Church Postil (sermons on the Gospel & Epistle lessons)

Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Ihrist, and stewards of the mysteries of Ciod.

Moreover, it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful.

But with me it is a very smail thing that I should be judged of yon, or of man's B

Jadgment: yea^ I judge not mine own self.

For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not liereby justified: but lie tliat judgeth me is the Lord.

Therefore judge nothing before the t:ime$ until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness; and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of Godt

This Epistle presents an illustration of tlie Gospel for the first Sunday in Advent, in Avhich we heard that the disciples did not ride on the colt themselves, but led it to Christ, and sat liim thereon; this seems to he the design of the Apostle also here. For the Corinthians had begun to separate among themselves, and to cleave to the Apostles. One party boasted of Peter, another of Paul, another of Apollos ', each one exalting the Apostle ])y whom he was baptized or taught, or whom he regarded as the most eminent. Here Paul comes and inter]30Ses, allowing none of them to boast of any Apostle, but of Christ alone, saying it matters not who he is, by whom they were baptized and taught j but it is of the utmost importance to hold to Christ unanimously, and be subject to him alone. Thus St. Paul beautifully illustrates how the Apostles are to be regarded, and this whole Epistle is a terrible thrust at Popery and*^ the clerical government j as we shall see.

^*-Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God."

This is said in regard to all Apostles and all heirs to the Apostolic chair, whether it be St. Peter or St. Paul. Hence, we should be very cautious liow we regard the Apostles and bishops, so that we may not attach too niuch, or too little importance to them. For St.. Paul, yes, the Holy Spirit, did not fix this limit for nothing,— undoubtedl}^, that we should direct ourselves accordingly. Hereby, this same limit is laid doAvn for bishoi)s, designating the character of their office, and the extent of their power; so tkat, when we see a bishop, who assumes more than this text allows him, we may with certainty regard and avoid him as a w^olf and an apostle of the de^^l -, for undoubtedly he must be Antichrist, who exercises more authority in ecclesiastical government, than is here designated.

Fir St J he says, we should not receive or regard them as anything else but ministers of Christ; nor should they desire to be regarded in any other light. But minister of Christ must not be understood here as service to God, which is now called service to Christ,- as, praying, fasting, going 1o church, and all that the ecclesiastical rites, institutions, cloisters, and the whole clerical order, style divine service. For these are mere devised words and works, by which this declaration of Paul, and others, are entirely obscured, so that noAV no one can know any longer what Paul here calls ministry of Christ. He means the ministry which is an office. All Christians serve God, but they are not all in of&ce. Thus too, Pom. 11, 13, does he call his oftice a ministry: " Inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office;" and in the preceding Epistle, Pom. 15, 8, [ he says}: '' I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of tJie circumcision;" and 2 Cor. 3, 6: ^' Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament, not of the letter, but of the spirit." '

Whence shall I get language strong enougli to root out from the hearts of all Christiaiis the error so deeply impressed through Popei'y,in which they interpret the ministry of Christ and the ministry of God, in no other light but as alluding to their own works which they perform towards Chiist,^ without means? Only observe, beloved friend, to serv^ Christ and to serve God is styled, especially by St. Paul, bearing an ofiice commanded by Christ, namely, preaching. It is a service or ministry which proceeds from Christ, not to Christ, and which comes not from us, but to us. Thia you should carefully mark j it is, important f otherwise you cannot understand the design of the Pauline expression.: Miiiisterium, ministratmy.

ministrare, etc. He always calls it ministry^ ministration^ mimsterj etc. But seldom does lie mention the ser- \'ice, ministry, which ascends to God, but generally, that which descends to men. For also in the Gospel Christ bids tlie Apostles to be submissive and servants of others, Luke 22, 26.

And for the purpose of being understood in reference to such service, [ministry] he carefully adds, explaining himself, saying: Minister or steicard, which can not be understood but of the office of the ministiy.

But he, therefore, styles it service or ministry of Christ, and himself minister of Christ, because he received this ohice from him, and because he was commanded to preach. Thus all apostles and bishops are ministers of Christ; that is, preachers of Christ, messengeis of Christ, stewards of Christ, dispatched to the people with his message; so that the meaning of this passage is this: Every one of you should be carefid not to institute another head, to raise up another Lord, to constitute another Christ, but you sliould all unanimously adhere to the one only Christ; for we are not your lords, or your masters, or your heads; neither do we preach ourselves, nor do we teach our own word; we do not lead you into obedience to us, so that you must be subject to us, and observe our doctrine. ]N^ot thus, not t'lus; but we are messengers and ministers of him who is your Master, Head, and Lord; we i)reach his vrord, enlist in his commandments, leading you into his obedience alone. Thus too should you regard us; you should expect nothing else from us, so that you, although we are diiferent persons from Christ, may, however, not receive a different doctrine, different word, different government, different authority, from that of Christ, through us. Whoever thus receives and regards us, regards us properl}^, and receives, not us, but Christ himself, whom alone we j)reach. But whoever does not t'lus regard us, does us injustice, discards Christ, the common head, sets up another head, and makes gods of us.

that the children of Israel said to Gideon: ''Eule thou over us, both thou and thy son, and thy son's son also.'' But he answered: '•' I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the Lord shall rule over you;" and 1 Samuel 8, 7, when the children of Israel desired a king of Skmnel, God said: '' They have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. " Here we perceive that God cannot allowany authority but his oanti among his people and regiment.

If, however, you should inquire how they committed sin in this way, since God had given them Gideon as chief in the cojitest, and afterwards set apart many holy kings over them? — I reply that it was neither a sin, nor contrarv to the will of God for them to have kings or princes; for authorities must exist on earth. But their crime consisted in tlie fact that they subjected themselves to human government and were not satisfied with the government of God. For Gideon and the holy kings extended their anthcrity in reigning iiot a hair's breadth further than the command and injunction of God extended, and they regarded themselves not otherwise than as the servants [ministers] of God; that is, they ruled the people according to the word of God, and not acc jrdiiig to their own word. Thus the goveinment of God alone was perpet— uated, and they were servants in it,, as the xVpostles were in the word of Christ. Hence, too, David sings con-, cerning his own government, as if it were God's, saying, Ps. 7^G, 8: ^^Arise^ O Lord, in thine anger; lift up thyself, because of the rage of mine enemies; and awake for me to the judgment that thou has commanded So shall the congregation of the people comi)ass thee about: for their sakes, therefore, return thou on high. The Lord shall judge the people."

But where more authority is assumed than the command of God grants, and where the magistrate undertakes, or the subjects seek, to mle A^ith human doctrines, there arises I idolatry and a new head; the magis-; trate is no longer ^ servant, [mini^t^f |

3G explanation of the epistle for the third SUNDAY IN ADVENT.

but domineers himself without a command and injunction of God. Here God declares, as lie said to Samuel: — ^' They have not rejected thee, but me, that I should not reign over them." This I say in regard to the government of the soul which is to stand before God •, for civil government does not concern the soid; nor does it belong to this matter.

Now, where there is more than this one head, God or Christ, elevated, tbere too must there be a doctrine and word differing from the doctrine and words of Christ. There also must the service of Christ immediately cease, (;.lmst be rejected, and a new domination be established. Any one may easily perceive that no one can be the servant of Christ, and a teacher of his own word at the same time, as the two cannot exist together. How can he be a servant of Christ, if he does not teach the v/ord of Clirist^ Or, how can he teach his own word, when lie should teach the word of Christ! If he teaches his own word, he is a lord himself, and does not serve Christ 5 if he teaches the word of Christ, he is not a lord himself.

Hence you may judge for yourself, i'rom where Popery and its ecclesiastical rites with all the priests, monks, and teachers of their high schools, emanate. If they can prove that they teach nothing but the word of Christ, ^ve must regard them as the ministers or servants of Christ. But if we can ])rove that they do not teach the word of Christ, we must regard them not as the servants of Christ. Now, it is clear, indeed, that their position is not the word of Christ,but their own. — Hence it is evident that tliey are the kingdom of Antichrist, and the servants of the devil. For here Paul stands firmly, and concludes: '^Leta man account of us as of the ministers of Christ."

Their assertion, that besides the word of Christ, the commandments of the cliurch may be taught, nitimating that their teachings are the doctrines oftheclmrch, avails nothing. Paul continues to stand, however, and teaches that the Church helongs neither to Peter nor to Paul, but to Christ only, and acknowledges none but the servants [ministers] of Christ. Hence, you iierceive how blasphemous it is for the Pope to cry out obedience t3 his doctrines as a road to salvation, and disobedience to them as a road to damnation. Paul attributes this obedience here to the devil, as he does, 1 Tim. 4, 1: ^'Now the Spirit speaketh expressly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils j speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received vith thanksgiTing of them which believe and know the truth f and Christ, John 10, o, says: My sheep know my voice. And a stranger will they not folloAY, but will flee from him: for they know no^ the voice of strangers. I know m.y sheep and am known of them.

Here you perceive how the fact that whatever is not the voice of Christ, is a strange voice, the doctrine of the devil, and to be avoided, accords with Paul. Here you learn the conclusion to which Clirist himself comes in regard to doctrines, and to that which his Church hears and teaches, and which are the commandments of the Church, The Church has no otli er doctrine but that of Christ, and no other obedience but that of Christ. All, therefore, that the Papists say concerning the commandments and obedience of the Church, is of the same species as that, which Paul calls speaking lies in hypocrisy, from false sjurits and doctrines of devils.

This is even the meaning of the following words, where he calls them stewards of the mysteries of God. — Steward indicates here a person who regulates the domestics of his lord, like the stewards in monasteries, the provosts in nunneries, and all similar governors, managers, and overseers, now do. For oikonomous peritiis rci familiariSj is Greek, and signifies in English a steward, who knows how to l)rovide for a house, and is able to rule the domestics, and whom^ Christ, Matt. 24, 45, simply calls a servant, where he says: ^' Who then is a faithful and vdse servant, Avhom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season f — Such a servant was Eliezer, the Servant of Abraham.

Now, God has a house too, which we ourselves, the Christian Church, are. In this there are pastors and bishops, overseers and stewards, who are to preside over the house, to pro- A^de nourishment for it, and to superintend its members. But these blessings are not i)hysical. St. Paul distinguishes the stewards of God, therefore, from all temporal stewards. — These furnish visible nourishment, and manage the bodies, but those, invisible food, and manage the souls. For this reason he calls them mysteria. This custom has so long discontinued, that we no longer know what a steward is, and who are the mysteria. They imagine that, when they baptize, celebrate mass, and administer other sacraments, they exercise the mysteria^ and that now there is no proper mysterium but the mass; although they know not why it must be called mysterium.

I can find no word at this time in German, equivalent to mysterion, and it were well to retain the same Greek word, as we have manj^ others. It is equivalent to secretum, arcanum^ a thing hidden from our eyes, seen by no one, and generally i:>ertaining to words; as, when something is said, which is not understood, we say this is hidden, in this there is a secret, this contains a mysterion^ in this something is concealed. Even this same concealment properly signifies mysterium; I call it a secret.

What then are the mysteria of God? Nothing else but Clirist himself; that is, faith and the Gospel concerning Christ. For all that is preached in the Gospel, is far removed from our senses and reason, and hidden to all the world; nor can it be attained except through faith alone, as he savs lllr/.Srli, Iviatt. 11, 25: ^^ thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes f and as

says: ^^We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, which none of the princes of the world knew."

To express this matter in the clearest manner, mysterium i^, your hearing the things which you hold in your faith, that Christ, the Son of God, was born of a virgin, died, and rose again, and all this for the forgiveness of our sins. For these things no eye sees, nor reason comprehends; yea, as St. Paid, 1 Cor. 1, 21, says; It is mere foolishness to the wise, and mere offence to the saiiits [self-righteous].

For how is it possible for nature to perceive, or reason to acknowledge that this man, Christ, is our life, salvation, j)eace, righteousness, redemption, strength, A\isdom, Lord of all creatures, and God, and whatever else the Scripture says concerning him? — No one can know this except him who hears it from the Gospel and believes it; it is too far removed from our sense and reason. Thus, then, the mysteria of God are nothing else but the things or blessings, which are preached concerning Christ, through the Gospel, and which our faith alone apprehends and holds.

In reference to this matter Paul speaks, 1 Tim. 3, 16:* "Without controversy, " says he, "great is the mystery of godlmess: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glorj^" All this is said in regard to Christ, who was manifest in the flesh. For he dwelt amon g men, who had flesh and blood, as well as he himself had; yet, however, he continued to be a mysterj^. For, that he was Christ, the Son of God, the life, the way, the truth, and all good, was hidden.

Yet he was justified in the Spirit; that is, through the Spirit, believers thus received, acknowledged, and re-, garded him. For this justification is nothing else but to declare just, or to allow to be just; as it is said Luke 7^ 29: "All the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God." A^ gain, Ps. 51, 4: "That thou mightest

* B. Where he also speaks and teaches concerning these matters, how he should walk in the hou^e of Crodt be justified when thou speakest.'' This is equivalent to saying: He that believes in Christ, justifies hini, and acknowledges the truth that he alone is our life, righteousness, and Avisdoni, and that we are sinners, dead and condemned. For this is what he is and claims to be. t But he that does not do this, stands upon his works, and does not regard himself as condemned, contends with him^ and condemns him.i

The declaration, Eom. 1, 4, has reference to justification: ^^He is declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness." As it is said, among unbelievers he is disregarded, and not only weak, but entirely condemned. But among saints who live in the Spirit who sanctifies them, it is fully and efiectually maintained that he is the Son of God -, for to them it is shown, and firmly established.

Kow, St. Paul might well have said here: ^'We are the stewards of the wisdom of God, or of the righteousness of God," «&c. Since Christ is all this, as 1 Cor. 1, 30, he says: '^ Who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemi)tion." But this would have been specifying. He desired to embrace in one word all these blessings, which are to be preached concerning Christ, and styles them mysteries. — As if he should say, we are spiritual stewards whose duty it is to minister the grace of God, the truth of God, and who can enumerate all separately f I shall briefly, sum up, and say they are the mysteries of God. They are called mysteries, and things concealed, because they are attained by faith alone.

Thus too, Eom. 1, 4, he pursues a similar course, when he comprises all in a Avord, how Christ was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, preached to the Gentiles, &c. As 1 Tim. 3, he says briefly in Greek, t A. And he that reprds lijm as such, justifii'-s hhn in his spirit.

l B. But this justification of Christ proceeds from no one but him vviio hus the Holy Spirit, whose work alone it is. Flesh and blood cannot do it, even if it were clearly pi (sented and preached before our eyes and earSi oristhis definitus. In short, he teas declared determined, received, and regarded as the Son of God, by angels, Gentiles, the world, heaven, and all; since, for this piu-pose, he was manifested, justified, revealed, preached, believed, received, &c. Therefore he also calls it mysteries here, and 1 Tim. 3, a mystery. These expressions are, hoAvever, equivalent 5 Christ is wholly and entirely one mystery and many my£-

This too is worthy of remark, that St. Paul adds the declaration: The mysteries of God 5 that is, those hidden things which God grants, and which exist in him. For the devil also has his mysteries, as Eev. 17, 5, it is said: ^'Upon her forehead was a name written. Mystery, Babylon," &c. Again, Eev. 17, 7: '^I Avill tell thee the mystery of the Avoman," &c. These are mysteries, OA-er which the Pope and his i3riests noAv preside as stewards 5 for they intimate that their doctrine and work lead to heaven, whilst behind these are concealed nothing but death and hell, to all Avho trust in them. But the mysteries of God are those, in which there are life and salvation.

Thus, then, we arrive at the meaning of the Ai^ostle in regard to these words, that a minister of Christ is a steward in the mysteries of God; that is, he should be, and admit of being regarded as one who preaches and administers to the household of God, nothing but that which is Christ, and is in Christ 5 that is, he should i^reach the pure Gospel, the pure Faith, that Christ alone is our life, AA^ay, Avisdom, poAver, glory, salvation, &c., and that the things which we do of ourseh^es are nothing but death, error, foolishness, weakness, shame, and condemnation. Whoever preaches otherwise, should be regarded by no one either as a serA^ant of Christ or as a steward in diAine things, but should be avoided as a messenger ol tlie Cicv!!. Hence m^ lUiiuWiilg;

" MoreoA^er, it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful."

Upon this ^11 depends. After this God enquires j this^ an gel s^ mezi; and