proverb here, “Well then, Christ is with me in my ship, it is He who bids me to work when I have heard the sermon.” Just as He Himself first preached to this people and thereafter said to Peter that He ought to go out and catch fish, by this He reminds others that each one ought to return back to his vocation (Beruff).
See Luther’s homily for the Fourth Sunday after Epiphany, AE 76:287.
Homily Outline
This is the summary of this Gospel that herein this chief doctrine (Häuptlehr) is dealt with: how one ought to exercise oneself in the fear of God and in work. We now want to summarize the doctrine of this Gospel in these following points:
How we ought to hear God’s Word dutifully and readily before all things.
How we therefore ought to work according to God’s command.
If perhaps the promised blessing of God does not follow from the work, how we ought to then conduct ourselves.
When our Lord God gives His blessing so that your net encloses a great multitude, how you ought to use it with humility and thankfulness; or if your net obtains a tear in such great fortune and the ship wants to sink, how you then ought to conduct yourself.
Finally, when Christ says, “Follow Me,” how one ought to forsake everything and follow Him as the One who catches us out of this world with the net of His Holy Gospel and receives us to Himself into His eternal kingdom.
Thus, you can make a house postil (Haußpostill) for yourself from this account, and apply this doctrine in Christian usage.
The following is my translation of Martin Chemnitz’s homily outline for the Third Sunday after Trinity as found in his Postilla (Vol. II, pgs. 306–307). Square brackets indicate my own notes and additions.
Sermon Outline
Concerning those things we now want to handle in this sermon and what is thereby to be noted, it is divided into these four points:
First, we want from these three parables that we are reminded that the Lord begins the parables because He wants to indicate how it is with us by nature, that when we have lost something that has been dear to us, how we then have an even greater longing that we might recover it, and we are more concerned about the lost thing than we are mindful of that which nevertheless we still have and possess in our custody (Verwahrung). And He says that in this way God is inclined toward us, that when someone from among men is misled so that he comes into an erring path (Irrweg) and goes astray, God is not turned away, how God is then concerned for us that He might find us again and get us back again, how He diligently seeks us, and how He directs all care and effort therein do that he might restore us again, and that He does this from such a heart we when one is very distressed over a thing which he has lost and applies all diligence in order that he might get us back again. Such is the Fatherly heart of Christ toward us (vätterliches Hertz Christi gege uns), which we first ought to learn, know, and consider in this parable.
Second, thereafter we want to learn form this how we then ought to conduct ourselves to this, so that God’s care and effort might not be futile and in vain, that we [ought to] allow ourselves to be found by Him when He seeks us and that He can restore us again. And that we [ought] not run away from Him when He seeks us, but rather act like a strayed sheep, when it perceives that the Shepherd is after it and is seeking it, wanting to bring it back to the flock, it then stands still, and allows itself to be grasped and to be restored again, not running further into the wilderness, but rather turns back, and allows itself to be brought again to its place. And just as a coin is found again when one sweeps the house, lights a lamp, and looks with diligence for it, that we also thus [ought to] allow ourselves to be found and be sought out from the filth and foulness of our sins; and when God sets the light of His Law before us and shines it under our eyes and takes the broom in the hand that he might thereby again sweep us out from the dirt and the filth, that we then through such means—the preaching of the Law (Gesetzpredigt) and the blessed cross—[ought to] allow ourselves to be helped out from the filth again; and when we have been willful and brazen before our heavenly Father and have abused His longsuffering (Langmut), and He has therefore placed us in poverty, grief, and misery, that we [ought to] come to our senses in the midst of the cross, and in true repentance turn again to God and be received into grace by Him and be accepted again.
Third, that we especially take this into consideration, how the parables proceed to this: with which heart God seeks us, how great a joy it is to Him when we allow ourselves to be found, how kindly He receives the repentant sinner, and therein has the greatest joy and delight when we rightly conduct ourselves in this matter so that He does not deal with us according to His fury and wrath, but can be gracious and merciful to us and show us His fatherly love.
Fourth and finally, how every Christian, both preacher and hearer, ought to learn from this how we also ought to strive after the example of the heavenly Father and His beloved Son Jesus Christ, our faithful Shepherd, so that we also be so disposed toward repentant sinners and have such a heart toward them as here we hear God has toward such. This especially applies to those whom God has preserved from serious falls and offenses more than others, as is here seen in the older brother, who exalted himself on account of his piety so that he was unwilling to allow his younger brother to be received into grace even when his brother had nevertheless repented. For this reason, he was rebuked and admonished by the father. And how he makes too much of this that he says, “I have never transgressed your command, and have done everything as was appropriate” [Luke 15:29], how each ought to guard himself from such speech and thoughts.
To these four points we want to briefly direct [our attention] as to what is chiefly to be considered in this Gospel in the three parables presented to us. God grant us His grace and blessing to this end.
The following is my translation of Martin Chemnitz’s homily for the Visitation of Mary (July 2nd) on Luke 1:39–56 as found in his Postilla (Volume III, pgs. 87–94). Square brackets indicate my own additions and notes. I have broken up some of the longer paragraphs for the sake of readability in English.
Chemnitz’s Gospel Text (Luke 1:39–56)
Now Mary arose in those days and went to the mountains at last (endelich), to the city of Judah, and came into the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. And it happened when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the child leapt in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she called out loudly and said, “Blessed (Gebenedeiet) are you among women, and blessed is the Fruit of your womb. And why has this come to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? Behold, when I heard the sound of your greeting, the child leapt in my womb with joy. And blessed (Gottselig) are you, you who have believed, because there will be a fulfillment of what has been said to you by the Lord.”
And Mary said, “My soul extols the Lord, and my Spirit rejoices in God my Savior. For He has seen His humble maidservant (elende Magd); behold, from now on all children’s children shall praise me as blessed (selig). For He has done great things to me, He who is mighty, and holy is His name. And His mercy endures forever and ever upon those who fear Him. And He has exercised power with His arm, and He has scattered the proud in the mind of their heart. He has pushed the powerful from the thrones, and He has exalted the humble. The hungry He has filled with good things, and the rich He has left empty. He has remembered His mercy and helped His servant Israel, as He had spoken to our fathers, to Abraham and to his Seed forever.”
And Mary remained with her for three months, and thereafter she returned home again.
Explanation of This Gospel
On this feast day we have these accounts to consider, that after the angel Gabriel had announced the counsel of the Holy Trinity (den Rath der Heiligen Dreifaltigkeit) to the Virgin Mary, namely that she shall be a mother of the promised Seed of the woman [Genesis 3:15], in whom all the nations on earth shall be blessed; yet the good virgin at Nazareth had no one to whom she could have entrusted this, for she dared not to reveal it to her betrothed Joseph, for those from Nazareth were such people that one had a proverb about them: “What good can come from Nazareth?” (John 1[:46]); how she set out and at last went over the hill country, about twenty German miles (in die zwäntzig Teutscher Weil Wegs), to her old kinswoman (Gefreundin) Elizabeth, who lived in Bethlehem or at least not far from there, so that she might speak with her about these high matters. And after she had come to her, then our Lord God immediately revealed the conception of His Son with great wonders, and there the first joy of the New Testament began. For Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and not only spoke but cried out with a loud voice to Mary, “Blessed are you among women and blessed is the Fruit of your womb! And why has this come to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” The not yet born into the world John (Der noch nicht zur Welt geborne Johannes) danced and leapt for great joy that the Lord was present, of whom he shall be the forerunner [Malachi 3:1]. Mary sings for great joy, as the Holy Spirit awakened in her heart a glorious beautiful song of praise (Lobgesang), the beloved Magnificat.
On account of this history, we celebrate this present feast, so that we may learn how highly we ought to rejoice with all the saints when we desire to become partakers of the gifts of the New Testament. And just as now these persons thank the beloved God for this great benefit, that He has sent His Son into the flesh, so too we ought to come together today so that we may thank God for this great benefit, that He has revealed His Son in the Gospel, and when such is done by us, then we may rightly celebrate this feast, and without doubt, the Holy Spirit with His grace will be with us. But for now, we do not want to speak about the history, because such happens at other times, but rather we want to take for ourselves the glorious song of praise of Mary, in which she thanks God the heavenly Father with mouth and heart, praises and extols Him that He has now fulfilled with this deed what He had so often promised and pledged from the beginning of the world concerning the blessed Seed of the woman [Genesis 3:15].
Now it is very customary in the Old Testament that when God allows Himself to be recognized by the saints with special graces and benefits and when the Holy Spirit wanted to grasp the benefits of God so that they would never be forgotten but rather would be passed on to the descendants, that they framed such thanksgiving in short songs of praise, even as among us are there are songs and rhymes (Carmine und Reimen), so that they might be learned by others all the more easily, and this they called psalms or hymns (Psalmos oder Hymnos), such as the psalm which Moses had made and sung with the children of Israel when they passed through the Red Sea and our Lord God had cast Pharaoh along with all his [hosts] into the sea (Exodus 15[:1–19]). The like of which Miriam, the sister of Moses, did also together with the women who followed her in the ranks [Exodus 15:20–21]. Such a song of praise was also made by Hannah, the mother of Samuel, in which she thanks God that He heard her prayer and gave her a son (1 Samuel 2[:1–10]); Jonah in the belly of the whale (Jonah 2[:1–10]); the three men in the fiery furnace (Daniel 3[:28]); Judith after Holofernes had died (Judith 16[:1–17]); and Hezekiah, when he had become healthy again from his sickness (Isaiah 38[:9–20]). Here also belongs the entire Psalter of David in which many such psalms and songs of praise are found.
This custom (gebrauch) of thanking God with a song was also begun by Mary in the New Testament through the Holy Spirit, and this is the true Canticum novum, the “new song,” of which David often spoke, and of which Isaiah says in chapter 42[:10], “Sing to the Lord a new song!”, not as Moses had sung of a bodily redemption (einer leiblichen Erlösung), but rather of many great benefits of God and that it should resound to the ends of all the world. This song was first begun by Mary, and thereafter other saints have followed her, namely, Zachariah, the father of John the Baptist (Luke 1[:67–80]), and Simeon the great and learned man when he carried the child Jesus in his arms (Luke 2[:28–32]). Now the Apostle Paul says therefore that we who live in the New Testament ought to follow this example and “sing and make melody to the Lord in our hearts with psalms, and songs of praise, and spiritual songs” (Ephesians 5[:19]; Colossians 3[:16]), as then in the beginning of the Gospel it was a fine Christian custom that one gladly sang spiritual songs while working in the houses, but now people are almost ashamed of it, and many think it sounds much better when one hums a little soldier’s song (Reuterliedlein) or a street song (Gassenhauwer).
In other words, Chemnitz is referring to secular songs that were popular at the time.
Now, you may say: “I know it very well that I ought to praise and extol God for His benefits, I would gladly do it too, but I do not know what words I ought to use for that.” Look, if you are concerned about this, then Mary prescribes a formula for you here. If you follow it, you cannot err, for she bears within herself the Person in whom the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily (Colossians 1[:19]). In addition, the Holy Spirit has come upon her and the power of the Most High has overshadowed her, as the angel Gabriel says (Luke 1[:35]). Therefore, this is without doubt the foremost of all Psalms (der allerfürnembste Psalm), because God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have worked it in her. And because this is so, it was ordained during the papacy that this Magnificat ought to be sung every day with great shouting, even though the words were not understood; indeed, no one one thought upon their meaning. But Mary says here, “I have not sung in that manner; indeed, I spoke with my mouth, but in such a manner that at the same time my soul extolled the Lord and my spirit rejoiced.” So also the Lord Christ declares in Matthew 13[:18–23] that when the seed of the divine Word ought to produce fruit, so one must not merely speak of it, but rather it must also be understood.
Therefore, we now want to pay attention to this so that we may also understand this song of praise, and so that we can thus sing after Mary and praise God with her.
[Sermon Outline]
Now this hymn of praise comprises of three parts in itself.
First, Mary thanks the blessed God for the benefits which He has particularly showed and demonstrated to her person, and teaches us what pertains to this, when our prayer and thanksgiving ought to be pleasing and acceptable to God.
Second, she goes at once as if out of her little chamber (Kämmerlein) into the whole world and among the great congregation (grosse Gemeine) of the people of God and declares that the benefits which God has shown to her, the mercy which she has befallen her, do not [only] remain with her, but endure forever and ever from one generation to the next so that the children’s children ought to enjoy the same.
Third, she teaches how we ought and must dispose ourselves if we intend to become partakers of the mercy of God, and what hinders the greater part of the world so that they do not enjoy the mercy of God, so that we ought to guard ourselves against it.
Concerning the First Part
The first part of this song of praise is a thanksgiving in which Mary thanks God for the benefits which have befallen her person in particular. Therein, she provides a formula for us as to how we ought to thank God for His benefits which we have already received from Him and which we still await according to His promise. For we know from God’s Word that it is not in our free choice whether we may thank God for His benefits or not, rather, God has seriously commanded us in the Second Commandment and such an offering is also very well pleasing to Him (Psalm 50[:14, 23]).
See Luther’s explanation to the Second Commandment in the Small Catechism.
However, our nature, alas, is so miserably corrupted through sin that we easily forget the benefits of God and seldom, rarely, or with little devotion thank Him for them; and even if we have already have a good will and intention to thank Him, so it is nevertheless done more with the mouth and not from the heart, as our Lord God complains about in the prophet Isaiah 29[:13], “This people draws near to me with its mouth and honors me with its lips, [but their hearts are far from me].”
Therefore, we ought to learn from Mary how one rightly thanks God for His benefits, how one ought to praise and extol Him that it may be acceptable to Him. Now Luke says that Mary indeed has praised God with her mouth and with her lips, because he writes, “And Mary said, etc.” [Luke 1:46] However, it did not happen so quickly for her as it does for us when we often say out of habit, “Praise and thanks be to God; God be praised!” yet meanwhile the heart knows nothing of it, indeed thinks of something else. Mary does not do so, but rather she says that her soul magnifies the Lord and her Spirit rejoices, etc. [Luke 1:46–47]. Without doubt, she took these words from the song of praise of her forefather David, who says in Psalm 103[:1], “Praise the Lord, O my soul, and all that is in me His holy name, etc.” The Apostle Paul divides the reborn man into three parts, namely, the body, soul, and spirit [1 Thessalonians 5:23]. By the body, he understands all the external, visible members (eusserliche, sichtbarliche). By the soul, however, all inner powers (alle innerliche Kräfft) and everything that stirs in a person’s heart, such as courage, mind, disposition, understanding, thoughts, and desires. By the spirit, he understands the new gifts which the Holy Spirit works in us and is not in us by nature (von Natur). “All of this,” says Mary, “rejoices and thanks God for His benefits, indeed, my soul not only praises God but exalts Him highly (as we Germans are accustomed to say when someone is praised, “He exalts him far too high!”). Thus, Mary says “My soul extols the Lord, and so highly that I want that the world would know it.” And this is one thing which belongs to right thanksgiving so that it be pleasing to God, namely, when not only the mouth speaks, but rather the heart and the soul also knows of it, the spirit is joyful and all that is within us, the “innermost part” (das innerste), as David says, praises the name of God [Psalm 103:1].
But whom ought we thank? Whom ought we exalt and praise when we have received all kinds of bodily and spiritual, temporal and eternal benefits? The ancients knew how it went in the papacy. When someone was stuck in misfortune, he would commend himself to this or that saint that he might help him, and when he had been helped, people would hang some images made of wax upon the dead idols as thanksgiving, etc. But what does Mary do? She says, “My soul extols—not a dead saint, not an angel, but rather—the Lord,” that is, the God who has revealed Himself in the Word, who says, “I am the Lord your God” [Exodus 20:2; Deuteronomy 5:6], etc. “And my Spirit rejoices in God my Savior, that God Himself has become my Savior,” that is, “I rejoice that God has sent His Son into the flesh, that He should be a Mediator and Savior.” And Mary makes a fine distinction of the persons in the single divine essence in that she mentions the Lord, God the Savior, and the Spirit.
But for what does she give thanks? Why does she rejoice? This is also worth marking, and indeed for this reason, for this is not truly to praise God rightly if one says in general (in gemein), “Praise and thanks be to God!”, but rather, when we recall what benefits God daily shows us, which we have not deserved, indeed, of which we are unworthy, and yet, the upright God shows them to us. Therefore, Mary says further, “My soul extols the Lord and my Spirit rejoices, because He has regarded His humble maidservant; behold, from now on, all children’s children will call me blessed.” [Luke 1:46–48] Mary looks upon the fact that Elizabeth had so highly praised her as one blessed among women [Luke 1:42], as even the angel Gabriel had done before [Luke 1:28], upon which she now says, “Dear Elizabeth, you should not extol me, nor praise me; rather, my soul extols the Lord who has regarded my humility,” as if she were saying, “Ah, what a poor, wretched person I am, and God has shown me such great grace above all womenfolk upon the entire earth. Truly, our God has a great house, and in that same house there are many daughters, many female friends who are adorned with great gifts; but where am I in that house? Indeed, I am not His daughter, nor His beloved friend, but rather I am a humble maid” (cf. 2 Timothy 2[:20]).
And this she also learned from her forefather David, who says in Psalm 86[:16], “Lord, I reckon myself not as a child, but rather as Your servant, and the son of Your maidservant.” Such humility is very pleasing to our Lord God, as we recently heard from the example of the prodigal son (Luke 15[:18–24]).
So now Mary says much in this way, “God did not look upon this, how worthy of the benefits I was or whether I had merited it, but rather He looked upon my humility.” For although she was born of royal lineage, nevertheless that same lineage had fallen very low, as Isaiah 11[:1] had prophesied, and Mary was forsaken by all her own, had to sit in poverty outside her fatherland at Nazareth, and was betrothed to a carpenter because of her poverty. Therefore, she now says, “Ah, my dear God, how is it that You have come to this, that You have not chosen other persons from the house of David who are much greater and holier than me, but rather You look upon this humble maidservant who is not worthy of it, who has also not merited it, and You look upon me thus that You do not show me some small mercy, but rather make me to be the mother of Your Son, my Savior; therefore, all children’s children shall call me blessed. Eve would gladly have been [the mother of Your Son], as would have Noah’s mother, the holy Sarah, and the godly Rebekah, but it could not happen for them, even though they are much holier than me; rather, You have looked upon me, a humble child. Should I not now rejoice that God has done such great things to me?”
See, this is what properly belongs to thanksgiving, namely, that we consider what great benefits the upright God has shown to us, how unworthy we are of them, and how ungrateful we have been found for them; and especially we ought to think upon God our Savior, upon the benefits of the Son of God. Then, it will be a right Deo gratias [“Thanks be to God!”].
And thus, Mary is now highly praised, as she says here, “All children’s children shall call be blessed, etc.” How then? Should one then worship her as the ‘Mother of Grace’ (Mutter der Gnaden), as happened in the papacy? Should we in our need take refuge in her? Is that to praise her rightly? “No!” she says her herself and teaches how she ought to be praised by all children’s children so that it may please God, namely, “For He who is mighty has done great things to me, and holy is His name.” [Luke 1:49]
See how truly beautiful this is! Should Mary therefore be praised as blessed because she can do great things, help in death’s need, protect against enemies? No! Rather, “He who is mighty has done great things to me, etc.” That is the praise which she wants to have is that one recognize and praise God’s grace in her, and that He alone be praised. “For not my name, but His name, who has done such great things to me, is alone holy and ought therefore to be praised and extoled forever” (Psalm 72[:18–19]; 113[:1–3]).
And this is the first part of this song of praise, from which we learn how one ought to thank God for His benefits so that it would be a pleasing offering to Him, namely, that first, we not only to praise God with our lips and mouth, but also with the soul and Spirit; second, that we ought to praise and extol no one other than the Lord our God in Christ Jesus our Savior (Colossians 3[:17]), for from His hands must all things come to us (John 3[:27]); and third, that we ought to consider what great benefits He has shown to us, of which we are unworthy and which we have not merited, and ought to praise and thank Him alone for them; that will make for a right beautiful Magnificat.
Concerning the Second Part
Now what does it concern us that God has done such great things for Mary? She may rightly rejoice, for she alone is the blessed one (die Gebenedeite) among women. This is true; but here Mary also turns to us and says, “God has begun it with me, but it shall not end with me. I am indeed alone the mother of the Blessed Seed (deß Gebenedeieten Samens), but [His] mercy shall not remain with me alone, but rather will endure always, forever and ever, from one generation to the next among those who fear Him.” See how Mary wants to have all of us in the ranks, as such is the nature and character of a right faith and prayer, that it also looks to others and takes them along with itself. Therefore, Mary grasps the Church of God at all times of the world and says, “His mercy endures always, from one generation to the next,” that is, she addresses those who currently live, who who had been before us, and those who live after us until the end of the world. For as the Apostle Paul says in Acts 17[:26–31], God has allowed all the races of men on the entire earth to come forth from one blood, and they all ought to become partakers of the mercy of God.
But Mary first looks upon the words of Elizabeth, who had said, “You are blessed among all women, etc.” “This is true,” says Mary, “but the blessing shall not remain with me alone, rather it shall also befall all the races of the earth.” Thereafter, she also looks upon the fleshly thoughts and judgement (die fleischliche Gedancken und Urtheil) of those who lived at that time. For because it is an extraordinary thing to be a bodily mother of the Son of God (eine leiblich Mutter deß Sohns Gottes), so many of them thought that as if because of this she would have more privilege or righteousness than others. Therefore, it is read among the Evangelists that they often spoke to the Lord Christ, “Behold Your mother is there, Your brothers, etc.” (Matthew 12[:47]; Luke 8[:20]). And one woman among the people said with a raised voice, “Blessed is the womb which has born You!” (Luke 11[:27]). As from this the invocation and all the worship that is rendered to Mary in the papacy has taken its origin.
But Mary clearly teaches here that the mercy [of God] shall not remain with her, but shall befall all the races on earth, that God would once again help His servant Israel, with whom it appeared as if it had been entirely rejected by God, and would allow [His] mercy to befall Abraham and his seed forever.
Therefore, not only shall the Jews enjoy it, for as Paul and John the Baptist teach, they are not all the children of Abraham who are born from the seed of Abraham and Jacob [Romans 9:6–13; Matthew 3:9], but rather those who believe with believing Abraham (Romans 4). For God has prepared this Savior for all peoples, as Simeon says (Luke 2[:31–32]), and God had sworn to Abraham that He would make him the father of many nations (Genesis 17[:5]), and that in his seed all the nations ought to be blessed (Genesis 12[:3]; 22[:18]). And this is the second part of this song of praise, from which we learn that not only Mary, but rather also that all races upon earth shall become partakers of the mercy of God according to His promise.
Concerning the Third Part
Now, since we are no different from Mary in the least, how then can we come to it so that we may become partakers of God’s mercy? We have heard that God looks upon men not according to their merit, but rather according to His mercy, and that He does not regard persons, but rather wants to let His mercy befall all generations on earth. May we then now live as we want, in fornication and wickedness? (Romans 1[:24–32]) Will God then still be merciful to us? This is not what Mary teaches in her Magnificat, but rather she looks upon this and considers what kind of persons they are who are gathered together in the house of Zachariah, namely, a poor young virgin, an old matron, an old mute and deaf priest Zachariah, and an unborn child. She compares these persons with the high priests Annas, Caiaphas, and the entire clergy, and at this she marvels, “Ah, how does it come about, how does it always happen that God sets His gracious eyes upon such a poor heap!” She means to say this is the reason, God indeed wants to allow His mercy to befall all men alike, but they do not all rightly dispose themselves (schicken sich) to it.
Now, indeed, we would all gladly partake of the mercy of God. Therefore, let us learn from Mary how we may come to it. Indeed, perhaps the manner is to difficult? “No!” says Mary, “I will show you in three words how one ought to dispose himself to it and also tell you in three words what one ought to guard against.”
God sits upon the throne of His majesty and glory and stretches out (if I may say so) two arms, and thereby does two kinds of things. With the one arm He exercises power, He scatters and casts down; with the other arm He exercises mercy, he lifts up the humble, helps those who fall, fills them with the rich goods of His house (Psalm 36[:9]). But who are these, and by what can one know them?
First, she says, “those who fear Him,” that is, when you do not cover your sin, do not lightly consider the wrath of God on account of sin, but rather fear God so that you hate evil (Proverbs 8[:13]) and turn away from evil (Proverbs 3[:7]); with such people, says Mary, “the mercy of God remains and endures.” [Luke 1:50]
Second, when you recognize and bewail your misery in which you are stuck on account of your sin, and say, “I have sinned, have mercy on me,” then God will have a gracious eye toward you (Psalm 113[:7–8]; 138[:6]). For because He has a strong powerful arm, your misery is never so great that He cannot help you out of it, for this is His work, that He holds those by the hand who are about to fall and raises up again all those who are cast down (Psalm 37[:24], 145[:14]).
Third, when you are hungry, that is, when you recognize that you cannot help yourself by your own ability, but rather are hungry for the righteousness and for the great Supper (dem grossen Abendmal) that God has prepared for those in Christ Jesus [Matthew 5:6], then He will fill you with His goods and make you a partaker of His mercy not only here in time (zeitlich), but also there in eternity (ewiglich).
This now is very easy, from which you can judge for yourself whether you can also partaker of the mercy of God which Mary so highly praises; namely, if you so dispose yourself to it that you fear God, recognize and bewail your misery, and are hungry for righteousness. “But if you do not find this in yourself,” says Mary, “then the Magnificat does not concern you, that God shows mercy to all generations on earth.”
But what hinders the greater part of the world from enjoying the mercy of God? Or from what ought I guard myself that might hinder me from enjoying it? Mary says, “God has a mighty arm and punishes three things that resist his mercy, namely, pride, violence, and riches. These are three little worms (drei Würmlein) that stab the heart.”
Now one could well understand this in a political manner (politice), for it is also true that God cannot tolerate pride. But Mary speaks of the pride that is in the mind of the heart (in deß Hertzen Sinne), which can also be present even when great external humility (eusserlich grosse Demut) is present. And such is pride when man is not content with that which God has commanded, he thinks it too lowly for him, institutes a new form of divine worship (Gottesdienst) outside of the Word of God, and alters what God Himself has instituted. This God cannot suffer. Such are the proud papists who shamelessly exalt themselves above God (2 Thessalonians 2[:4]).
Likewise, when someone does not take his reason captive under the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10[:5]), but rather insists Scripture must yield to him, and if God will not give him an account of all things, then he says, “That is impossible. That cannot be. I will not accept that.” Such men of pride are all heretics.
Finally, those are also laden with this pride who knowingly continue in their sins against God’s Word. They could well leave them, but they do not want to. They allow themselves to be moved neither by the lovely promises of God nor His earnest threats. Such is a proud mind. All of these God scatters, that is, He gives them over to a perverted mind so that they fall from one sin into another (Romans 1[:28]), and they pay heed to no warning or admonition.
The second heap is the powerful who sit on high thrones, who have power; not as though all authority in itself were damnable, for it is from God (Romans 13[:1]), but rather because the powerful generally to not inquire after God, but despise His wrath, set their throne beside God’s throne, think they will endure and nothing will touch them (Isaiah 28[:14–15]). These God casts down from their thrones, as all the monarchies of the world testify.
The third heap is the rich who think they do not need God’s grace and mercy; they have so many good works that they can share them with others and sell them, or they rely on their uncertain riches (1 Timothy 6[:17]) and hold them as a god (Ephesians 6[:5]). To these God will not allow His mercy to befall, but rather “He will leave them empty,” says Mary. For the time will come when they will see that they lack the honor which they ought to have before God and that they must leave here naked and bare. Then, their riches will not follow them, but rather they will be left empty.
Behold, thus we have here how we ought and must dispose ourselves if we want to become partakers of the mercy of God, which has been promised forever to Abraham and to His Seed. Therefore, you should now examine yourself (selber prüffen) so that you can sing the Magnificat with joy.
[Conclusion and Summary]
We have spoken of this then in the simplest manner by God’s grace concerning the Magnificat, in which we have listened and heard:
First, how the highly praised virgin Mary extolled and praised with great praise God’s great unending goodness and mercy which He showed and testified in her unworthy person, and set it forth as an example so that we might not forget how much the Lord has also done for us and for each one of us, so that our soul and Spirit be stirred up in that manner and His praise always be in our mouth.
Second, that in her heartfelt thanksgiving she also sets forth and draws out the immeasurably great goodness and grace of God, which shall be spread out to all generations of the earth’s circle, as far as the dear sun shines, and that children’s children shall partake of it.
Finally, she also teaches us how we may become partakers of and enjoy the glorious mercies of God through His compassion which has been revealed and offered to the human race; and what hinders the greater part of the world so that they so shamefully exclude themselves from such unspeakable glory and riches of grace, or willfully despise them and pass by them as something contemptuous.
May the eternal Son of God, who has been given to us by the Father as wisdom, holiness, and righteousness [1 Corinthians 1:30], preserve us through His Spirit of truth and knowledge in such His light and saving Word unto eternal life. Amen.
The following is my translation of Martin Chemnitz’s homily on Matthew 16:13–19 for the Feast of St. Peter and St. Paul as found in his Postilla (Vol. III, pgs. 80–86). Square brackets indicate my own notes and additions. I have broken up some of the longer paragraphs for the sake of readability.
Gospel Text – Matthew 16:13–19
Then came Jesus into the region of the city Caesarea Philippi and asked His disciples and said, “Who do the people say that the Son of Man is?” They said, “Some say you are John the Baptist, others that You are Elijah, some that You are Jeremiah or one of the Prophets.” He said to them, “Who do you say then that I am?” Them Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon, Son of Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but rather My Father in heaven. And I say to you: You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my congregation (Gemeine), and the gates of hell shall not over power it. And I will give you the keys of heaven. Everything that you will bind on earth, that shall also be bound in heaven; and everything which you loose on earth, that shall also be loosed in heaven.”
Explanation of This Gospel
Dear friends, it is prescribed in our Christian church order (Kirchen Ordnung) that, even though the feasts of the holy Apostles were abolished at the time of the Reformation of the Gospel (from serious consideration so that the people might not become weary of listening to the sermon, because we are always concerned that we might do too much of the good and that far too many feast days may gibe rise to idleness and sin), yet so that the remembrance of the beloved Apostles might not entirely perish, thereby the preachers ought to maintain their customary lections on the days when the Apostle’s feast falls and present the Gospel of the Apostles to the people so that the people here and learn what the Apostles’ doctrine, faith, and confession concerning Christ were, and how the Apostles are presented to us as a model which all Christians must follow.
This is a reference to the Church Order for Braunschweig–Wolfenbüttel (1569), which has been published as Vol. 9 of Chemnitz’s Works (2015). See the discussion on special festivals or feast days to be kept during the year and the schedule for workdays, pgs. 95–98.
Therefore, because we have today the feast of the two apostles Peter and Paul, which are the foremost among the other Apostles (Paul among the heathen, but Peter among the Jews, Galatians 2[:7]), I have now wanted to take for myself the text of the Gospel, which has been ordained from of old to be read on this day, because it is a very glorious comforting text, indeed, it is a epitome (Ausbundt) and one of the foremost accounts which St. Matthew has written and which contains many glorious doctrines, all of which, we nevertheless cannot deal with in a single hour as necessary, but rather we only want to speak of the foremost with God’s help.
And at the beginning as it per pertains to the accounts of these two Apostles, I will not explain them at full length, but rather we must give attention properly to the chief doctrines (häuptlehren).
Now this day is therefore called the Feast of Peter and Paul because of an ancient belief that these two foremost apostles whom our Lord God had especially used for the f0rth-planting (Fortplantzung) and dissemination (Außbreitung) of the doctrine of the Gospel more than the other [apostles] (the one being Peter among the Jews and other being Paul among the Gentiles), after they had come to the end of their use appointed by God, they care reported to have come together at Rome during the time of the Tyrant Nero and there, on the same day, were put to death by the command of Emperor Nero for the sake of the confession of the Gospel, and thus they honored God the Lord with their death and confirmed the truth of the Gospel.
There is a marginal note citing Nicephorus’s Ecclesiastical History, Book 2, Chapter 34 (Patrologia Graeca Vol. 41, pgs. 841–46) for the source of this account. Eusebius also speaks of the martyrdom of Peter and Paul in his Ecclesiastical History, Book II, Chapter XXV (see NPNF2 Vol. 1, pgs. 128–30). Eusebius cites a passage recorded by Dionysius, bishop of Corinth (ca. 171 AD), which says, “You have thus by such an admonition bound together the planting of Peter and of Paul at Rome and Corinth. For both of them planted and likewise taught us in our Corinth. And they taught together in like manner in Italy, and suffered martyrdom at the same time.”
St. Peter, as a foreigner [to Rome], was terribly martyred for he was hanged on a cross by the Emperor Nero, according to the twenty-first chapter of John [21:18], yet in such a form that his head was turned downward and his feet were turned upward because he had requested it. For he himself said, “I am not worthy that I ought to be hanged or bound to the cross in the manner of form of my Lord and Master.” Therefore, as he looked up from the earth toward heaven, he reminded himself and comforted himself in the midst of martyrdom that he would soon come to his beloved Lord and live with Him in eternal joy.
There is a marginal note citing Jerome’s Lives of Illustrious Men, Chapter I (see NPNF2 Vol. 3, pg. 361) which speaks of the manner of Peter’s crucifixion.
But Paul, because he was a Roman citizen (Acts 22[:25–29]), enjoyed Roman freedom, and was granted the favor [of being beheaded] with the sword after he had been in the preaching office (im Predig Ampt) for 37 years. God the Lord thus had ordained that since they had preached the same Gospel, they also should confess the same in unity (einhelliglich) in one place and testify to it with their blood, so that no one might think that Peter had preached another and different Gospel than Paul, which had already begun [to be said] during the time of the Apostles (Acts 15; Galatians 2). Therefore it happened according to the wonderous counsel of God that they who had taught faithfully in far remote lands for many long years finally must shed their blood for the sake of that same doctrine. For previously they had once become offensive, when Peter acted hypocritically with the Jews [Galatians 2:11–14] and wanted to impose a burden upon the heathen contrary to God’s command [Acts 15:10]. Therefore, he was harshly rebuked by St. Paul, who withstood him before his eyes [Galatians 2:11].Yet, they did not become disunited (Uneins) over it so that one had fallen away from the other, but rather, Peter acknowledged his error and afterwards always spoke very honorably about St. Paul and called him his brother and shortly before his death, he commended the epistles of Paul very diligently to his hearers (2 Peter 3[:15–16).
Though not cited, the ministry and martyrdom of Paul is also recorded by Jerome in his Lives of Illustrious Men, Chapter V (see NPNF2 Vol. 3, pgs. 362–63).
For this reason also the text from Matthew 16[:13–19] is the appointed text ordained by the ancients for this day, because therein St. Peter makes his confession concerning the person and office of the Lord Christ (der Person und Ampt deß Herrn Christi), which is the foundation of the entire Evangelical doctrine, upon which the Church of Christ must be built if it is to otherwise stand against the will of the devil and all hellish gates [Matthew 16:18].
However, as it usually happens that the best and and most exquisite passages in the Scripture must be used so that Satan may smear his filth upon them, thus it has (alas) gone with this passage, through which Satan has stirred up a great terror in the Church, as though in this Gospel, the Pope in Rome had been given the authority that he alone ought to be the head of the Church and have power to loose and to change everything Christ had ordained and taught, and that the keys were solely given to the Pope alone, so that when the Lord Christ says, “I want it thus,” the Pope has the authority to change such and substitute something other, whereas even though, as we shall soon hear, the Lord Christ speaks in this place of quite different matters.
Division of the Sermon
Now that we may learn thereby something useful from this Gospel, we want to pay attention to these points:
First, that Christ examined His disciples what the people held about Him, and what the disciples believed about Him [Matthew 16:13–15]. From this we then have to learn that there have always been unequal and various opinions concerning Christ in the Church, even among those who are not apparent enemies of the Church but who want to be seen as friend and as allies of a single confession; and how each individual must be certain of his faith.
Second, the answer of Peter in the name of all the Apostles (die Antwort Petri im Namen aller Aposteln), in which he summarizes the true doctrine concerning the person and office of the Lord Christ (der Person und Ampt de- Herrn Christi) [Matthew 16:16], and from which such faith comes, namely, not from flesh and blood, but rather from the Holy Ghost, and what reward Peter has from it, “Blessed are you, etc.” [Matthew 16:17ff.]
Third, how does it go for them who have the promise of their salvation in this life? “The gates of hell set themselves against them, but they shall not overpower them” [Matthew 16:18]; and this shall be their comfort: They have a great treasure, which Christ has laid up for the His bride the Church, namely, the keys of the kingdom of heaven (die Schlüssel zum Himmelreich) [Matthew 16:19].
Concerning the First Point
At the beginning it is described in this Gospel how the Lord, when He undertook His final journey, He came to the end of the Jewish land, at the boundary of the Gentiles, to the place where the Jordan [River] springs forth, and where Philip [the Tetrarch] the Son of Herod [the Great] had built a city to honor the Emperor Tyberius.
When the Lord Christ is now alone there with His disciples, He turns to them and says, “Beloved disciples, you know that I have preached for three years and have diligently carried out my office. You have also seen that My labor has not entirely been in vain, for many people have followed Me who have heard my sermons diligently and eagerly, so that they have even followed me at times up to the sea and have pressed upon me so hard that I even had no room on the land, but rather had to teach from the boat (as we will then hear again in more than eight days), and that I often have not even had time to eat a meal (Luke 14, etc.).”
“Likewise, how they also have continually followed Me, as far as into the wilderness, and they entirely forgot themselves so that they also had not taken anything to eat with them [Matthew 15:32].”
“Likewise, you yourselves, My apostles, come among the people and more than me, and they speak with you more willingly than with Me. Report to me, then, what do the people say about Me? Who should the Son of Man be, and what is the belief about Me of those people who so gladly hear Me?” [Matthew 16:15] For Christ is not speaking of the Pharisees and His other enemies who persecuted Him and His Gospel and called Him a deceiver, swindler, and insurrectionist, rather He asks about those who followed Him, who are His hearers, what they say about Him, who He is. Thereupon, the Apostles answer, “Lord the people who see Your miracles and hear Your preaching, they do not speak the same about You, but their opinions are very unlike, and they hold that You are no common man (kein gemeiner Mann), but either John the Baptist, or Elijah, or Jeremiah, or one of the old prophets, etc. And so it comes to this, that they confess that You are more than a common man, or even perhaps [more than] a prophet, and they say that Your miracles bear witness to this, and that You preach in such a way that you can stir the heart of the people.” As we also read that Herod, when he heard about Christ, He came to it that He said, “Truly, He is John the Baptist, He who had performed no miracles, after His death, He is now doing such deeds by which He administers His office with even greater renown” (Mark 6[:14, 16]).
Behold, there are so many varying opinions of men concerning Christ, even those who want to be regarded as Christ’s disciples. Thus, one holds this, the other holds that concerning Christ, and all of that according to where their reason leads. No one, however, believes this, that Jesus of Nazareth is the true Messiah, for they think that He is far too meagre and poor for that, that He ought to be the King of the Jews, because they had imagined that the Messiah would be a worldly king, but rather they hold Him to be a pious man, as a remarkable Prophet.
From this we now are first to learn that it has always been customary that among those who boast themselves to be members of the true Church there are many kinds of delusions and opinions (mancherlei Wahn und Meinungen) concerning religion, as we see here that the opinions concerning Christ are very unlike. The Pharisees maintain He is a rascal; His hearers however only as an excellent teacher, but even they do not all agree, because one makes this of Him, the other makes that of Him. In sum, there is no unity concerning the matter. It has never been, nor will there ever be any lasting unity concerning this until the Last Day, as this examination bears witness. In the first Church, the godless Cain set himself against Adam, Eve, and Abel, and took a distinct religion into his hands [Genesis 4]. Noah and Shem had the whole world against them, likewise Ham. Against Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were Ishmael and Esau. The godless priests had spoken against Joseph and Moses in Egypt. When Elijah preached in Israel, there were the priests of Baal. The false prophets rebelled against the prophet Jeremiah. Against Isaiah and the other prophets, there were the godless kings and almost the entire Jewish people. The Lord Christ was opposed by the high priests, the Pharisees, and the foremost among the people. The entire world set itself against the Apostles, as is written in the Acts of the Apostles. In summary, there has never been unity in the true religion; rather, the pure doctrine of the Gospel has always had its adversaries. And we ought to mark this well, so that we do not take offense when we see, as in our time, after the Gospel has once again been clarified and purified, that there are so many and contrary opinions among those who call themselves Evangelical and confess themselves to an Augsburg Confession. For we see that this happened even at the time of the Lord Christ when He taught in the Church with His own mouth, the one whom the Father had given a learned tongue (Isaiah 50[:4]). He who is the Son of God, when He had preached, nevertheless did not have a single consistent opinion among His hearers concerning the Christ. Therefore, we ought not take wonder that even now there is no concord (Eintracht) among the Evangelicals. For we can have no better Church than the one the Son of God had, in which there were various opinions concerning Christ. Indeed, one wanted to make Him Elijah, another wanted to make Him into another prophet, and that all those who judge Christ according to flesh and blood are on the path of error (Irrwege), as even [the Pharisees] in John 8.
But here we also have a necessary reminder. When we see that so many diverse sayings in vogue concerning Christ and His Word, what then should we do? We not act as many are heard saying, “To which party should I hold? The one teaches this, the other teaches that.” Likewise, “I will wait until the learned are one among themselves concerning the matter, and then I will hold to the best party. In the meantime, I will watch the spectacle and give no approval to any party.”
Or that I would think this when disputes arise in religions matters: “What does that concern me? That’s priestly quarreling (Pfaffengezäncke), it doesn’t concern me!” No! Rather, when such unlike opinions arise in the Church, we ought to think that Christ is always saying, “You see various opinions arising concerning this or that article. But what does it concern you? Do you also take this to heart? What do you say to it? What is your faith?” And then we ought not throw ourselves about so carelessly now to this party, now to that party, as our flesh and blood prompts us and as it seems to be good to our reason, but rather according to what the heavenly Father has revealed to us in the Word, and by which He divides the battle.
This, now is the first point: In the Church there has always been conflict, and this is stirred up not only by the enemies and persecutors [of the Church], but also by those who want to be regarded as friends [of the Church], and who confess themselves to one doctrine. And when we see that it goes so, that we ought not take offense, but rather think that it has often happened before and it will indeed remain until the end of the world. Now what ought we to do when we note and see this? Namely, we ought not strike into the wind and say, “What does it concern me? Let the priests bite and devour with one another about it until they become weary.” By no means! Rather, we ought to know the Lord Christ asks every single one individually, “What do you believe? What is your confession?” etc.
Concerning the Second Point
Second, in this Gospel we have a fine doctrine, when so many kinds of opinions and views arise concerning Christ and His office, which, then, is the correct true faith? What ought we believe concerning Him? And from where does such faith cum, and what is its reward? Behold, dear friends, such will now be taught us in this second point by Saint Peter and the Lord Christ. For Peter gives the answers in the name of the other Apostles together, not from flesh and blood, but rather from the revelation of God the heavenly Father through the Holy Spirit, he makes a glorious confession and says, “You, who call Yourself a Son of Man, are at the same time also a Son of the living God.” [Matthew 16:16]
In these words is contained the summary of the entire Evangelical doctrine, all the preaching of Christ, prophets, and the apostles concerning the person, office, and benefits of Christ (Person, Ampt, und Wolthaten Christi).
Here, you hear concerning the person of Christ (der Person Christi) that the Lord Christ calls Himself the “Son of Man” (Menschen Sohn) as Christ thus accustomed to be called in the Scripture (Daniel 7[:13–14]; Psalm 8[:4]). Likewise, the Scripture is accustomed to call those “children of men” (Menschen Kinder) who have no particular reputation before the world, but rather those who are common people (gemeine Leute). However, those who are of reputation the Scripture calls “sons of the mighty” (Söhne der Helden) [Psalm 29:1, 89:6, etc.]. Therefore, Christ calls Himself here the “Son of Man” according to His humiliation (Nidrigung), as one who is of no reputation and is meagre before the world. Concerning this, St. Paul speaks in Philippians 2[:5–8]. This is now one nature in the person of Christ, and so much so that in this respect, namely that Christ was truly a Son of Man, there is no distinction between Christ, Pharisees, scribes, and all Jews. Indeed, the hearers of the Lord Christ held even greater concerning Him, that He was not only a Son of Man, that is, a common man, but also a prophet, and indeed one of the foremost, as even Herod held concerning Him that He was John the Baptist, of whom it is said that he is the greatest among all men [Matthew 11:11].
However, is it enough that one knows Christ is a true man and indeed a prophet? Indeed, the Turks believe the very same thing to this day, who say that He is a great prophet. Nicodemus also believed this concerning Christ (John 3), as well as the woman from Samaria (John 4), and many others. However, this is not enough. This is not yet the true and perfect knowledge of the Lord Christ. Indeed, that Christ is true man is the first thing that one must know for our comfort, namely, that He assumed human nature on our behalf, that in the same [nature] He made satisfaction for the Law in our place (Galatians 4), which was impossible for us (Romans 8), and that He made satisfaction for our sins in the assumed human nature (Isaiah 53), and gave us power to become children of God (John 1[:12]), who were by nature children of wrath (Ephesians 2[:3]). Of this we must first be certain, that Christ is true man, and indeed a Son of Man, that is, one such who was despised for us (Isaiah 53[:3]; Philippians 2).
However beyond this we must also know and believe this concerning Christ, of which Peter here says, “You are the Son of the living God” [Matthew 16:16], that Christ is not only true man, but also true God, namely, the eternal Son of the true and living God. And indeed, not in the way that believers are the adopted children of God (John 1[:12]), but that He is the natural Son of God (der natürliche Sohn Gottes), begotten from the essence and nature of the Father from eternity, of equal power, majesty, and honor with God the heavenly Father. Thus, in Psalm 2[:7], the Father says, “You are My Son, today I have begotten You.”
This is the second point that belongs to the person of Christ, that we believe Christ is the true and natural Son of God. In John 1[:14], He is called the only-begotten Son (der eingeborne Sohn). In Isaiah 9[:6], He is called a child who shall be born and God. In Romans 9[:5], Saint Paul says that He is “God over all.” In John 20[:28], Thomas says, “My Lord and my God!” Therefore, we must believe and maintain concerning the person of Christ our Lord as it is briefly summarized in our [Small] Catechism, that Christ is “true God begotten of the Father in eternity, and also true man born of the virgin Mary.” But whoever does not see Christ thus, though otherwise he might hold Christ quite honorably, so he nevertheless does not have a true saving knowledge of Christ unless it be that He confesses with Saint Peter, “You are the Son of the living God.” [Matthew 16:16]
Thereafter, concerning the Office of the Lord Christ, Peter says, “You are the Christ,” that is, the Anointed One [i.e., Messiah]. Now, in the Old Testament, it was customary to anoint only kings and high priests. Now since Peter gives Him the name, that he calls Him an Anointed One, he thereby testifies that He has been anointed by God as our High Priest and King, who, as the true High Priest, shall offer Himself on the altar of the cross for the human race (sich selber auff dem Altar deß Creutzes opffern sol für das Menschliche Geschlecht), and that He will be our eternal Mediator, Intercessor, and Reconciler before God, without end. Likewise, He shall be our eternal King, who will rule and protect us through the Word against our enemies, sins, death, devil, hell, and all kinds of evil. This is one of the points of this Gospel, the doctrine and confession of St. Peter concerning the person, office, and benefits of the Lord Christ. And in this way we must also maintain and believe concerning Christ, His person and Office, as the Scripture also speaks of this in other places concerning the office and benefits of Christ. Acts 4:12, “There is no salvation in no other, nor is there any other name given among men, by which we ought to be saved.” 1 Corinthians 1[:30], “Christ has been made wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption for us by God.” 1 John [2:1], “Little children, do not sin, etc.”
Here now is the question, from where does such faith and confession come to St. Peter, and what is its reward, or what follows from such faith and confession? The Lord Christ gives an answer to both. For when Peter makes His confession so gloriously, Christ says, “Blessed are you, Simon Son of Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father in heaven.” [Matthew 16:17] Here you hear how we come to such a confession of Christ, namely, not from flesh and blood, not from our wisdom and understanding, but rather from the grace, power, and working of the Holy Spirit, as also Saint Paul speaks of this in 1 Corinthians 12[:3], “No one can call Jesus Lord, except through the Holy Spirit.” And Christ also clearly sets is forth in John 6[:44], “No one can come to Me, unless the Father draws him.”
Therefore, if we want to know Christ correctly, we must pray God the heavenly Father that He enlighten, rule, and rekindle our hearts through the Holy Spirit that through Him we may be brought to this most holy wisdom, to know and confess the Lord Jesus as the Son of the living God and as the Savior of the entire world. Thus, David prays concerning this in Psalm 143[:10], “May Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.” For whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him. But those who are led by the Holy Spirit, these are the children of God (Romans 8[:14]).
In addition, Christ shows what the reward (Belohnung) shall be for the recognition and confession of the person, office, and deeds of the Lord Christ in these words, “Blessed are you, Simon Son of Jonah,” that is, “You are indeed Simon, and you are a Son of Jonah (or John), and by your first birth you are guilty of eternal damnation. However, because you are born again through water and Spirit [John 3:5] and through the worthy Holy Spirit, in your heart the true faith has been kindled, and so you are now a blessed man (ein seliger Mensch), you have forgiveness of your sins, you have been enlivened and set free from the power of Satan, death, and hell, you are a child of eternal life.” Behold, this is the end of the true knowledge of Christ our Lord. John 17[:3], “This is eternal life, etc.” Isaiah 53[:11], “Behold, My servant of righteousness shall make many righteous by His knowledge, etc.” In Acts 16[:30–31], Paul and Silas give counsel to the jailer to his question, what he should he do in order to be saved. He should believe in the Lord Christ, and so he and his household will be saved. This we must mark well against the Papists and the work-saints (Werckheiligen) who base our salvation upon this or that work. For Christ does not say here to Peter that He is saved through the keeping of the Law of Moses or through this or that work; but rather only in that He knows, believes, and confesses that Jesus is the Son of the living God, upon which his and all men’s salvation stands and rests. So much for the second point.
It seems that Luther may have coined the term “work-saints” (Werckheiligen). It appears as early in 1520 in Freedom of the Christian (AE 31:363). Here is an example from a sermon in 1525 for St. Matthias’ Day: “In Luke Christ says to his disciples, “Fear not little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” [Luke 12:32]. This the hypocrites and work-saints cannot stand; in fact it makes them furious, raving mad that the foolish and the simple, the publicans and known sinners should go into the kingdom of God before them, and they, with all their holiness and beautiful, fine, glittering works, be excluded.” (AE 51:127)
Concerning the Third Point
Concerning the third point we will now speak briefly, what those are to expect who remain and persevere in the doctrine and confession of the Gospel concerning Christ, namely, the gates of hell will rise up against them, the devil will exercise and use all his power and force against them, and will attempt to overcome them, as is dealt with on the Sunday of Exaudi how the devil and all that is in the world rise up against the Church of Christ and grieve and persecute the Christians (which may be taken from that place).
However, the consolation is added to it, that although the devil will storm against the Church of Christ, he will not be able to overcome it, for it is built upon a strong foundation (ein starck Fundament) and has a firm certain ground (einen festen gewissen Grundt), which is Christ Himself (Ephesians 2[:10]), whom God Himself has laid and ordained as the cornerstone (Eckstein) (Psalm 118[:22]; 1 Corinthians 3[:11]), who the devil must indeed leave lying and let remain unshaken. And whoever builds on this foundation (Ephesians 2[:20]), he has built upon such a rock (Felsen), that he can defend himself against all the assaults of the devil (aller Anfechtung des Teuffels), and stand against them as a house that has been grounded and built upon a good foundation (Matthew 7[:24–27]; Luke 6[:46–49]).
This we ought to use for remembrance and comfort. For remembrance, that we ought to know, confess, and also believe concerning Christ that He is God’s Son and our brother, the Christ and the Anointed One of the Lord, whom God has given as Savior that we might be saved through Him. So we have nothing more certain than this, that the devil himself along with all the gates of hell will assault us and will besiege us fiercely, and that this will not remain unfulfilled. But, on the other hand, we ought to comfort ourselves with this, even if the world were full of devils, and they wanted to devour us, that we nevertheless do not need to be afraid of him so greatly, for however terrifying he presents himself, he nevertheless does us no harm, for he is judged, etc. We are so firmly built, that He must indeed leave us in peace.
This is clearly a reference to Luther’s A Mighty Fortress. Perhaps it was sung during the service. More likely, Chemnitz is drawing upon language that his congregation would know well.
And upon this, Christ promises the keys of heaven to Peter and the other Apostles, that they shall have the power to bind and to loose sins on earth, and that what they thus do and perform in their office according to God’s order and will (in ihrem Ampt nach Gottes Ordnung), that such shall count and be effective in heaven. And just as here Christ promises it to the Apostles, so He later handed it over and conferred it to them after His resurrection (John 20[:21–23]), as such is dealt with on Sunday of Quasimodogeniti, the eighth day after Easter. This is a brief [summary] of the third point, because this doctrine is dealt with more thoroughly at other times.
Conclusion
Thus, your grace has heard these three points in this sermon:
First, how in all times there is disputing concerning Christ, His person, and His office and that unity is never reached concerning it, but that one person holds this opinion, the other holds that opinion. Yet, how every Christian must strive that he be certain of his faith, and not allow himself to be misled by other strange opinions.
Second, how each should briefly grasp the sum of the doctrine of the Gospel concerning the person and office of Christ, as Peter does here.
Third, what danger there is when one remains and perseveres in such confession; but also on the other hand what comfort there is, that the tribulation and the world will storm against us in vain and must let us indeed remain, because we have a good firm foundation and ground for our faith, which, if we remain steadfast and persevere, will bring us to eternal life and blessedness (Seligkeit).
PATTERN OF SOUND WORDS 