Flowers on the Altar Today - In Memory of Gary Meyer

September 17 marks the fifth anniversary of Gary Meyer's transition to eternal life.

 Alicia wanted a special arrangement for the altar.

 One son, Eric, got me involved in using Photofunia, and Norma Boeckler began using it soon after.

 Another son, Brett, started us on using Ustream. The services have had over 20,000 views.

Gary Meyer, Rest in Peace

 The influential altar guild picked the flowers in memory of Gary, which happened t be Alicia's favorite colors.

The Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity, 2019, Galatians 3:15-22. Justified by Faith of Jesus Christ

The Lamb of God - by Norma A. Boeckler

The Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity, 2019

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/bethany-lutheran-worship

Bethany Lutheran Church, 10 AM Central Daylight Time

The flower arrangement on the altar today is in memory of Gary Meyer, who died September 17, 2014.

The Hymn #605             The World Is Very Evil            

The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Epistle and Gradual       

The Gospel              

Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed             p. 22

The Sermon Hymn #245          God Loved the World

 Justification by Faith of Jesus Christ

The Communion Hymn # 308   Invited, Lord, by Boundless Grace                    

The Preface p. 24
The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
The Hymn #658              Onward Christian Soldiers     

In Our Prayers

• Andrea is one. She is being taught Braille early.
• Carl Roper, who is being treated and tested. His wife Lynda fell and broke her shoulder.
• Elizabeth Mior - has cancer. She is the mother of two small children.
• Those looking for work and a better income.
• Glen Kotten plans to visit the Philippines. We will meet him at the Shraders in early October. Pastor Shrader continues his battle with cancer.

 Norma A. Boeckler

        

KJV Galatians 3:15 Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto. 16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. 17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. 18 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise. 19 Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. 20 Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one. 21 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. 22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

KJV Luke 10:23 And he turned him unto his disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see: 24 For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. 25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? 26 He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? 27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. 28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. 29 But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? 30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. 33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, 34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. 36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? 37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

Click here for Luther’s Sermons on the Good Samaritan

Thirteenth Sunday After Trinity

Lord God, heavenly Father, we most heartily thank Thee that Thou hast granted us to live in this accepted time, when we may hear Thy holy gospel, know Thy fatherly will, and behold Thy Son, Jesus Christ! We pray Thee, most merciful Father: Let the light of Thy holy word remain with us, and so govern our hearts by Thy Holy Spirit, that we may never forsake Thy word, but remain steadfast in it, and finally obtain eternal salvation; through Thy beloved Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

Background on the Sermon on Galatians 3:15-22

Paul wrote this letter in his own hand, not waiting for a secretary to copy it, so the epistle was sent in a hurry to deal with the most basic attack on the Gospel. Luther divided all heresies into three categories:

1. Against the humanity of Christ - in the early days of the Church.
2. Against the divinity of Christ - in modern times, the fruit of rationalism and various philosophies. 
3. Against Justification by Faith - in many forms among Lutherans, first from Samuel Huber, then from the Halle Pietists. Stephan was a Pietist who trained at Halle, and his Pietist pupil was CFW Walther and his circle of pastors.

Justification by Faith has been a target because it is the Chief Article of Christianity. In many ways the topic is the trigger of the death-trap that leads people away from Christianity and even helps people hate the unique, grace-filled message of salvation. Justification by Faith is not the trigger, but the temptations to reject it - in many forms - is the trigger. 

For example, adding good works "to complete the message" is the same as eliminating the Gospel of grace.

A popular diversion is simply claiming - in the name of grace - that everyone is already forgiven and saved. Universalists and mainline liberals say that often. The claim is even made in the CPH mega-dud Confessing the Gospel - "one cannot make faith a contingency or there is no grace." In other words, they forbid teaching "if we believe..." so they are in harmony with the rationalists and the Universalists.  When the Chief Article is denied, Creation and the divinity of Christ soon follow.

Galatians has often been called the Justification by Faith epistle, because Paul wrote it for one occasion through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and the problem there did not erupt again. This letter became Luther's model in dealing with this topic, so he had earlier Lectures on Galatians and then his later Lectures on Galatians (often called the Galatians Commentary). He was very concerned that this teaching not be lost.

The authors of the Formula of Concord recommended Luther's Galatians for those who needed additional insights about Justification by Faith. 

Earlier, in the Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Melanchthon wrote a brilliant essay on Justification by Faith. The Concordists considered themselves - like Luther - "theologians of the Augsburg Confession." That is why we call our congregation - and those who agree with us (in many synods) - The Church of the Augsburg Confession. We have no assessments, no meetings, no fish-hats.

 Justification by Faith of Jesus Christ

KJV Galatians 3:15 Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.

The address - brothers - means Paul is starting a new section and wants them to know he is doing so in a friendly, loving manner - as a fellow-Christian, a member of the same family.

His comparison is one which everyone should follow. He is making an important distinction - man's covenant. Covenant is the KJV translation for this term diatheke διαθηκη - which in this context means testament, like a last will and testament. A genuine document (probated, tested in court) cannot be changed in any way. In Arkansas, someone can write out a will by hand and have it notarized - and that testament is accepted by the court.

Note - the Calvinists are always stuck on the word covenant and define the Bible - not by Justification by Faith - but by covenant. "God won't bless you if you don't keep your side of the covenant." Clearly Paul is using the tradition legal definition where a man can write out a will, often called Last Will and Testament, and that becomes true upon his death, whether certain things were intended or not. Some stipulations are like that, such as naming the recipient of an insurance policy or annuity, no matter what the will might say. So, when a Lutheran publication favors covenant and uses it when the word is clearly wrong, that is actually a concession to the Calvinists - and it is done on purpose.

The Greek name for the New Testament is  diatheke διαθηκη  - but we never say, "This is written in the New Covenant" or "We are offering a New Covenant Greek class."

We can see that Paul's analogy here is exactly the same as the Last Will and Testament. God's Testament was enacted before and without our knowledge. That is what makes His message grace rather than Law.

Lenski, Galatians, p. 156

"Here the touch of affection is added which reaches out to win the readers. "In human fashion" means in a way so simple that anyone can understand. Paul will in particular use an ordi nary illustration, the inviolability of a confirmed human will and testament. That illustration will help to make the main thought clear. By drawing attention to the fact that this is a human illustration Paul does

not excuse his use of it but rather states in advance just what it is so that his readers may at once catch the point he presents." 

16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

Where is the central message located? Answer - in the story of Abraham - not Moses - and the specific Promise of the seed. Thanks to weak sermons or my own misunderstanding, I thought the Promise to Abraham concerned having a son by his wife. 

That is clearly explained in Genesis. When God promised Abraham an eternal and ever-growing kingdom, He was not predicting a human empire. No human government has ever grown and lasted forever. "Eternal Rome" lasted about 1100 years. The second Rome, Byzantium (Byzantine Empire) lasted the same amount of time. Both were vast, wealthy, and powerful. Hitler called his government the Third Reich or Kingdom, and it was even shorter.

God's Promise to Abraham was Messianic - "and his seed" - so God was saying that the Messiah, one person, would come from his line and establish the Kingdom of God through the Gospel. This is what Abraham believed - and it was counted as righteousness - Justification by Faith.

Genesis 15:4 And, behold, the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. 5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. 6 And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

Moses is quite important in the New Testament, but Abraham is even more important - Abraham is central to the Promise. That is why the false teachers studiously ignore Abraham and this lesson. As ponderous and verbose are their philosophies and reasons, they still violate this central message - faith in Christ is counted as righteousness. The new CPH dogmatics book makes their error clear by warning against faith (a battle they have won in their blindness). CPH - "Faith should not be a contingency" (no ifs) as all the mainline apostates say, but do we follow the adulterers like Tillich and Barth who adulterated the Gospel? - or should we follow the Gospel itself?

Paul is telling the Galatians, To see the message of Christ, begin with Abraham, the beginning of the clear Messianic Promise. Of course, there is also the Promise given Adam and Eve, when they were expelled from Paradise (Genesis 3:15). So much is condensed in Genesis to give us the foundation for the giving of the Law in Exodus. Where does salvation begin? - we should ask. The answer is in the Promise to Abraham. There is the everlasting and ever-growing government, never duplicated, and there is the Savior promised.

To understand this, we must have a virtual memory that takes us forward to the Gospel and Epistles - and back again to the Old Testament. They are two parts of the same unified Truth.  Those who chop it up into pieces and select the ones they want - they are the sectarians who will build their cathedral of thought on half of one verse while ignoring the entire message.

17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.

This is very plain - a Last Will and Testament, when probated before God in Christ, cannot be annulled, or thrown out. The Testament remains in effect and the Law given through Moses cannot cancel it.

Luther makes the point that Moses "borrowed" the teaching of the ancients. That means, the principles of the Law were taught before, but they were formally revealed and written down during the Exodus.

The initial impression of the entire Exodus anyone might have is the grandeur and power of the Law, and that makes people think of the Law coming first and the New Testament later. But Abraham was first and that Promise could not be erased or forgotten.

To show this to be true, the Five Books of Moses are the ore from which the divinity of Christ is fashioned (Luther). In one reading after another, the Four Gospels are foreshadowed - especially John - so we should see the Gospel Promise first and foremost - and the Law in relation to it.

Examples of the Divinity of Christ in Exodus

1. Moses was drawn to the Burning Bush, where the Angel of the Lord spoke to him. This is not just an angel, but The Angel, Who is God. The two natures of the bush (burning, yet not consumed) foreshadow the Two Natures in Christ, divine and human. The Angel says, I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Trinitarian). 
2. When Moses asked for the Name of God, the answer was - "I AM WHO AM. Tell them I AM sent you." John 8 - Before Abraham was, I AM.
3. The angel of death passed over the homes of first-born sons because the blood of the lamb was painted on the doorposts. "Behold the Lamb of God, who bears the sin of the world." John 1
4. The Passover Meal featured and still features a spotless lamb. The Last Supper is a passover meal.
5. The cloud and pillar were Christ.
6. The water from the rock - John 4.
7. The bread from heaven - John 6.
8. The serpent raised up to heal people - John 3:16.
9. Peter being called Rocky and Jesus saying on this bedrock (not Peter but Christ) I will build My Church. Mark 8. "And the bedrock which followed them was Christ." 1 Corinthians 10

One of the sharpest debating and learning tools today is to erase something from memory. In history, no one knows the Constitution or Bill of Rights. In Lutherdom, no one knows the true history of Stephan, Walther, and their hoodlum gang of clergy-felons. If the history is not taught, there is no debate - the key figures simply fade from memory. How can someone debate what is not there? What did the British do in America as they fought back against the Revolution? Answer - they took away the American's guns, rifles, all the instruments of freedom from tyranny. That is not known because it is not taught.

Abraham is forgotten because he is not taught, though he is the most important Old Testament figure in the New Testament.  Why is that so? One reason is sermons written or plagiarized for those with short attention spans. The other is that Abraham represents faith in God beyond all human reason and experience. Pastor Worldly Wise (Pilgrim's Progress) wants to keep the message close to the culture of the times. The best way is to tell irrelevant stories rather than teach the Word of God.

If they want to make their point about everyone forgiven their sins without faith, Abraham blocks their way. 

18 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.

Paul's argument here eliminates the righteousness of the Law. The Last Will and Testament is one-sided, not a two-sided covenant. The Testament is Gospel, based upon God's Promise, which Abraham believed. It was counted as righteousness.

This is summarized in Romans 3, 4, and 5. Romans 4 concentrates on Abraham, so that was his second major effort in teaching Abraham and the Gospel. Romans was his ultimate summary doctrinal epistle. Galatians was earlier. And yet the opponents of Paul's teaching manage to ignore Abraham completely and focus on their favorite apostle (apostate) - Walther.

What Paul opposed in Galatians was the adding of requirements (which seemed logical) to faith in order to be real Christians. The legalists could argue that Jesus and the disciples followed Jewish law in circumcision and kosher foods, so the new Christians should do the same. Forgiveness comes through faith in Christ, not through obedience to the Law. 

19 Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.

Notice - the Law was added to the Gospel, not the reverse. The Law was revealed and carved in stone. Meanwhile, the Israelites went anti-Law in their revelry and pagan worship. Moses was very angry and smashed the originals. Punishment followed. 

The Law reveals transgressions. God gave them the clear and very concise Law because the promised Seed (Jesus) would not come for many centuries. The grandeur of the giving of the Law was emphasized, along with the worship traditions of the Jews. 

I am not a smells and bells high church pastor, but there is a clear division between traditional worship, based on Judaism, and "a sermon surrounded by four white walls" (Calvinism). Efforts to remove everything liturgical from Lutheran worship are really the same reaction as Zwingli and Calvin to traditional worship - they kept destroying until almost nothing remained.

On the other hand, those confused clergy who long to be Roman priests think of every gesture, brand of incense, and robe being mandatory - to the exclusion of the Gospel, which they necessarily hate. (He will hate the one and serve the other.) There is only must, must, must in their language, except for doctrine. Then, everybody knows, anything goes.

20 Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one. 21 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.

This seems obscure at first - as Paul often does - but the point is simple. God gave a Promise to Abraham and the Law through Moses, so the Promise is first and most important. The Law is guide, not the means of salvation.

In piling on law requirements, the Galatians abandoned the Gospel as if the Law could make them righteous. But in fact, the Law is a guide that reveals our transgressions. The Law has the power to condemn, to admonish, to crush our arrogance and self-centeredness. But the Law is not the means of forgiveness. The lesser must give way to the greater, not the reverse as the Galatians were doing under the self-sent false teachers. (They always send themselves, and they only want "to improve and clarify." Luther calls them the most dangerous, clearly foretelling the Church Growth pests and parasites.)

22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

The first clause destroys the claims of Objective Justification, an argument that "God declared the entire world righteous." Just the opposite is stated here - The Scripture has concluded that all are under sin..." That is the most the Law can do toward forgiveness of sin, and it is naturally very important by itself. However, that work of the Law, which is also by the Holy Spirit, is overshadowed by the work of the Gospel conveyed by the Spirit - the righteousness of faith.

ινα η επαγγελια εκ πιστεως ιησου χριστου δοθη τοις πιστευουσιν

Literal - so the Promise by faith of Jesus Christ is given to the believers.

When Greek does not use the article (the), it can be seen as emphasis. We normally speak of faith in Jesus Christ, which is personal and individual. And that is stated many times. This answers the question - what did Paul mean later in Romans - from faith to faith?

I agree with those who emphasis the faith that belongs to Jesus Christ, which is in harmony with the two objects of the Promise (as emphasized by Lenski). The Promise was made to Abraham and to the Seed - Christ.

The faith of Jesus places an emphasis upon His human nature.

Is there a parallel? Yes - in Mark. How could Jesus keep the fig tree from ever fruiting again.

Mark 11 

22 και αποκριθεις ιησους λεγει αυτοις εχετε πιστιν θεου

And answering, Jesus says, "Have God-faith" - or have faith that belongs to God.

This could be seen as God's faith or divine faith. I see the lack of the article as forming a special emphasis on that faith that ignores and rejects all human conditions, based on experience, logic, and intelligence. 

That is a very difficult task. When all the experts say, "Your child cannot live," the praying family says, "This is up to God alone." To think "God cannot do this" is to say "Jesus did not rise from the dead" and "the Lord did not raise three people from death."

I am pointing this out to show how great the contrast is between the transgressions revealed and the sins forgiven through individual faith in our Savior.

The more we study and know, the more we trust in this forgiveness. When the burden is removed by God's grace through faith in His Son, life is filled with joy and thanksgiving.

 Butterfly graphic by Norma A. Boeckler

Luther's Sermon on the Parable of the Good Samaritan

 The Good Samaritan - by Norma A. Boeckler

THIRTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.


Text: Luke 10:23-37. And turning to the disciples, he said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see: for I say unto you, that many prophets and kings desired to see the things which ye see, and saw them not: and to hear the things which ye hear, and heard them not.

And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and made trial of him, saying, Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? And he said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. But he, desiring to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbor? Jesus made answer and said, A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho; and he fell among robbers, who both stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead.

And by chance a certain priest was going down that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And in like manner a Levite also, when he came to the place, and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he was moved with compassion, and came to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring on them oil and wine; and he set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow he took out two shillings, and gave them to the host, and said, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, I, when I come back again, will repay thee. Which of these three, thinkest thou, proved neighbor unto him that fell among the robbers? And he said, He that showed mercy on him. And Jesus said unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.


I. A SERMON ON THE LAW.

1. I hope you thoroughly understand this Gospel lesson, inasmuch as it recurs every year. And since it annually returns in the Pericopes we are required to consider it; and this we will now gladly and briefly do. In the first place, the Evangelist relates how Christ our Lord led his disciples aside, and being alone with them rejoiced in his spirit, and earnestly and directly said to them: “Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see; for I say unto you, that many prophets and kings desired to see the things that ye see, and saw them not: and to hear the things which ye hear, and heard them not.”

2. This hearing and seeing must be understood simply and plainly as external seeing and hearing, namely, that they saw Christ and his office, heard his preaching, and witnessed the miracles he performed among the Jews. The Jews also beheld these things with their natural eyes and some of them indeed experienced them in part in their hearts. But in fact they did not recognize him as the Christ, like the Apostles did, and like Peter, who representing all the others, confessed and said in Matthew 16:16: “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” We indeed admit, that even some of the Jews like the Apostles recognized him as the Christ; but since they were but few who did, Christ therefore takes his Apostles here to himself apart.

3. However, in spirit, many prophets and kings saw Christ, as Christ himself says to the Jews concerning Abraham in John 8:56: “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it, and was glad.” Then the Jews thought he spoke of natural seeing, but Christ spoke of spiritual seeing, as all pious Christian hearts saw him before he was born, and still daily see him. For if Abraham saw him, without doubt many more prophets in whom the Holy Spirit dwelt saw him. And although this seeing made the holy fathers and prophets blessed, yet they had a real heartfelt longing and desire to behold Christ the Lord in the flesh, as is intimated time and again in the prophets.

4. Therefore the Lord here says to his disciples who saw both with their natural and their spiritual eyes: “Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see.” As though he would say: This is a blessed time, an acceptable year, a special season of grace. That which is now at hand is so precious that the eyes which see it are truly called blessed. For in the past ages the Gospel was never preached so publicly and clearly unto all men as at present; the Holy Spirit was not yet publicly poured out: but was still concealed, and had as yet accomplished little. But Christ began the office of the Holy Spirit, and afterwards the Apostles continued it in full earnest.

Therefore he calls all those blessed, who see and hear such grace. Now when the Lord said this and was rejoicing in spirit, one presents himself, a lawyer, who acting as though he also amounted to something, tempted the Lord and said: “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”

5. This lawyer was perhaps a wise man and well acquainted with the Scriptures, as his answer also suggests; yet here he becomes a fool, and must first begin to learn from the Lord, when he is put to shame and disgrace. For Christ teaches him a good lesson, and with one word takes out of him all his self-conceit. For he was in the delusion that he had kept the law wholly and perfectly, and was therefore something extra, above others, which undoubtedly he was, and imagined, because he was so pious and learned, that he was of course worthy to talk with the Lord. But now what does the Lord do to ensnare him in a masterly manner? He does this: he permits him to judge himself. For the Evangelist proceeds thus: “And he said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? And he answering said: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.”

6. I think the Lord gave this pious man a good lecture. Alas, it was not right, he should have spared him a little, he puts him to shame before all the world. For what good does it do him? Christ shows him that he has as yet done nothing, when he allowed himself to think he had done everything.

He asks what he should do. I contend that he has enough to do now, if he is only able to do great things.

7. Now much might be said on these two commandments, and it is also really needed, had we the time, for these are the highest and greatest themes on which Moses wrote; yea, on these hang all the law and the prophets, as Christ himself says in Matthew 22:40. Nevertheless, we will briefly consider some phases of them.

8. When we examine the laws of Moses, we find they all treat of love. For the commandment: “Thou shalt have no other Gods before me,” I cannot explain or interpret otherwise than: Thou shalt love God alone. Thus Moses himself interprets it in Deuteronomy 6:4-5, where he says: “Hear, O Israel; Jehovah our God is one Jehovah; and thou shalt love Jehovah thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” From this passage the lawyer has taken his answer. But the Jews understand this law to mean no more than that they should not set up idols and images to worship, and when they could say and confess with their lips that they have only one God and honor no other gods, they think they have kept this commandment. Thus this lawyer also understood it, but it was a false, erroneous knowledge of the law.

9. Now we must have high regard for the law. It says: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” Thou, thou, it says, thou, and everything thou art; and especially does it mean the heart, the soul and all thy powers. It does not speak of the tongue, or the hands, or the knees; but it speaks of the whole body, and of all thou hast and art. If I am to have no other God, then I must surely possess the only true God with my heart, that is, I must in my heart be affectionate to him, evermore cleave to him, depend upon him, trust him, have my desire, love and joy in him, and always think of him. Just as we say at other times when we delight in something, that it tastes good in our very heart. And when one speaks or laughs and is not in earnest, and does not mean it from his heart, we say: You laugh, and your heart is not in it. The heart is quite a different thing than the lips. Therefore in the Scriptures the heart signifies the great and ardent love we should have for God. Those who serve God only with their lips, with their hands or with their knees, are hypocrites, and God cares nothing for them. For God does not want only a part, on the contrary he wants the whole man.

10. The Jews abstained outwardly from idolatry, and served God only with their lips; but their hearts were far from him, full of mistrust and unbelief.

Outwardly they appeared beautiful, as though they meant it in all sincerity, but within they were full of idolatry. Therefore the Lord said unto them in Matthew 23:27-28: “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye tithe mint and anise and cummin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law, justice, mercy, and faith. For ye are like unto whited sepulchers, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead men’s bones and of all uncleanness. Even as ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but inwardly ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.”

11. They are really wicked people who become proud in external things, who desire to justify and make themselves pious by their works, as this lawyer here does. Behold, what a proud character he is, he presents himself in his own name, and thinks Christ will not rebuke him; yea, he allows himself to think that the Lord will extol and praise his life in the presence of all the people, and does not think of learning anything from the Lord, but only seeks his own praise. The ignorant pretender would have gladly heard a psalm of praise from the man whom the people esteemed, and at whom all men wondered. Thus all hypocrites do, who outwardly parade their excellent, great and noble works. They well say that they do not seek honor and praise, but inwardly in their hearts they are frill of ambition, and desire all the world to know of their holiness, and smile very nicely when they hear men speak of it.

12. Yet the Lord does not serve this lawyer thus, but puts him to shame.

This Christ is an unfriendly, ungracious man, he tells the people the truth, and well deserves that they should hate him. The pious, holy lawyer still does his utmost, and knows nothing but how to harvest great honors and obtain high renown for his precious life; he thinks he has perfectly fulfilled this commandment, and hopes for a favorable answer, that the Lord will say: Dear Sir, you have done it all. But Christ goes to work and first tells him: “Do this!” That is to say in good German: You are a rogue in the hide, you have not done this during your whole life; yea, you have not kept a single letter of the law; and thus shows him his wickedness. The poor fellow thinks he should sit in the first seat, that he is really pure and beautiful, and by rights should sit among the angels, rather than here among the people. What a wonderful Christ is this! The people regard this lawyer as pious and holy; but Christ says he shall first go and begin to fulfill the law. Be consistent with thyself!

13. Now these are the very fellows who most of all sin against the first commandment, and think no further than the words read: I must love God, and think they have fulfilled the law, while it remains hovering on their tongues and over their hearts, but never enters. This, however, is not enough, it must reach much farther, namely, that I so love God that for his sake I can forsake all creatures, and should he require it, also body and life; yea, that I should love him above all things. For God is a jealous God and cannot suffer us to love anything above himself. But to love anything beneath himself, he of course allows. Just as a husband can easily allow his wife to love the maid servants, the house and house utensils, cattle and other things; but to love with the love she should have for him, he will not suffer her to love anyone besides himself; yea, he desires her to forsake all things for his sake; and so again the wife also requires the same from her husband.

Thus God can also allow us to love his creatures; yea, they are created for this purpose and are good. The sun is an excellent creature; gold and silver and all things that are attractive and beautiful by nature cause us to love them. This God indeed permits us to do. But that I should cling to the creature and love it with the same love with which I love God the Creator, this he can and will not allow; yea, his will is that I should deny and forsake all things, should he desire and require it of me, and be satisfied should I nevermore behold the sun, my money and possessions. The love of the creature should stand far, far below our love to him; and as he is the chief good, his will is also to be loved in the highest degree, above all other good. If he will not allow me to love anything as much as I love him, much less will he allow me to love anything more than himself, though it be a creature of his own creation.

14. Now I think you understand what it is to love God with all the heart, with all the soul and with all the mind. To love God with all the heart is to love him above all creatures; that is, although many creatures are quite lovely, as they please me and I love them, nevertheless, I am to despise and forsake all these for God’s sake, whenever God my Lord desires it.

15. To love God with all the soul is to devote your entire bodily life to him that you can say when the love of any creature, or any persecution threatens to overpower you: All this I will give up, before I will forsake my God; let men cast me away, murder or drown me, let what God’s will is happen to me, I will gladly lose all, before I will forsake thee, O Lord! unto thee will I cling more than to all thy creatures, or to anything that is not thyself. I will risk all things together with what I have and am that I may not forsake thee. The soul in the Scriptures signifies the life of the body, which acts through the five senses, eating, drinking, sleeping, waking, seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and everything that the soul does through the body.

16. To love God with all our strength is to devote all our members and whatever we may be able to do through our bodies to the love of God, and sacrifice all rather than do anything contrary to his will.

17. To love God with all the mind is to take to nothing except that which is pleasing to God. By which is meant the self-conceit which man has that the same be directed to God and that all things be pleasing to him.

18. Thus you see what the commandment requires: “Thou shalt love God.”

Thou, thou wholly and fully, not thy hands, not thy lips, not thy knees.

Those who do this, fulfill the commandment in the right sense. But there is not a man On earth who thus fulfils the law; yea, we all do just the opposite. Thus this law here makes us all sinners so that not the least letter of this commandment is fulfilled, even by the most holy persons in the world. For no one clings so firmly to God with all the heart, that he could forsake all things for God’s sake. We have, God be praised, become so competent that we can almost not suffer the least word, yea, we will not let go of a nickel for the sake of God.

How is it possible for us to love God, as long as his will displeases us? For if I love God I love also his will. Now, when God sends us sickness, poverty, shame and disgrace, that is his will. But what do we do under such circumstances? We thunder, scold and growl, and bear it with great impatience. And this is the least part, for what would we do if we had to forsake body and life for God and Christ’s sake? Then we would act quite differently. Yet in the meantime I act like this Pharisee and lawyer does, I lead a fine outward life, honor and serve God, fast, pray, and appear very pious and holy. But God does not want this. He wants us to accept his will with joy and love, and this we are too tardy in doing.

19. Therefore, what the Lord here says to this lawyer, he says to us all, namely, that we have not yet fulfilled the law, and still he requires us to do it. On this account all men are guilty of death, and are the devil’s own property. “All men are liars,” <19B611> Psalm 116:11, vain and offensive. What they pretend does not avail before God. In our own affairs we are shrewd; how to scrape together money and goods, how to speak well of God before the people, and how to push ourselves ahead in a masterly manner.

But what does God care for this? His will is that we should love him with all our hearts. This no man can do, and the conclusion is that we are all sinners, and especially those who walk in a beautiful outward show.

Therefore it is safer that we go and confess that we all are sinners, than that we have respect to our works and cling to our beautiful, glittering lives.

II. A SERMON ON THE GOSPEL IN A PARABLE.

20. The foregoing is the first part of our Gospel lesson, and it is a sermon on the law. The second part now follows, and it preaches the Gospel, how and whence we are to receive power to fulfill the Law. This the good Samaritan will teach us.

21. How does this lawyer act now after the Lord had thus turned him away? He goes ahead, the Evangelist says, and desires to justify himself and says to the Lord: “And who is my neighbor?”

22. He does not ask: Who is my God? As though he would say: “I owe God nothing, with God I am in good standing. I am also inclined to think that I am under obligations to no man; yet, I would like to know who my neighbor is? The Lord answers and tells him a very beautiful parable, by which he shows that we are all neighbors among one another, both he who does another a kindness, as well as he who is in need of a kindness.

Although the text reads as if Christ said that he is our neighbor who does another a kindness. In this, however, the Scriptures make no difference.

Here they call him neighbor who does a kindness, and at other places him who receives the kindness.

23. By means of this parable the Lord concludes with the words, “Go, and do thou likewise,” so that this lawyer did not only sin against God, but also against his neighbor. He not only failed to love God, but he did not love his neighbor, and never did him a favor. By this the poor man falls into such a sweat that he is only deceived from head to foot. How could he be so mistaken, the highly learned and pious man? His mistake came in this way; he led a Pharisaical, feigned and hypocritical life. He did not look down to his neighbor to help him with his life, but only sought thereby his own vain glory and. honor before the eyes of the people, and with this he stared piously toward heaven.

24. Now you have often heard that a Christian life consists in acting before my God in faith and with a pure heart, but toward my neighbor in right living and good works; and not wait until my neighbor seeks a kindness of me, and asks me for something, but approach and meet him with kindness and freely offer it to him. Let us now see what the parable in itself teaches.

25. This Samaritan of course is our Lord Jesus Christ himself, who has shown his love toward God and his neighbor. Toward God, in that he was obedient to him, came down from heaven and became man, and thus fulfilled the will of his Father; toward his neighbor, in that he immediately after his baptism began to preach, to do wonders, to heal the sick. And in short, he did no work that centered in himself alone, but all his acts centered in his neighbor. And this he did with all his powers, and thus he became our servant, who could have well remained in heaven and been equal to God, Philippians 2:6. But all this he did because he knew that this pleased God and was his Father’s will.


26. When he entered upon that high mission to prove that he loved God with all his heart, he laid down his bodily life with all he had, and said:

Father, here you have all, my bodily life, my glory and honor, which I had among the people; all this I give as it is for thy sake, that the world may know how I love thee. My Father, let my wisdom perish, so that the world may look upon me as most foolish. Let me be the most despised, who was heretofore praised by all the world. Now I am the worst murderer, who before was friendly, useful and serviceable to the whole world. Dear Father, all this I despise, only that I may not be disobedient to thee.

27. This is the Samaritan who came uninvited, and fulfilled the law with his whole heart. For only he fulfilled the law, and no one can deprive him of this honor. He alone merits it, and well maintains it all alone. Now this would be no special comfort for us; but that he has compassion on the poor wounded man, takes him under his care, binds his wounds, takes him into the inn and waits on him, this avails for us.

28. The man who here lies half dead, wounded and stripped of his clothing, is Adam and all mankind. The murderers are the devils who robbed and wounded us, and left us lying prostrate half dead. We still struggle a little for life; but there lies horse and man, we cannot help ourselves to our feet, and if we were left thus lying we would have to die by reason of our great anguish and lack of nourishment; maggots would grow in our wounds, followed by great misery and distress.

29. The parable stands in bold relief, and pictures us perfectly, what we are and can do with our boasted reason and free will. If the poor wounded man had desired to help himself, it would only have been worse for him, he would only have done harm to himself and irritated his wounds, and only prepared more misery and distress for himself.

Had he remained lying quiet, he would have had as much suffering. Thus it is when we are left to ourselves. We are always lost, we may lay hold where we will. Hitherto man has always acted thus, he has thought out many ways and methods how we might reform our lives and get to heaven.

One found this way, another that, therefore so many kinds of orders arose: in like manner the letters of indulgence and crusades originated; but they have only made evil worse. Such is the world, and it is thus finely portrayed in this wounded man, it lies in sins over head and ears and cannot help itself.

30. But the Samaritan who has fulfilled the law and is perfectly healthy and sound, comes and does more than both priest and Levite. He binds up the sores of the wounded man, pours in oil and wine, lifts him upon his own beast, and brings him into the inn, takes good care of him, and when he departs he carefully commends him to the host, and besides leaves him a sufficient supply of money, while neither the priest nor Levite would do one of these kind acts. The priest signifies the dear sainted fathers before Moses; the Levite the priesthood of the Old Testament. All these however have accomplished nothing by their works, and have passed by on the other side like this priest and Levite.

31. Therefore, if I had for example all the good works of Noah, Abraham and of all the dear fathers, they would still be of no benefit to me. They have indeed beheld the wounded man lying helpless and half dead, but they could not help it. He who lay there half dead, saw it too, but what of it, he could make it no better. The dear sainted fathers saw very well that the people lay in their sins over their ears, and also felt the anguish of sin, but what could they do to remedy it? They could make it only worse, but not better. These were the preachers of the law, and showed what the world was, namely, full of deadly sins, and it lay there half dead, and could not help itself, notwithstanding all its powers, reason and free will. Go then, thou beautifully painted rogue, and boast of thy free will, of thy merits and holiness!

32. But Christ, the true Samaritan, takes the poor man to himself as his own, goes to him and does not require the helpless one to come to him; for here is no merit, but pure grace and mercy; and he binds up his wounds, cares for him and pours in oil and wine, this is the whole Gospel from beginning to end. He pours in oil when grace is preached, as when one says: Behold thou poor man, here is your unbelief, here is your condemnation, here you are wounded and sore. Wait! All this I will cure with the Gospel. Behold, here cling firmly to this Samaritan, to Christ the Savior, he will help you, and nothing else in heaven or on earth will. You know very well that oil softens, thus also the sweet, loving preaching of the Gospel gives me a soft, mild heart toward God and my neighbor, so that I risk my bodily life for the sake of Christ my Lord and his Gospel, if God and necessity require it.

33. But wine is sharp and signifies the holy cross that immediately follows.

A Christian need not look for his cross, it is always on his back. For he thinks as St. Paul says, 2 Timothy 3:12: “All that would live godly in Christ Jesus shah suffer persecution.” This is the court-color in this kingdom. Whoever is ashamed of the color, does not belong to this king.

34. Then the Samaritan lifts the wounded man on his beast. This beast is Christ the Lord himself, he carries us, we lay upon his shoulders, neck and body. There is scarcely a more lovely picture in the entire Gospel, than where Christ the Lord compares himself to a shepherd, in Luke 15:1, who carries the lost sheep on his shoulders back to the fold. He still continually carries his lost sheep thus at the present day.

35. The stable or inn is Christianity, here in this world, where we must remain for a short time. The host is the preacher of the Word of God and of the Gospel, who is to nurse and care for us.

36. Now here we have the substance of the Gospel. The kingdom of Christ is a kingdom of mercy and grace, in which there is nothing but a continual carrying of the lost. Christ carries our infirmities and sicknesses, he takes our sins upon himself and has patience when we fail. We still always lay about his neck, and yet he does not become weary of carrying us, which should be the greatest comfort for us when we are in conflict with sin.

37. Ministers in this kingdom are to comfort the consciences, deal gently with them and feed them with the Gospel, carry the weak, heal the sick, and know how to divide the Word rightly, and administer the same to every one according to his needs. This is the office of a true bishop and minister, and not to proceed with violence as our bishops do, who come threatening with stocks and the block, crying: “Ho! up there, up there, who will not, must!” This should not be, but a bishop or minister ought to resemble one who Waits upon the sick, who treats them very gently, gives kind words, speaks very friendly to them and exercises all diligence in their behalf. Thus a bishop or minister should also do, and remember that his bishopric or parish is nothing but a hospital and an infirmary, where he has very many and various kinds of sick people for treatment. When Christ is thus preached faith and life meet together and fulfill the commandment of love. F1 OF THE LAW AND THE GOSPEL.

38. I have often told you, dearly beloved, that the entire Scriptures consist of two parts, of the law and the Gospel. It is the law that teaches what we are required to do; the Gospel teaches where we shall receive what the law demands. For it is quite a different thing to know what we should have, and to know where to get it. Just as when I am given into the hands of the physicians, where it is quite a different art to tell what my disease is than to tell what medicine I must take so as to recover. Thus it is likewise here.

The law discovers the disease, the Gospel ministers the medicine. This you clearly see in today’s Gospel. The lawyer comes desiring eternal life, ‘and inquires what he shall do to secure it! The law tells him, and says: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, with all thy strength and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself.”

39. He who reads this only superficially as this lawyer here does, will not understand it. One must enter into it and portray and even behold himself in it. For if I try to love God with all my heart, I will soon see how far I fail. So, with all the soul, that is, with the inner soul which I feel in the flesh, that I love and experience love in all my senses; for to love with the soul in the Scriptures means the love that a gallant youth feels towards his beloved. Again, with all thy strength, that is, with all thy members. Again, with all thy mind, that is, all thy senses, thoughts and delusions must be directed toward God. For if I am to love God with all my heart, soul, strength and mind, then my eyes dare not give one scornful glance, my tongue speak an angry word, my feet, hands, ears must all be one, and give forth no angry sign. That is to say: Thou shalt love God with all thy heart, so that thy whole body from the crown of the head to the soles of the feet, inwardly and outwardly, goes forth in love, and rejoices in God and honors him.

40. Now find me a man who is chaste or otherwise pious with a burning passion and love; there is none such on the earth. We find ourselves much more inclined to anger, hatred, envy, worldly pleasures, than to tender heartedness and other virtues. And when I find in my inclination such a spark, it is all false, the law is not satisfied. But I find not only a spark in me, but a whole bakeoven full of the fire of evil inclinations, for there is no love in the heart, nor in any member of the body. Therefore I here see in the law as in a mirror, that everything I have is condemned and cursed; for not one jot of the law shall pass away but all must be fulfilled, as Christ says, Matthew 5:18: “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass away from the law, till all things be accomplished.”

41. Now you do not find in yourself, that you do with all your soul and with all your heart, with joy and pleasure, what the law requires of you; therefore you are condemned and the child of satan; then know by this how to govern yourself in the future. Behold, you must first come to the knowledge to confess that you are the devil’s own property. But if you would know no more than how you are to treat him to be freed from him, you would have to perish. To this end the law serveth, that we may learn that we are condemned, for this evil lust is found in us all, and yet we should not have a spark of it in us.

42. Our sophists failed to see this, and have taught, if a man does the best he can, God then gives him grace. They are blind guides, and themselves confess that man has little desire for the good; yet still, if he go and do it, even though disorderly, unwillingly, indolently, he is nevertheless in favor with God. Christ here teaches the contrary that we should go forth with a passion and love and do the law with a joyful and happy mind. Now, whom would you rather believe, Christ or the sophists? I leave this to you. From such false knowledge the cloisters later arose, into which men entered and contended that if a man were only in a cloister, and it matters not how unwillingly he was there, then he would be saved. So they taught. But now Christ’s will is that man should do good works willingly and joyfully.

Hence, if they are done with a troubled conscience and a heavy heart, it is sin. Therefore cease from all works that you do not perform with pleasure and love.

43. They therefore should have said: Man, do you see, you poor condemned creature, you should have delight in God’s law, and you have no pleasure in it; hence show some delight and love, or you are God’s enemy and the devil’s friend. Thus the people would have bravely forsaken their own presumption and come to a knowledge of themselves and would have said: O God, now I am condemned. Yes, this is right. Here every one might soon know and conclude, that we all belong to satan, as long as we find within us displeasure in the law of God. Therefore, boldly cast away all works from you, then you will find delight in and love for God’s law in your heart. I experience indeed that God’s law is holy, right and good, but it is my death. And if it could be, I would prefer that it did not exist. And thus all people are disposed in their hearts, as St. Paul very beautifully writes in the seventh chapter of Romans.

44. Had we now remained in this condemnation, we would have had to perish forever. Therefore another part is added, the Gospel, which speaks of consolation and teaches salvation, and whence we are to obtain it, so that the law may be satisfied. Now when I see by the law that I am condemned, lying even among murderers, half dead, the devil has stolen my soul and taken it captive in Adam and Eve, with all faith and righteousness, and has left nothing except my bodily life which will soon be extinguished; now here come the Levite and the priest, who render human satisfaction and teach this and that; but it does no good, they pass by.

45. However when the Samaritan comes, he helps, that is, when Christ comes and offers us his mercy, and says: Behold, you are indebted to love God with all your heart, but you have not done it; now believe in me, I will give you my sufferings: this will help me. Here he lifts me on his beast, that is, on himself, and takes me to the inn, that is, into the Christian Church.

After this he comes and pours into me his grace, which is the oil, so that I feel I am lying on his shoulders, this gives me a very joyful conscience; moreover he pours into me wine, which is to devour and drown the old Adam. But even then I am not perfectly well. Health has indeed been poured into me and there is a turn for the better, but nevertheless I am not perfectly restored to health. Meantime Christ serves and purifies me by the grace he pours into me, so that day by day I become purer, chaster, milder, gentler and more believing until I die, when I shall be entirely perfect.

46. Thus when we now come before God the Father and are asked: whether we have also believed and loved God, and have wholly fulfilled the law; then the Samaritan will step forth, Christ the Lord, who carries us lying on his beast, and say; Alas, Father! although they have not wholly fulfilled thy law, yet I have done so, let this be to their benefit because they believe in me. Thus all saints must do, however holy and pious they may be, they must lay on Christ’s shoulders. If even the most holy people, as priests and Levites, could not satisfy the law, how shall we undertake to do so with our reigned works, bald pates and caps? O our wretched and corrupt nature! Let this be sufficient for the present, and let us call on God for grace.

Luther's Sermon - By Faith of Jesus, Galatians 3:15-22 - Trinity 13

SERMONS OF MARTIN LUTHER -
THIRTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY



TEXT:

GALATIANS 3:15-22.
15 Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto. 16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. 17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. 18 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise. 19 Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. 20 Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one. 21 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. 22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

GOD’S TESTAMENT AND PROMISE IN CHRIST.

1. This is a keen, severe epistle, one that is unintelligible to the ordinary man. Because the doctrine it contains has not hitherto been employed and enforced, it has not been understood. It is also too long and rich to be treated briefly. But it is fully explained in the complete commentary on this epistle to the Galatians, where those who will may read it. The substance of it is, that here, as in the whole epistle, Paul would earnestly constrain the Christian to distinguish between the righteousness of faith and the righteousness of works or of the Law. In order that we may note to some extent the main points Paul makes in this text, we remark that he emphasizes two things. He treats first of the doctrine that we are justified by faith alone, and he maintains this, after giving many reasons and proofs, by saying in effect:

2. In this connection you should note that no one, whether Jew or gentile, is justified by works or by the Law. For the Law was given four hundred and thirty years after the promise of a Savior had been made to Abraham (who was to be the father of all the people of God) and the assurance that all nations should be blessed in him. It was given after it had been testified of Abraham that his faith was imputed to him for righteousness. And as he was justified and received the blessing by reason of his faith, so also his children and descendants were justified and received the blessing through the same faith in that seed for whose sake the blessing had been promised to all the world. For in his dealings with the Jews and with the whole world, God always promised his grace and the forgiveness of sins (and that means to be blessed of God) even when there was as yet no Law by which they might pretend to become righteous, and before Moses was born.

3. Therefore the Law, being given to this people only after the lapse of so long a period, could not have been given to them for justification; otherwise it would have been given earlier. Or if it had been necessary for righteousness, then Abraham and his children up to that date could not have been justified at all. Indeed God designed that the Law should be given so long after Abraham. Undoubtedly he would have been able to give it to the fathers much earlier if he had seen fit to do so. Apparently he desired thereby to teach that the Law was not given to the end that God’s grace and blessing should be acquired through it, but that these come from the pure mercy of God which was promised and bestowed so long before upon Abraham and those who believed.

4. Therefore Paul concludes: How could the Law produce righteousness for those who lived before Moses, since Moses was the first through whom the Law was given; and since even before his time there were holy people and people who were saved? Whence did they derive their righteousness?

Certainly not from the fact that they had offered sacrifice at Jerusalem, but from the fact that they believed the Word in which God promised to bless them through the coming seed, Christ. Hence, those also who lived afterwards could not have been justified by the Law; for they did not receive the grace of God in a different way from that in which those who went before had received it. God did not annul or revoke by the Law the promise of blessing which he had made and freely bestowed without the Law.

5. Here some might desire to show their wisdom and say to Paul: Although the fathers did not have the Law of Moses, they had the same Word of God which teaches the ten commandments and which was implanted in the human heart from the beginning of the world, whence also it is called the law of nature or the natural law; and the same law was afterwards given publicly to the Jewish people and comprehended in the ten commandments.

It might also be said that Moses borrowed the ten commandments from the fathers, to which Christ testifies in John 7:22. For it is certain that the fathers from the beginning taught them and urged them upon their children and descendants. With what consistency, then, does Paul conclude that the fathers were not justified by the Law because it was not given until four hundred years after Abraham’s time; as if the fathers before that time had no Law?

6. To answer this question we must observe the meaning and purpose of Paul’s words; for he so speaks because of the boasting of the Jews, who placed their dependence on the Law and claimed that it was given to them that they might be God’s people. They considered their attempts at keeping his Law, sufficient to procure justification. Why else did God give the Law, they said, and distinguish us from all heathen peoples, if we were not thereby to be preeminent before God and more pleasing to him than they who have it not? They made so much of this boasting that they paid no respect at all to the promise of blessing in the coming seed, given to the fathers, nor thought that faith therein was necessary to their justification.

Thus they practically considered it as annulled and made void, excepting for a temporal interpretation which they put upon it — that the Messiah would come and, because of their Law and piety, give to them the dominion of the world and other great rewards.

THE JEWS GOD’S PEOPLE BY PROMISE.

7. To rout such vain delusions and boasts, and to show that the Jews were not justified through the Law and did not become God’s children thereby, Paul cites the fact that the holy patriarchs, their fathers, were justified neither by the Law of which they boast, because it was not yet given, nor by their own deeds, whether of the natural law or the ten commandments.

God had based no promise of blessing or salvation on their works. He had promised out of pure grace to give them the blessing freely (that is, to give them grace or righteousness and all eternal blessing), through the coming seed, which had been promised also to our first parents without their merit, when by their transgression they had fallen under God’s wrath and condemnation. Therefore, although the fathers had a knowledge of the Law, or God’s commandments, these did not help them to become righteous before God. They had to hear and apprehend by faith the promise of God, which was based not on works but only on the coming seed. For if they had been able by means of the Law or of good works to become righteous, it would have been wholly unnecessary to give the promise of blessing in Christ.

8. Now, if Abraham and the fathers could not be justified by works, and in fact were not justified by them, no more were their children and descendants justified by the Law or by works. They were justified in no other way than by faith in the promise given to Abraham and to his seed, a promise by which not only the Jews but all the heathen (through the same faith) were blessed.

9. This truth Paul now further enforces and establishes on the basis of these two particulars — God’s promise, and his free grace or gift — in opposition to the boasting of the Law and our own merit. First, he makes a declaration concerning the value and weight which every testament or promise of the last will possesses. Likewise in the fourth commandment is implied an ordinance that the last will of parents should be honored by their children and heirs.

10. In regard to this subject he asserts that the rule is, if a man’s testament be confirmed (and it is confirmed by his death) no man dare alter it nor add to it nor take away from it. So the jurists declare it to be a divine law that no one should break a man’s last will. How much more then should God’s testament be honored intact? Now, God has made a testament, which is to be his final last will; namely, that he will bless all nations through the seed which at first he promised to the fathers. This he determined upon, and assured to Abraham, and in him to all the world — to us all. And he has confirmed it by the death of this seed, his only Son, who had to become man and die (as was typified by the sacrifice of Isaac on the part of Abraham) in order that the inheritance of the blessing and eternal life might be bestowed upon us. This is God’s last will. He does not desire to make any other. Therefore, no man can or dare change it or add anything to it.

Now, it is adding to it, it is breaking or revoking it — since this testament has been opened and the blessing proclaimed to all the world — if anyone claims that we must first earn that blessing through the Law, proceeding as if, without the Law, this testament, by mere virtue of its promise and will, had no force at all.

11. In short, this testament, Paul concludes, is a simple promise of blessing and sonship with God. Accordingly, there is no law which we must keep in order to merit it. Here nothing avails but the will which promises saying, I will not regard your deeds, but promise the blessing — that is, grace and eternal life — to you who are found in sin and death. This I will confirm by the death of my Son, who shall merit and obtain this inheritance for you.

Now, God made this testament in the first place without the Law, and has thus confirmed it; therefore, the Law, published and confirmed long afterwards, cannot take aught from it, much less annul or revoke it. And he who declares or teaches that we are to be justified by the Law — are to obtain God’s blessing by it — does nothing else but interfere with God’s testament and destroy and annul his last will. This is one argument of Paul, based on the word “promise,” or “testament,” and is readily understood; for no one is so stupid that he cannot distinguish between these two — law or commandment, and promise.

12. The second argument of Paul is based on the words, “God gave it to Abraham by promise.” Here also it is easy for one who is possessed of common sense to perceive there is a marked difference between receiving something as a gift and earning it. What is earned is given because of obligation and debt, as wages, and he who receives it may boast of it, rather than he who gives it, and may insist upon his right. But when something is given for nothing and, as Paul here says, is bestowed freely — out of grace — then there can be no boasting of right or of merit on the part of the recipient. On the contrary, he must praise the goodness and kindness of his benefactor. So Paul concludes: God freely gave the blessing and the inheritance to Abraham by promise. Therefore, Abraham did not earn it by his works; nor was it given to him as a reward, much less to his children.

13. It is evident enough to even a child that what is earned by works as a reward is not identical with what is promised or bestowed gratis, out of grace and pure free will. There is a distinction between them. God has stopped the mouth of all the world and deprived it of all occasion for boasting that it has received God’s grace by reason of the Law. For he promised and bestowed that as a gift, before the Law or merit through the Law had any existence. In his dealings with his own people, with Abraham and his descendants, God promised to bless the patriarch and all his race and said nothing of any law, works or reward; he based all solely on the coming seed.

14. In the faith of this promise they lived and died — Abraham himself and his children’s children — till over four hundred and thirty years had elapsed. Then only did God give the Law, institute an outward form of worship, a priesthood, etc., and direct them how to live and govern themselves. They had now become a separate people, released from foreign domination, and brought into their own land, and they needed an external form of government. It was not intended that only now and by means of these gifts they should obtain forgiveness of sins and God’s blessing.

15. This is the substance of the first part of this epistle. In teaching how we are to be justified before God, Paul would have us distinguish well these two points, promise and law; or again, gift and reward. If we teach that God, out of pure grace, and not because of any law or merit, bestows forgiveness of sins and eternal life, the question at once presents itself:

Why is the Law given, or of what use is it? Shall we not perform any good works? Why do we teach the ten commandments at all? Paul takes up this matter and asks the question, “What then is the Law?” Then he proceeds to discuss at length what is the office and use of the Law, and shows the difference between it and the Gospel. Of this enough has been said elsewhere, in other postils.