,,the ,,galatians 999999 ,,commentary ,,on ,,the ,,epistle ,,to ,,the ,,galatians 7#aece7 ,by ,martin ,luther ,translated by ,theodore ,graebner ,,preface ,the preparation of this edition of ,luther's ,commentary on ,galatians was first suggested to me by ,mr4 ,p4 ,j4 ,zondervan1 of the firm of publishers1 in ,march1 #aicg4 ,the consultation had the twofold merit of definiteness and brevity4 8,luther is still the greatest name in ,protestantism4 ,we want you to help us publish some leading work of ,luther's for the general ,american market4 ,will you do it80 8,i will1 on one condition40 8,and what is that80 8,the condition is that ,i will be permitted to make ,luther talk ,american1 #8streamline' him1 so to speak--because you will never get people1 whether in or outside the ,lutheran ,church1 actually to read ,luther unless we make him talk as he would talk today to ,americans40 ,i illustrated the point by reading to ,mr4 ,zondervan a few sentences from an ,english translation lately reprinted by an ,american publisher1 of one of ,luther's outstanding reformatory essays4 ,the demonstration seemed to prove convincing for it was agreed that one may as well offer ,luther in the original ,german or ,latin as expect the ,american church-member to read any translations that would adhere to ,luther's ,german or ,latin constructions and employ the ,mid-,victorian type of ,english characteristic of the translations now on the market4 8,and what book would be your choice80 8,there is one book that ,luther himself likes better than any other4 ,let us begin with that3 his ,commentary on ,galatians4440 ,the undertaking1 which seemed so attractive when viewed as a literary task1 proved a most difficult one1 and at times became oppressive4 ,the ,letter to the ,galatians consists of six short chapters4 ,luther's commentary fills seven hundred and thirty-three octavo pages in the ,weidman ,edition of his works4 ,it was written in ,latin4 ,we were resolved not to present this entire mass of exegesis4 ,it would have run to more than fifteen hundred pages1 ordinary octavo 7like this71 since it is impossible to use the compressed structure of sentences which is characteristic of ,latin1 and particularly of ,luther's ,latin4 ,the work had to be condensed4 ,german and ,english translations are available1 but the most acceptable ,english version1 besides laboring under the handicaps of an archaic style1 had to be condensed into half its volume in order to accomplish the 8streamlining0 of the book4 ,whatever merit the translation now presented to the reader may possess should be written to the credit of ,rev4 ,gerhardt ,mahler of ,geneva1 ,n4,y41 who came to my assistance in a very busy season by making a rough draft of the translation and later preparing a revision of it1 which forms the basis of the final draft submitted to the printer4 ,a word should now be said about the origin of ,luther's ,commentary on ,galatians4 ,the ,reformer had lectured on this ,epistle of ,st4 ,paul's in #aeai and again in #aebc4 ,it was his favorite among all the ,biblical books4 ,in his table talks the saying is recorded3 8,the ,epistle to the ,galatians is my epistle4 ,to it ,i am as it were in wedlock4 ,it is my ,katherine40 ,much later when a friend of his was preparing an edition of all his ,latin works1 he remarked to his home circle3 8,if ,i had my way about it they would republish only those of my books which have doctrine4 ,my ,galatians1 for instance40 ,the lectures which are preserved in the works herewith submitted to the ,american public were delivered in #aeca4 ,they were taken down by ,george ,roerer1 who held something of a deanship at ,wittenberg ,university and who was one of ,luther's aids in the translation of the ,bible4 ,roerer took down ,luther's lectures and this manuscript has been preserved to the present day1 in a copy which contains also additions by ,veit ,dietrich and by ,cruciger1 friends of ,roerer's1 who with him attended ,luther's lectures4 ,in other words1 these three men took down the lectures which ,luther addressed to his students in the course of ,galatians1 and ,roerer prepared the manuscript for the printer4 ,a ,german translation by ,justus ,menius appeared in the ,wittenberg ,edition of ,luther's writings1 published in #aeci4 ,the importance of this ,commentary on ,galatians for the history of ,protestantism is very great4 ,it presents like no other of ,luther's writings the central thought of ,christianity1 the justification of the sinner for the sake of ,christ's merits alone4 ,we have permitted in the final revision of the manuscript many a passage to stand which seemed weak and ineffectual when compared with the trumpet tones of the ,latin original4 ,but the essence of ,luther's lectures is there4 ,may the reader accept with indulgence where in this translation we have gone too far in modernizing ,luther's expression--making him 8talk ,american40 ,at the end of his lectures in #aeca1 ,luther uttered a brief prayer and then dictated two ,scriptural texts1 which we shall inscribe at the end of these introductory remarks3 8,the ,lord who has given us power to teach and to hear1 let ,him also give us the power to serve and to do40 ,,luke #b ,glory to ,god in the highest1 ,and on earth peace1 ,good will to men4 ,,isaiah #dj ,the ,word of our ,god shall stand forever4 ,,theodore ,,graebner ,st4 ,louis1 ,missouri ,,from ,,luther',s ,,introduction1 #aech ,in my heart reigns this one article1 faith in my dear ,lord ,christ1 the beginning1 middle and end of whatever spiritual and divine thoughts ,i may have1 whether by day or by night4 ,,chapter #a ,,verse #a4 ,paul1 an apostle1 7not of men1 neither by man1 but by ,jesus ,christ1 and ,god the ,father1 who raised him from the dead74 ,st4 ,paul wrote this epistle because1 after his departure from the ,galatian churches1 ,jewish-,christian fanatics moved in1 who perverted ,paul's ,gospel of man's free justification by faith in ,christ ,jesus4 ,the world bears the ,gospel a grudge because the ,gospel condemns the religious wisdom of the world4 ,jealous for its own religious views1 the world in turn charges the ,gospel with being a subversive and licentious doctrine1 offensive to ,god and man1 a doctrine to be persecuted as the worst plague on earth4 ,as a result we have this paradoxical situation3 ,the ,gospel supplies the world with the salvation of ,jesus ,christ1 peace of conscience1 and every blessing4 ,just for that the world abhors the ,gospel4 ,these ,jewish-,christian fanatics who pushed themselves into the ,galatian churches after ,paul's departure1 boasted that they were the descendants of ,abraham1 true ministers of ,christ1 having been trained by the apostles themselves1 that they were able to perform miracles4 ,in every way they sought to undermine the authority of ,st4 ,paul4 ,they said to the ,galatians3 8,you have no right to think highly of ,paul4 ,he was the last to turn to ,christ4 ,but we have seen ,christ4 ,we heard ,him preach4 ,paul came later and is beneath us4 ,it is possible for us to be in error--we who have received the ,holy ,ghost8 ,paul stands alone4 ,he has not seen ,christ1 nor has he had much contact with the other apostles4 ,indeed1 he persecuted the ,church of ,christ for a long time40 ,when men claiming such credentials come along1 they deceive not only the naive1 but also those who seemingly are well-established in the faith4 ,this same argument is used by the papacy4 8,do you suppose that ,god for the sake of a few ,lutheran heretics would disown ,his entire ,church8 ,or do you suppose that ,god would have left ,his ,church floundering in error all these centuries80 ,the ,galatians were taken in by such arguments with the result that ,paul's authority and doctrine were drawn in question4 ,against these boasting1 false apostles1 ,paul boldly defends his apostolic authority and ministry4 ,humble man that he was1 he will not now take a back seat4 ,he reminds them of the time when he opposed ,peter to his face and reproved the chief of the apostles4 ,paul devotes the first two chapters to a defense of his office and his ,gospel1 affirming that he received it1 not from men1 but from the ,lord ,jesus ,christ by special revelation1 and that if he or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel than the one he had preached1 he shall be accursed4 ,the ,certainty of ,our ,calling ,every minister should make much of his calling and impress upon others the fact that he has been delegated by ,god to preach the ,gospel4 ,as the ambassador of a government is honored for his office and not for his private person1 so the minister of ,christ should exalt his office in order to gain authority among men4 ,this is not vain glory1 but needful glorying4 ,paul takes pride in his ministry1 not to his own praise but to the praise of ,god4 ,writing to the ,romans1 he declares1 8,inasmuch as ,i am the apostle of the ,gentiles1 ,i magnify mine office10 i4e41 ,i want to be received not as ,paul of ,tarsus1 but as ,paul the apostle and ambassador of ,jesus ,christ1 in order that people might be more eager to hear4 ,paul exalts his ministry out of the desire to make known the name1 the grace1 and the mercy of ,god4 ,,verse #a4 ,paul1 an apostle1 7not of men1 etc47 ,paul loses no time in defending himself against the charge that he had thrust himself into the ministry4 ,he says to the ,galatians3 8,my call may seem inferior to you4 ,but those who have come to you are either called of men or by man4 ,my call is the highest possible1 for it is by ,jesus ,christ1 and ,god the ,father40 ,when ,paul speaks of those called 8by men10 ,i take it he means those whom neither ,god nor man sent1 but who go wherever they like and speak for themselves4 ,when ,paul speaks of those called 8by man0 ,i take it he means those who have a divine call extended to them through other persons4 ,god calls in two ways4 ,either ,he calls ministers through the agency of men1 or ,he calls them directly as ,he called the prophets and apostles4 ,paul declares that the false apostles were called or sent neither by men1 nor by man4 ,the most they could claim is that they were sent by others4 8,but as for me ,i was called neither of men1 nor by man1 but directly by ,jesus ,christ4 ,my call is in every respect like the call of the apostles4 ,in fact ,i am an apostle40 ,elsewhere ,paul draws a sharp distinction between an apostleship and lesser functions1 as in ,i ,corinthians #ab3bh3 8,and ,god hath set some in the church2 first1 apostles2 secondarily1 prophets2 thirdly1 teachers40 ,he mentions the apostles first because they were appointed directly by ,god4 ,matthias was called in this manner4 ,the apostles chose two candidates and then cast lots1 praying that ,god would indicate which one ,he would have4 ,to be an apostle he had to have his appointment from ,god4 ,in the same manner ,paul was called as the apostle of the ,gentiles4 ,the call is not to be taken lightly4 ,for a person to possess knowledge is not enough4 ,he must be sure that he is properly called4 ,those who operate without a proper call seek no good purpose4 ,god does not bless their labors4 ,they may be good preachers1 but they do not edify4 ,many of the fanatics of our day pronounce words of faith1 but they bear no good fruit1 because their purpose is to turn men to their perverse opinions4 ,on the other hand1 those who have a divine call must suffer a good deal of opposition in order that they may become fortified against the running attacks of the devil and the world4 ,this is our comfort in the ministry1 that ours is a divine office to which we have been divinely called4 ,reversely1 what an awful thing it must be for the conscience if one is not properly called4 ,it spoils one's best work4 ,when ,i was a young man ,i thought ,paul was making too much of his call4 ,i did not understand his purpose4 ,i did not then realize the importance of the ministry4 ,i knew nothing of the doctrine of faith because we were taught sophistry instead of certainty1 and nobody understood spiritual boasting4 ,we exalt our calling1 not to gain glory among men1 or money1 or satisfaction1 or favor1 but because people need to be assured that the words we speak are the words of ,god4 ,this is no sinful pride4 ,it is holy pride4 ,,verse #a4 ,and ,god the ,father1 who raised him from the dead4 ,paul is so eager to come to the subject matter of his epistle1 the righteousness of faith in opposition to the righteousness of works1 that already in the title he must speak his mind4 ,he did not think it quite enough to say that he was an apostle 8by ,jesus ,christ02 he adds1 8and ,god the ,father1 who raised him from the dead40 ,the clause seems superfluous on first sight4 ,yet ,paul had a good reason for adding it4 ,he had to deal with ,satan and his agents who endeavored to deprive him of the righteousness of ,christ1 who was raised by ,god the ,father from the dead4 ,these perverters of the righteousness of ,christ resist the ,father and the ,son1 and the works of them both4 ,in this whole epistle ,paul treats of the resurrection of ,christ4 ,by ,his resurrection ,christ won the victory over law1 sin1 flesh1 world1 devil1 death1 hell1 and every evil4 ,and this ,his victory ,he donated unto us4 ,these many tyrants and enemies of ours may accuse and frighten us1 but they dare not condemn us1 for ,christ1 whom ,god the ,father has raised from the dead is our righteousness and our victory4 ,do you notice how well suited to his purpose ,paul writes8 ,he does not say1 8,by ,god who made heaven and earth1 who is ,lord of the angels10 but ,paul has in mind the righteousness of ,christ1 and speaks to the point1 saying1 8,i am an apostle1 not of men1 neither by man1 but by ,jesus ,christ1 and ,god the ,father1 who raised him from the dead40 ,,verse #b4 ,and all the brethren which are with me4 ,this should go far in shutting the mouths of the false apostles4 ,paul's intention is to exalt his own ministry while discrediting theirs4 ,he adds for good measure the argument that he does not stand alone1 but that all the brethren with him attest to the fact that his doctrine is divinely true4 8,although the brethren with me are not apostles like myself1 yet they are all of one mind with me1 think1 write1 and teach as ,i do40 ,,verse #b4 ,unto the churches of ,galatia4 ,paul had preached the ,gospel throughout ,galatia1 founding many churches which after his departure were invaded by the false apostles4 ,the ,anabaptists in our time imitate the false apostles4 ,they do not go where the enemies of the ,gospel predominate4 ,they go where the ,christians are4 ,why do they not invade the ,catholic provinces and preach their doctrine to godless princes1 bishops1 and doctors1 as we have done by the help of ,god8 ,these soft martyrs take no chances4 ,they go where the ,gospel has a hold1 so that they may not endanger their lives4 ,the false apostles would not go to ,jerusalem of ,caiaphas1 or to the ,rome of the ,emperor1 or to any other place where no man had preached before as ,paul and the other apostles did4 ,but they came to the churches of ,galatia1 knowing that where men profess the name of ,christ they may feel secure4 ,it is the lot of ,god's ministers not only to suffer opposition at the hand of a wicked world1 but also to see the patient indoctrination of many years quickly undone by such religious fanatics4 ,this hurts more than the persecution of tyrants4 ,we are treated shabbily on the outside by tyrants1 on the inside by those whom we have restored to the liberty of the ,gospel1 and also by false brethren4 ,but this is our comfort and our glory1 that being called of ,god we have the promise of everlasting life4 ,we look for that reward which 8eye hath not seen1 nor ear heard1 neither hath entered into the heart of man40 ,jerome raises the question why ,paul called them churches that were no churches1 inasmuch as the ,galatians had forsaken the grace of ,christ for the law of ,moses4 ,the proper answer is3 ,although the ,galatians had fallen away from the doctrine of ,paul1 baptism1 the ,gospel1 and the name of ,christ continued among them4 ,not all the ,galatians had become perverted4 ,there were some who clung to the right view of the ,word and the ,sacraments4 ,these means cannot be contaminated4 ,they remain divine regardless of men's opinion4 ,wherever the means of grace are found1 there is the ,holy ,church1 even though ,antichrist reigns there4 ,so much for the title of the epistle4 ,now follows the greeting of the apostle4 ,,verse #c4 ,grace be to you1 and peace1 from ,god the ,father1 and from our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,the terms of grace and peace are common terms with ,paul and are now pretty well understood4 ,but since we are explaining this epistle1 you will not mind if we repeat what we have so often explained elsewhere4 ,the article of justification must be sounded in our ears incessantly because the frailty of our flesh will not permit us to take hold of it perfectly and to believe it with all our heart4 ,the greeting of the ,apostle is refreshing4 ,grace remits sin1 and peace quiets the conscience4 ,sin and conscience torment us1 but ,christ has overcome these fiends now and forever4 ,only ,christians possess this victorious knowledge given from above4 ,these two terms1 grace and peace1 constitute ,christianity4 ,grace involves the remission of sins1 peace1 and a happy conscience4 ,sin is not canceled by lawful living1 for no person is able to live up to the ,law4 ,the ,law reveals guilt1 fills the conscience with terror1 and drives men to despair4 ,much less is sin taken away by man-invented endeavors4 ,the fact is1 the more a person seeks credit for himself by his own efforts1 the deeper he goes into debt4 ,nothing can take away sin except the grace of ,god4 ,in actual living1 however1 it is not so easy to persuade oneself that by grace alone1 in opposition to every other means1 we obtain the forgiveness of our sins and peace with ,god4 ,the world brands this a pernicious doctrine4 ,the world advances free will1 the rational and natural approach of good works1 as the means of obtaining the forgiveness of sin4 ,but it is impossible to gain peace of conscience by the methods and means of the world4 ,experience proves this4 ,various holy orders have been launched for the purpose of securing peace of conscience through religious exercises1 but they proved failures because such devices only increase doubt and despair4 ,we find no rest for our weary bones unless we cling to the word of grace4 ,the ,apostle does not wish the ,galatians grace and peace from the emperor1 or from kings1 or from governors1 but from ,god the ,father4 ,he wishes them heavenly peace1 the kind of which ,jesus spoke when ,he said1 8,peace ,i leave unto you3 my peace ,i give unto you40 ,worldly peace provides quiet enjoyment of life and possessions4 ,but in affliction1 particularly in the hour of death1 the grace and peace of the world will not deliver us4 ,however1 the grace and peace of ,god will4 ,they make a person strong and courageous to bear and to overcome all difficulties1 even death itself1 because we have the victory of ,christ's death and the assurance of the forgiveness of our sins4 ,men ,should ,not ,speculate ,about the ,nature of ,god ,the ,apostle adds to the salutation the words1 8and from our ,lord ,jesus ,christ40 ,was it not enough to say1 8from ,god the ,father08 ,it is a principle of the ,bible that we are not to inquire curiously into the nature of ,god4 8,there shall no man see me1 and live10 ,exodus #cc3bj4 ,all who trust in their own merits to save them disregard this principle and lose sight of the ,mediator1 ,jesus ,christ4 ,true ,christian theology does not inquire into the nature of ,god1 but into ,god's purpose and will in ,christ1 whom ,god incorporated in our flesh to live and to die for our sins4 ,there is nothing more dangerous than to speculate about the incomprehensible power1 wisdom1 and majesty of ,god when the conscience is in turmoil over sin4 ,to do so is to lose ,god altogether because ,god becomes intolerable when we seek to measure and to comprehend ,his infinite majesty4 ,we are to seek ,god as ,paul tells us in ,i ,corinthians #a3bc1 #bd3 8,we preach ,christ crucified1 unto the ,jews a stumbling block1 and unto the ,greeks foolishness2 but unto them which are called1 both ,jews and ,greeks1 ,christ the power of ,god1 and the wisdom of ,god40 ,begin with ,christ4 ,he came down to earth1 lived among men1 suffered1 was crucified1 and then ,he died1 standing clearly before us1 so that our hearts and eyes may fasten upon ,him4 ,thus we shall be kept from climbing into heaven in a curious and futile search after the nature of ,god4 ,if you ask how ,god may be found1 who justifies sinners1 know that there is no other ,god besides this man ,christ ,jesus4 ,embrace ,him1 and forget about the nature of ,god4 ,but these fanatics who exclude our ,mediator in their dealings with ,god1 do not believe me4 ,did not ,christ ,himself say3 8,i am the way1 and the truth1 and the life3 no man cometh unto the ,father1 but by me08 ,without ,christ there is no access to the ,father1 but futile rambling2 no truth1 but hypocrisy2 no life1 but eternal death4 ,when you argue about the nature of ,god apart from the question of justification1 you may be as profound as you like4 ,but when you deal with conscience and with righteousness over against the law1 sin1 death1 and the devil1 you must close your mind to all inquiries into the nature of ,god1 and concentrate upon ,jesus ,christ1 who says1 8,come unto me1 all ye that labor and are heavy laden1 and ,i will give you rest40 ,doing this1 you will recognize the power1 and majesty condescending to your condition according to ,paul's statement to the ,colossians1 8,in ,christ are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge10 and1 8,in him dwelleth all the fulness of the ,godhead bodily40 ,paul in wishing grace and peace not alone from ,god the ,father1 but also from ,jesus ,christ1 wants to warn us against the curious incursions into the nature of ,god4 ,we are to hear ,christ1 who has been appointed by the ,father as our divine ,teacher4 ,christ is ,god by ,nature ,at the same time1 ,paul confirms our creed1 8that ,christ is very ,god40 ,we need such frequent confirmation of our faith1 for ,satan will not fail to attack it4 ,he hates our faith4 ,he knows that it is the victory which overcometh him and the world4 ,that ,christ is very ,god is apparent in that ,paul ascribes to ,him divine powers equally with the ,father1 as for instance1 the power to dispense grace and peace4 ,this ,jesus could not do unless ,he were ,god4 ,to bestow peace and grace lies in the province of ,god1 who alone can create these blessings4 ,the angels cannot4 ,the apostles could only distribute these blessings by the preaching of the ,gospel4 ,in attributing to ,christ the divine power of creating and giving grace1 peace1 everlasting life1 righteousness1 and forgiveness of sins1 the conclusion is inevitable that ,christ is truly ,god4 ,similarly1 ,st4 ,john concludes from the works attributed to the ,father and the ,son that they are divinely ,one4 ,hence1 the gifts which we receive from the ,father and from the ,son are one and the same4 ,otherwise ,paul should have written3 8,grace from ,god the ,father1 and peace from our ,lord ,jesus ,christ40 ,in combining them he ascribes them equally to the ,father and the ,son4 ,i stress this on account of the many errors emanating from the sects4 ,the ,arians were sharp fellows4 ,admitting that ,christ had two natures1 and that ,he is called 8very ,god of very ,god10 they were yet able to deny ,his divinity4 ,the ,arians took ,christ for a noble and perfect creature1 superior even to the angels1 because by ,him ,god created heaven and earth4 ,mohammed also speaks highly of ,christ4 ,but all their praise is mere palaver to deceive men4 ,paul's language is different4 ,to paraphrase him3 8,you are established in this belief that ,christ is very ,god because ,he gives grace and peace1 gifts which only ,god can create and bestow40 ,,verse #d4 ,who gave himself for our sins4 ,paul sticks to his theme4 ,he never loses sight of the purpose of his epistle4 ,he does not say1 8,who received our works10 but 8who gave40 ,gave what8 ,not gold1 or silver1 or paschal lambs1 or an angel1 but ,himself4 ,what for8 ,not for a crown1 or a kingdom1 or our goodness1 but for our sins4 ,these words are like so many thunderclaps of protest from heaven against every kind and type of self-merit4 ,underscore these words1 for they are full of comfort for sore consciences4 ,how may we obtain remission of our sins8 ,paul answers3 8,the man who is named ,jesus ,christ and the ,son of ,god gave himself for our sins40 ,the heavy artillery of these words explodes papacy1 works1 merits1 superstitions4 ,for if our sins could be removed by our own efforts1 what need was there for the ,son of ,god to be given for them8 ,since ,christ was given for our sins it stands to reason that they cannot be put away by our own efforts4 ,this sentence also defines our sins as great1 so great1 in fact1 that the whole world could not make amends for a single sin4 ,the greatness of the ransom1 ,christ1 the ,son of ,god1 indicates this4 ,the vicious character of sin is brought out by the words 8who gave himself for our sins40 ,so vicious is sin that only the sacrifice of ,christ could atone for sin4 ,when we reflect that the one little word 8sin0 embraces the whole kingdom of ,satan1 and that it includes everything that is horrible1 we have reason to tremble4 ,but we are careless4 ,we make light of sin4 ,we think that by some little work or merit we can dismiss sin4 ,this passage1 then1 bears out the fact that all men are sold under sin4 ,sin is an exacting despot who can be vanquished by no created power1 but by the sovereign power of ,jesus ,christ alone4 ,all this is of wonderful comfort to a conscience troubled by the enormity of sin4 ,sin cannot harm those who believe in ,christ1 because ,he has overcome sin by ,his death4 ,armed with this conviction1 we are enlightened and may pass judgment upon the papists1 monks1 nuns1 priests1 ,mohammedans1 ,anabaptists1 and all who trust in their own merits1 as wicked and destructive sects that rob ,god and ,christ of the honor that belongs to them alone4 ,note especially the pronoun 8our0 and its significance4 ,you will readily grant that ,christ gave ,himself for the sins of ,peter1 ,paul1 and others who were worthy of such grace4 ,but feeling low1 you find it hard to believe that ,christ gave ,himself for your sins4 ,our feelings shy at a personal application of the pronoun 8our0 and we refuse to have anything to do with ,god until we have made ourselves worthy by good deeds4 ,this attitude springs from a false conception of sin1 the conception that sin is a small matter1 easily taken care of by good works2 that we must present ourselves unto ,god with a good conscience2 that we must feel no sin before we may feel that ,christ was given for our sins4 ,this attitude is universal and particularly developed in those who consider themselves better than others4 ,such readily confess that they are frequent sinners1 but they regard their sins as of no such importance that they cannot easily be dissolved by some good action1 or that they may not appear before the tribunal of ,christ and demand the reward of eternal life for their righteousness4 ,meantime they pretend great humility and acknowledge a certain degree of sinfulness for which they soulfully join in the publican's prayer1 8,god be merciful to me a sinner40 ,but the real significance and comfort of the words 8for our sins0 is lost upon them4 ,the genius of ,christianity takes the words of ,paul 8who gave himself for our sins0 as true and efficacious4 ,we are not to look upon our sins as insignificant trifles4 ,on the other hand1 we are not to regard them as so terrible that we must despair4 ,learn to believe that ,christ was given1 not for picayune and imaginary transgressions1 but for mountainous sins2 not for one or two1 but for all2 not for sins that can be discarded1 but for sins that are stubbornly ingrained4 ,practice this knowledge and fortify yourself against despair1 particularly in the last hour1 when the memory of past sins assails the conscience4 ,say with confidence3 8,christ1 the ,son of ,god1 was given not for the righteous1 but for sinners4 ,if ,i had no sin ,i should not need ,christ4 ,no1 ,satan1 you cannot delude me into thinking ,i am holy4 ,the truth is1 ,i am all sin4 ,my sins are not imaginary transgressions1 but sins against the first table1 unbelief1 doubt1 despair1 contempt1 hatred1 ignorance of ,god1 ingratitude towards ,him1 misuse of ,his name1 neglect of ,his ,word1 etc42 and sins against the second table1 dishonor of parents1 disobedience of government1 coveting of another's possessions1 etc4 ,granted that ,i have not committed murder1 adultery1 theft1 and similar sins in deed1 nevertheless ,i have committed them in the heart1 and therefore ,i am a transgressor of all the commandments of ,god4 8,because my transgressions are multiplied and my own efforts at self-justification rather a hindrance than a furtherance1 therefore ,christ the ,son of ,god gave ,himself into death for my sins40 ,to believe this is to have eternal life4 ,let us equip ourselves against the accusations of ,satan with this and similar passages of ,holy ,scripture4 ,if he says1 8,thou shalt be damned10 you tell him3 8,no1 for ,i fly to ,christ who gave ,himself for my sins4 ,in accusing me of being a damnable sinner1 you are cutting your own throat1 ,satan4 ,you are reminding me of ,god's fatherly goodness toward me1 that ,he so loved the world that ,he gave ,his only-begotten ,son that whosoever believeth in ,him should not perish1 but have everlasting life4 ,in calling me a sinner1 ,satan1 you really comfort me above measure40 ,with such heavenly cunning we are to meet the devil's craft and put from us the memory of sin4 ,st4 ,paul also presents a true picture of ,christ as the virgin-born ,son of ,god1 delivered into death for our sins4 ,to entertain a true conception of ,christ is important1 for the devil describes ,christ as an exacting and cruel judge who condemns and punishes men4 ,tell him that his definition of ,christ is wrong1 that ,christ has given ,himself for our sins1 that by ,his sacrifice ,he has taken away the sins of the whole world4 ,make ample use of this pronoun 8our0 ,be assured that ,christ has canceled the sins1 not of certain persons only1 but your sins4 ,do not permit yourself to be robbed of this lovely conception of ,christ4 ,christ is no ,moses1 no law-giver1 no tyrant1 but the ,mediator for sins1 the ,giver of grace and life4 ,we know this4 ,yet in the actual conflict with the devil1 when he scares us with the ,law1 when he frightens us with the very person of the ,mediator1 when he misquotes the words of ,christ1 and distorts for us our ,savior1 we so easily lose sight of our sweet ,high-,priest4 ,for this reason ,i am so anxious for you to gain a true picture of ,christ out of the words of ,paul 8who gave himself for our sins40 ,obviously1 ,christ is no judge to condemn us1 for ,he gave ,himself for our sins4 ,he does not trample the fallen but raises them4 ,he comforts the broken-hearted4 ,otherwise ,paul should lie when he writes 8who gave himself for our sins40 ,i do not bother my head with speculations about the nature of ,god4 ,i simply attach myself to the human ,christ1 and ,i find joy and peace1 and the wisdom of ,god in ,him4 ,these are not new truths4 ,i am repeating what the apostles and all teachers of ,god have taught long ago4 ,would to ,god we could impregnate our hearts with these truths4 ,,verse #d4 ,that he might deliver us from this present evil world4 ,paul calls this present world evil because everything in it is subject to the malice of the devil1 who reigns over the whole world as his domain and fills the air with ignorance1 contempt1 hatred1 and disobedience of ,god4 ,in this devil's kingdom we live4 ,as long as a person is in the world he cannot by his own efforts rid himself of sin1 because the world is bent upon evil4 ,the people of the world are the slaves of the devil4 ,if we are not in the ,kingdom of ,christ1 it is certain we belong to the kingdom of ,satan and we are pressed into his service with every talent we possess4 ,take the talents of wisdom and integrity4 ,without ,christ1 wisdom is double foolishness and integrity double sin1 because they not only fail to perceive the wisdom and righteousness of ,christ1 but hinder and blaspheme the salvation of ,christ4 ,paul justly calls it the evil or wicked world1 for when the world is at its best the world is at its worst4 ,the grossest vices are small faults in comparison with the wisdom and righteousness of the world4 ,these prevent men from accepting the ,gospel of the righteousness of ,christ4 ,the white devil of spiritual sin is far more dangerous than the black devil of carnal sin because the wiser1 the better men are without ,christ1 the more they are likely to ignore and oppose the ,gospel4 ,with the words1 8that he might deliver us10 ,paul argues that we stand in need of ,christ4 ,no other being can possibly deliver us from this present evil world4 ,do not let the fact disturb you that a great many people enjoy excellent reputations without ,christ4 ,remember what ,paul says1 that the world with all its wisdom1 might1 and righteousness is the devil's own4 ,god alone is able to deliver us from the world4 ,let us praise and thank ,god for ,his mercy in delivering us from the captivity of ,satan1 when we were unable to do so by our own strength4 ,let us confess with ,paul that all our work-righteousness is loss and dung4 ,let us condemn as filthy rags all talk about free will1 all religious orders1 masses1 ceremonies1 vows1 fastings1 and the like4 ,in branding the world the devil's kingdom of iniquity1 ignorance1 error1 sin1 death1 and everlasting despair1 ,paul at the same time declares the ,kingdom of ,christ to be a kingdom of equity1 light1 grace1 remission of sin1 peace1 saving health1 and everlasting life into which we are translated by our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 to whom be glory forever4 ,in this passage ,paul contends against the false apostles for the article of ,justification4 ,christ1 says ,paul1 has delivered us from this wicked kingdom of the devil and the world according to the good will1 the pleasure and commandment of the ,father4 ,hence we are not delivered by our own will1 or shrewdness1 or wisdom1 but by the mercy and love of ,god1 as it is written1 ,i ,john #d3aj1 8,herein is love1 not that we loved ,god1 but that he loved us1 and sent his ,son to be the propitiation for our sins40 ,another reason why ,paul1 like ,john1 emphasizes the ,father's will is ,christ's habit of directing attention to the ,father4 ,for ,christ came into the world to reconcile ,god with us and to draw us to the ,father4 ,not by curious inquiries into the nature of ,god shall we know ,god and ,his purpose for our salvation1 but by taking hold of ,christ1 who according to the will of the ,father has given ,himself into death for our sins4 ,when we understand this to be the will of the ,father in ,christ1 then shall we know ,god to be merciful1 and not angry4 ,we shall realize that ,he loved us wretched sinners so much indeed that ,he gave us ,his only-begotten ,son into death for us4 ,the pronoun 8our0 refers to both ,god and ,father4 ,he is our ,god and our ,father4 ,christ's ,father and our ,father are one and the same4 ,hence ,christ said to ,mary ,magdalene3 8,go to my brethren1 and say unto them1 ,i ascend unto my ,father1 and your ,father2 and to my ,god1 and your ,god40 ,god is our ,father and our ,god1 but only in ,christ ,jesus4 ,,verse #e4 ,to whom be glory for ever and ever4 ,amen4 ,hebrew writing is interspersed with expressions of praise and gratitude4 ,this peculiarity can be traced in the apostolic writings1 particularly in those of ,paul4 ,the name of the ,lord is to be mentioned with great reverence and thanksgiving4 ,,verse #f4 ,i marvel4 ,how patiently ,paul deals with his seduced ,galatians6 ,he does not pounce on them but1 like a father1 he fairly excuses their error4 ,with motherly affection he talks to them yet he does it in a way that at the same time he also reproves them4 ,on the other hand1 he is highly indignant at the seducers whom he blames for the apostasy of the ,galatians4 ,his anger bursts forth in elemental fury at the beginning of his epistle4 8,if any may10 he cries1 8preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received1 let him be accursed40 ,later on1 in the fifth chapter1 he threatens the false apostles with damnation4 8,he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment1 whosoever he be40 ,he pronounces a curse upon them4 8,i would they were even cut off which trouble you40 ,he might have addressed the ,galatians after this fashion3 8,i am ashamed of you4 ,your ingratitude grieves me4 ,i am angry with you40 ,but his purpose was to call them back to the ,gospel4 ,with this purpose in his mind he speaks very gently to them4 ,he could not have chosen a milder expression than this1 8,i marvel40 ,it indicates his sorrow and his displeasure4 ,paul minds the rule which he himself lays down in a later chapter where he says3 8,brethren1 if a man be overtaken in a fault1 ye which are spiritual1 restore such an one in the spirit of meekness2 considering thyself1 lest thou also be tempted40 ,toward those who have been misled we are to show ourselves parentally affectionate1 so that they may perceive that we seek not their destruction but their salvation4 ,over against the devil and his missionaries1 the authors of false doctrines and sects1 we ought to be like the ,apostle1 impatient1 and rigorously condemnatory1 as parents are with the dog that bites their little one1 but the weeping child itself they soothe4 ,the right spirit in ,paul supplies him with an extraordinary facility in handling the afflicted consciences of the fallen4 ,the ,pope and his bishops1 inspired by the desire to lord it over men's souls1 crack out thunders and curses upon miserable consciences4 ,they have no care for the saving of men's souls4 ,they are interested only in maintaining their position4 ,,verse #f4 ,that ye are so soon4 ,paul deplores the fact that it is difficult for the mind to retain a sound and steadfast faith4 ,a man labors for a decade before he succeeds in training his little church into orderly religion1 and then some ignorant and vicious poltroon comes along to overthrow in a minute the patient labor of years4 ,by the grace of ,god we have effected here in ,wittenberg the form of a ,christian church4 ,the ,word of ,god is taught as it should be1 the ,sacraments are administered1 and everything is prosperous4 ,this happy condition1 secured by many years of arduous labors1 some lunatic might spoil in a moment4 ,this happened in the churches of ,galatia which ,paul had brought into life in spiritual travail4 ,soon after his departure1 however1 these ,galatian churches were thrown into confusion by the false apostles4 ,the church is a tender plant4 ,it must be watched4 ,people hear a couple of sermons1 scan a few pages of ,holy ,writ1 and think they know it all4 ,they are bold because they have never gone through any trials of faith4 ,void of the ,holy ,spirit1 they teach what they please as long as it sounds good to the common people who are ever ready to join something new4 ,we have to watch out for the devil lest he sow tares among the wheat while we sleep4 ,no sooner had ,paul turned his back on the churches of ,galatia1 than the false apostles went to work4 ,therefore1 let us watch over ourselves and over the whole church4 ,,verse #f4 ,i marvel that ye are so soon removed4 ,again the ,apostle puts in a gentle word4 ,he does not berate the ,galatians1 8,i marvel that ye are so unsteady1 unfaithful40 ,he says1 8,i marvel that ye are so soon removed40 ,he does not address them as evildoers4 ,he speaks to them as people who have suffered great loss4 ,he condemns those who removed them rather than the ,galatians4 ,at the same time he gently reproves them for permitting themselves to be removed4 ,the criticism is implied that they should have been rather a little more settled in their beliefs4 ,if they had taken better hold of the ,word they could not have been removed so easily4 ,jerome thinks that ,paul is playing upon the name ,galatians1 deriving it from the ,hebrew word ,galath1 which means fallen or carried away1 as though ,paul wanted to say1 8,you are true ,galatians1 i4e41 fallen away in name and in fact40 ,some believe that the ,germans are descended from the ,galatians4 ,there may be something to that4 ,for the ,germans are not unlike the ,galatians in their lack of constancy4 ,at first we ,germans are very enthusiastic1 but presently our emotions cool and we become slack4 ,when the light of the ,gospel first came to us many were zealous1 heard sermons greedily1 and held the ministry of ,god's ,word in high esteem4 ,but now that religion has been reformed1 many who formerly were such earnest disciples have discarded the ,word of ,god1 have become sow-bellies like the foolish and inconsistent ,galatians4 ,,verse #f4 ,from him that called you into the grace of ,christ4 ,the reading is a little doubtful4 ,the sentence may be construed to read3 8,from that ,christ that called you into grace02 or it may be construed to read3 8,from ,god that called you into the grace of ,christ40 ,i prefer the former for it seems to me that ,paul's purpose is to impress upon us the benefits of ,christ4 ,this reading also preserves the implied criticism that the ,galatians withdrew themselves from that ,christ who had called them not unto the law1 but unto grace4 ,with ,paul we decry the blindness and perverseness of men in that they will not receive the message of grace and salvation1 or having received it they quickly let go of it1 in spite of the fact that the ,gospel bestows all good things spiritual3 forgiveness of sins1 true righteousness1 peace of conscience1 everlasting life2 and all good things temporal3 good judgment1 good government and peace4 ,why does the world abhor the glad tidings of the ,gospel and the blessings that go with it8 ,because the world is the devil's4 ,under his direction the world persecutes the ,gospel and would if it could nail again ,christ1 the ,son of ,god1 to the ,cross although ,he gave ,himself into death for the sins of the world4 ,the world dwells in darkness4 ,the world is darkness4 ,paul accentuates the point that the ,galatians had been called by ,christ unto grace4 8,i taught you the doctrine of grace and of liberty from the ,law1 from sin and wrath1 that you should be free in ,christ1 and not slaves to the hard laws of ,moses4 ,will you allow yourselves to be carried away so easily from the living fountain of grace and life80 ,,verse #f4 ,unto another gospel4 ,note the resourcefulness of the devil4 ,heretics do not advertise their errors4 ,murderers1 adulterers1 thieves disguise themselves4 ,so the devil masquerades all his devices and activities4 ,he puts on white to make himself look like an angel of light4 ,he is astoundingly clever to sell his patent poison for the ,gospel of ,christ4 ,knowing ,satan's guile1 ,paul sardonically calls the doctrine of the false apostles 8another gospel10 as if he would say1 8,you ,galatians have now another gospel1 while my ,gospel is no longer esteemed by you40 ,we infer from this that the false apostles had depreciated the ,gospel of ,paul among the ,galatians on the plea that it was incomplete4 ,their objection to ,paul's ,gospel is identical to that recorded in the fifteenth chapter of the ,book of ,acts to the effect that it was not enough for the ,galatians to believe in ,christ1 or to be baptized1 but that it was needful to circumcise them1 and to command them to keep the law of ,moses1 for 8except ye be circumcised after the manner of ,moses1 ye cannot be saved40 ,as though ,christ were a workman who had begun a building and left it for ,moses to finish4 ,today the ,anabaptists and others1 finding it difficult to condemn us1 accuse us ,lutherans of timidity in professing the whole truth4 ,they grant that we have laid the foundation in ,christ1 but claim that we have failed to go through with the building4 ,in this way these perverse fanatics parade their cursed doctrine as the ,word of ,god1 and1 flying the flag of ,god's name1 they deceive many4 ,the devil knows better than to appear ugly and black4 ,he prefers to carry on his nefarious activities in the name of ,god4 ,hence the ,german proverb3 8,all mischief begins in the name of ,god40 ,when the devil sees that he cannot hurt the cause of the ,gospel by destructive methods1 he does it under the guise of correcting and advancing the cause of the ,gospel4 ,he would like best of all to persecute us with fire and sword1 but this method has availed him little because through the blood of martyrs the church has been watered4 ,unable to prevail by force1 he engages wicked and ungodly teachers who at first make common cause with us1 then claim that they are particularly called to teach the hidden mysteries of the ,scriptures to superimpose upon the first principles of ,christian doctrine that we teach4 ,this sort of thing brings the ,gospel into trouble4 ,may we all cling to the ,word of ,christ against the wiles of the devil1 8for we wrestle not against flesh and blood1 but against principalities1 against powers1 against the rulers of the darkness of this world1 against spiritual wickedness in high places40 ,,verse #g4 ,which is not another2 but there be some that trouble you4 ,here again the apostle excuses the ,galatians1 while he blames the false apostles for disturbing their consciences and for stealing them out of his hand4 ,how angry he gets at these deceivers6 ,he calls them troublemakers1 seducers of poor consciences4 ,this passage adduces further evidence that the false apostles defamed ,paul as an imperfect apostle and a weak and erroneous preacher4 ,they condemn ,paul1 ,paul condemns them4 ,such warfare of condemnation is always going on in the church4 ,the papists and the fanatics hate us1 condemn our doctrine1 and want to kill us4 ,we in turn hate and condemn their cursed doctrine4 ,in the meanwhile the people are uncertain whom to follow and which way to turn1 for it is not given to everybody to judge these matters4 ,but the truth will win out4 ,so much is certain1 we persecute no man1 neither does our doctrine trouble men4 ,on the contrary1 we have the testimony of many good men who thank ,god on their knees for the consolation that our doctrine has brought them4 ,like ,paul1 we are not to blame that the churches have trouble4 ,the fault lies with the ,anabaptists and other fanatics4 ,every teacher of work-righteousness is a trouble-maker4 ,has it never occurred to you that the pope1 cardinals1 bishops1 monks1 and that the whole synagogue of ,satan are trouble-makers8 ,the truth is1 they are worse than false apostles4 ,the false apostles taught that in addition to faith in ,christ the works of the ,law of ,god were necessary unto salvation4 ,but the papists omit faith altogether and teach self-devised traditions and works that are not commanded of ,god1 indeed are contrary to the ,word of ,god1 and for these traditions they demand preferred attention and obedience4 ,paul calls the false apostles troublers of the church because they taught circumcision and the keeping of the ,law as needful unto salvation4 ,they insisted that the ,law must be observed in every detail4 ,they were supporters in this contention by the ,jews1 with the result that those who were not firmly established in faith were easily persuaded that ,paul was not a sincere teacher of ,god because he ignored the ,law4 ,the ,jews were offended at the idea that the ,law of ,god should be entirely ignored by ,paul and that the ,gentiles1 former idol-worshippers1 should gratuitously attain to the station of ,god's people without circumcision1 without the penitentiary performance of the law1 by grace alone through faith in ,christ ,jesus4 ,these criticisms were amplified by the false apostles4 ,they accused ,paul of designs to abolish the law of ,god and the ,jewish dispensation1 contrary to the law of ,god1 contrary to their ,jewish heritage1 contrary to apostolic example1 contrary to ,paul's own example4 ,they demanded that ,paul be shunned as a blasphemer and a rebel1 while they were to be heard as true teachers of the ,gospel and authentic disciples of the apostles4 ,thus ,paul stood defamed among the ,galatians4 ,he was forced to attack the false apostles4 ,he did so without hesitation4 ,,verse #g4 ,and would pervert the gospel of ,christ4 ,to paraphrase this sentence3 8,these false apostles do not merely trouble you1 they abolish ,christ's ,gospel4 ,they act as if they were the only true ,gospel-preachers4 ,for all that they muddle ,law and ,gospel4 ,as a result they pervert the ,gospel4 ,either ,christ must live and the ,law perish1 or the ,law remains and ,christ must perish2 ,christ and the ,law cannot dwell side by side in the conscience4 ,it is either grace or law4 ,to muddle the two is to eliminate the ,gospel of ,christ entirely40 ,it seems a small matter to mingle the ,law and ,gospel1 faith and works1 but it creates more mischief than man's brain can conceive4 ,to mix ,law and ,gospel not only clouds the knowledge of grace1 it cuts out ,christ altogether4 ,the words of ,paul1 8and would pervert the gospel of ,christ10 also indicate how arrogant these false apostles were4 ,they were shameless boasters4 ,paul simply had to exalt his own ministry and ,gospel4 ,,verse #h4 ,but though we1 or an angel from heaven1 preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you1 let him be accursed4 ,paul's zeal for the ,gospel becomes so fervent that it almost leads him to curse angels4 8,i would rather that ,i1 my brethren1 yes1 the angels of heaven be anathematized than that my gospel be overthrown40 ,the ,greek word anathema1 ,hebrew herem1 means to accurse1 execrate1 to damn4 ,paul first 7hypothetically7 curses himself4 ,knowing persons first find fault with themselves in order that they may all the more earnestly reprove others4 ,paul maintains that there is no other gospel besides the one he had preached to the ,galatians4 ,he preached1 not a gospel of his own invention1 but the very same ,gospel ,god had long ago prescribed in the ,sacred ,scriptures4 ,no wonder ,paul pronounces curses upon himself and upon others1 upon the angels of heaven1 if anyone should dare to preach any other gospel than ,christ's own4 ,,verse #i4 ,as we said before1 so say ,i now again4 ,if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received1 let him be accursed4 ,paul repeats the curse1 directing it now upon other persons4 ,before1 he cursed himself1 his brethren1 and an angel from heaven4 8,now10 he says1 8if there are any others who preach a gospel different from that you have received from us1 let them also be accursed40 ,paul herewith curses and excommunicates all false teachers including his opponents4 ,he is so worked up that he dares to curse all who pervert his ,gospel4 ,would to ,god that this terrible pronouncement of the ,apostle might strike fear into the hearts of all who pervert the ,gospel of ,paul4 ,the ,galatians might say3 8,paul1 we do not pervert the ,gospel you have brought unto us4 ,we did not quite understand it4 ,that is all4 ,now these teachers who came after you have explained everything so beautifully40 ,this explanation the ,apostle refuses to accept4 ,they must add nothing2 they must correct nothing4 8,what you received from me is the genuine ,gospel of ,god4 ,let it stand4 ,if any man brings any other gospel than the one ,i brought you1 or promises to deliver better things than you have received from me1 let him be accursed40 ,in spite of this emphatic denunciation so many accept the pope as the supreme judge of the ,scriptures4 8,the ,church10 they say1 8chose only four gospels4 ,the ,church might have chosen more4 ,ergo the ,church is above the ,gospel40 ,with equal force one might argue3 8,i approve the ,scriptures4 ,ergo ,i am above the ,scriptures4 ,john the ,baptist confessed ,christ4 ,hence he is above ,christ40 ,paul subordinates himself1 all preachers1 all the angels of heaven1 everybody to the ,sacred ,scriptures4 ,we are not the masters1 judges1 or arbiters1 but witnesses1 disciples1 and confessors of the ,scriptures1 whether we be pope1 ,luther1 ,augustine1 ,paul1 or an angel from heaven4 ,,verse #aj4 ,for do ,i now persuade men1 or ,god8 ,with the same vehemence ,paul continues3 8,you ,galatians ought to be able to tell from my preaching and from the many afflictions which ,i have endured1 whether ,i serve men or ,god4 ,everybody can see that my preaching has stirred up persecution against me everywhere1 and has earned for me the cruel hatred of my own people1 in fact the hatred of all men4 ,this should convince you that by my preaching ,i do not seek the favor and praise of men1 but the glory of ,god40 ,no man can say that we are seeking the favor and praise of men with our doctrine4 ,we teach that all men are naturally depraved4 ,we condemn man's free will1 his strength1 wisdom1 and righteousness4 ,we say that we obtain grace by the free mercy of ,god alone for ,christ's sake4 ,this is no preaching to please men4 ,this sort of preaching procures for us the hatred and disfavor of the world1 persecutions1 excommunications1 murders1 and curses4 8,can't you see that ,i seek no man's favor by my doctrine80 asks ,paul4 8,if ,i were anxious for the favor of men ,i would flatter them4 ,but what do ,i do8 ,i condemn their works4 ,i teach things only that ,i have been commanded to teach from above4 ,for that ,i bring down upon my head the wrath of ,jews and ,gentiles4 ,my doctrine must be right4 ,it must be divine4 ,any other doctrine cannot be better than mine4 ,any other doctrine must be false and wicked40 ,with ,paul we boldly pronounce a curse upon every doctrine that does not agree with ours4 ,we do not preach for the praise of men1 or the favor of princes4 ,we preach for the favor of ,god alone whose grace and mercy we proclaim4 ,whosoever teaches a gospel contrary to ours1 or different from ours1 let us be bold to say that he is sent of the devil4 ,,verse #aj4 ,or do ,i seek to please men8 8,do ,i serve men or ,god80 ,paul keeps an eye on the false apostles1 those flatterers of men4 ,they taught circumcision to avoid the hatred and persecution of men4 ,to this day you will find many who seek to please men in order that they may live in peace and security4 ,they teach whatever is agreeable to men1 no matter whether it is contrary to ,god's ,word or their own conscience4 ,but we who endeavor to please ,god and not men1 stir up hell itself4 ,we must suffer reproach1 slanders1 death4 ,for those who go about to please men we have a word from ,christ recorded in the fifth chapter of ,st4 ,john3 8,how can ye believe1 which receive honor one of another1 and seek not the honor that cometh from ,god alone80 ,,verse #aj4 ,for if ,i yet pleased men1 ,i should not be the servant of ,christ4 ,observe the consummate cleverness with which the false apostles went about to bring ,paul into disrepute4 ,they combed ,paul's writings for contradictions 7our opponents do the same7 to accuse him of teaching contradictory things4 ,they found that ,paul had circumcised ,timothy according to the ,law1 that ,paul had purified himself with four other men in the ,temple at ,jerusalem1 that ,paul had shaven his head at ,cenchrea4 ,the false apostles slyly suggested that ,paul had been constrained by the other apostles to observe these ceremonial laws4 ,we know that ,paul observed these decora out of charitable regard for the weak brethren4 ,he did not want to offend them4 ,but the false apostles turned ,paul's charitable regard to his disadvantage4 ,if ,paul had preached the ,law and circumcision1 if he had commended the strength and free will of man1 he would not have been so obnoxious to the ,jews4 ,on the contrary they would have praised his every action4 ,,verses #aa1 #ab4 ,but ,i certify you1 brethren1 that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man4 ,for ,i neither received it of man1 neither was ,i taught it1 but by the revelation of ,jesus ,christ4 ,this passage constitutes ,paul's chief defense against the accusations of his opponents4 ,he maintains under oath that he received his ,gospel not from men1 but by the revelation of ,jesus ,christ4 ,in declaring that his ,gospel is not after man1 ,paul does not merely wish to state that his ,gospel is not mundane4 ,the false apostles made the same claim for their gospel4 ,paul means to say that he learned his ,gospel not in the usual and accepted manner through the agency of men by hearing1 reading1 or writing4 ,he received the ,gospel by special revelation directly from ,jesus ,christ4 ,paul received his ,gospel on the way to ,damascus when ,christ appeared to him4 ,st4 ,luke furnishes an account of the incident in the ninth chapter of the ,book of ,acts4 8,arise10 said ,christ to ,paul1 8and go into the city1 and it shall be told thee what thou must do40 ,christ did not send ,paul into the city to learn the ,gospel from ,ananias4 ,ananias was only to baptize ,paul1 to lay his hands on ,paul1 to commit the ministry of the ,word unto ,paul1 and to recommend him to the ,church4 ,ananias recognized his limited assignment when he said to ,paul3 8,brother ,saul1 the ,lord1 even ,jesus1 that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest1 hath sent me1 that thou mightest receive thy sight1 and be filled with the ,holy ,ghost40 ,paul did not receive instruction from ,ananias4 ,paul had already been called1 enlightened1 and taught by ,christ in the road4 ,his contact with ,ananias was merely a testimonial to the fact that ,paul had been called by ,christ to preach the ,gospel4 ,paul was forced to speak of his conversion to combat the slanderous contention of the false apostles to the effect that this apostleship was inferior to that of the other apostles4 ,if it were not for the example of the ,galatian churches ,i would never have thought it possible that anybody who had received the ,word of ,god with such eagerness as they had1 could so quickly let go of it4 ,good ,lord1 what terrible mischief one single false statement can create4 ,the article of justification is fragile4 ,not in itself1 of course1 but in us4 ,i know how quickly a person can forfeit the joy of the ,gospel4 ,i know in what slippery places even those stand who seem to have a good footing in the matters of faith4 ,in the midst of the conflict when we should be consoling ourselves with the ,gospel1 the ,law rears up and begins to rage all over our conscience4 ,i say the ,gospel is frail because we are frail4 ,what makes matters worse is that one-half of ourselves1 our own reason1 stands against us4 ,the flesh resists the spirit1 or as ,paul puts it1 8,the flesh lusteth against the ,spirit40 ,therefore we teach that to know ,christ and to believe in ,him is no achievement of man1 but the gift of ,god4 ,god alone can create and preserve faith in us4 ,god creates faith in us through the ,word4 ,he increases1 strengthens and confirms faith in us through ,his word4 ,hence the best service that anybody can render ,god is diligently to hear and read ,god's ,word4 ,on the other hand1 nothing is more perilous than to be weary of the ,word of ,god4 ,thinking he knows enough1 a person begins little by little to despise the ,word until he has lost ,christ and the ,gospel altogether4 ,let every believer carefully learn the ,gospel4 ,let him continue in humble prayer4 ,we are molested not by puny foes1 but by mighty ones1 foes who never grow tired of warring against us4 ,these1 our enemies1 are many3 ,our own flesh1 the world1 the ,law1 sin1 death1 the wrath and judgment of ,god1 and the devil himself4 ,the arguments which the false apostles advanced impress people to this day4 8,who are you to dissent from the fathers and the entire ,church1 and to bring a contradictory doctrine8 ,are you wiser than so many holy men1 wiser than the whole ,church80 ,when ,satan1 abetted by our own reason1 advances these arguments against us1 we lose heart1 unless we keep on saying to ourselves3 8,i don't care if ,cyprian1 ,ambrose1 ,augustine1 ,peter1 ,paul1 ,john1 or an angel from heaven1 teaches so and so4 ,i know that ,i teach the truth of ,god in ,christ ,jesus40 ,when ,i first took over the defense of the ,gospel1 ,i remembered what ,doctor ,staupitz said to me4 8,i like it well10 he said1 8that the doctrine which you proclaim gives glory to ,god alone and none to man4 ,for never can too much glory1 goodness1 and mercy be ascribed unto ,god40 ,these words of the worthy ,doctor comforted and confirmed me4 ,the ,gospel is true because it deprives men of all glory1 wisdom1 and righteousness and turns over all honor to the ,creator alone4 ,it is safer to attribute too much glory unto ,god than unto man4 ,you may argue that the ,church and the fathers are holy4 ,yet the ,church is compelled to pray3 8,forgive us our trespasses10 ,i am not to be believed1 nor is the ,church to be believed1 or the fathers1 or the apostles1 or an angel from heaven1 if they teach anything contrary to the ,word of ,god4 ,let the ,word of ,god abide forever4 ,peter erred in life and in doctrine4 ,paul might have dismissed ,peter's error as a matter of no consequence4 ,but ,paul saw that ,peter's error would lead to the damage of the whole ,church unless it were corrected4 ,therefore he withstood ,peter to his face4 ,the ,church1 ,peter1 the apostles1 angels from heaven1 are not to be heard unless they teach the genuine ,word of ,god4 ,this argument is not always to our advantage4 ,people ask3 8,whom then shall we believe80 ,our opponents maintain that they teach the pure ,word of ,god4 ,we do not believe them4 ,they in turn hate and persecute us for vile heretics4 ,what can we do about it8 ,with ,paul we glory in the ,gospel of ,jesus ,christ4 ,what do we gain8 ,we are told that our glorying is idle vanity and unadulterated blasphemy4 ,the moment we abase ourselves and give in to the rage of our opponents1 ,papists and ,anabaptists grow arrogant4 ,the ,anabaptists hatch out some new monstrosity4 ,the ,papists revive their old abominations4 ,what to do8 ,let everybody become sure of his calling and doctrine1 that he may boldly say with ,paul3 8,but though we1 or an angel from heaven1 preach any other gospel unto you than ye have received1 let him be accursed40 ,,verses #ac1 #ad4 ,for ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the ,jews' religion1 how that beyond measure ,i persecuted the church of ,god1 and wasted it3 ,and profited in the ,jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation4 ,this passage does not contain doctrine4 ,paul adduces his own case for an example4 8,i have10 he says1 8at one time defended the traditions of the ,pharisees more fiercely than any of your false apostles4 ,now1 if the righteousness of the ,law had been worth anything ,i would never have forsaken it4 ,so carefully did ,i live up to the ,law that ,i excelled many of my companions4 ,so zealous was ,i in defense of the ,law that ,i wasted the church of ,god40 ,,verse #ad4 ,being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers4 ,speaking now of the ,mosaic ,law1 ,paul declares that he was wrapped up in it4 ,to the ,philippians he wrote3 8,as touching the law1 a ,pharisee2 concerning zeal1 persecuting the church2 touching the righteousness which is in the law1 blameless40 ,he means to say1 8,i can compare myself with the best and holiest of all those who are of the circumcision4 ,let them show me if they can1 a more earnest defender of the ,mosaic ,law than ,i was at one time4 ,this fact1 ,o ,galatians1 should have put you on your guard against these deceivers who make so much of the ,law4 ,if anybody ever had reason to glory in the righteousness of the ,law1 it was ,i40 ,i too may say that before ,i was enlightened by the ,gospel1 ,i was as zealous for the papistical laws and traditions of the fathers as ever a man was4 ,i tried hard to live up to every law as best ,i could4 ,i punished myself with fasting1 watching1 praying1 and other exercises more than all those who today hate and persecute me4 ,i was so much in earnest that ,i imposed upon my body more than it could stand4 ,i honored the pope as a matter of conscience4 ,whatever ,i did1 ,i did with a single heart to the glory of ,god4 ,but our opponents1 well-fed idlers that they are1 will not believe what ,i and many others have endured4 ,,verses #ae1 #af1 #ag4 ,but when it pleased ,god1 who separated me from my mother's womb1 and called me by his grace4 ,to reveal his ,son in me1 that ,i might preach him among the heathen2 immediately ,i conferred not with flesh and blood3 ,neither went ,i up to ,jerusalem to them which were apostles before me2 but ,i went into ,arabia1 and returned again unto ,damascus4 ,here ,paul relates that immediately upon being called by ,god to preach the ,gospel to the ,gentiles1 he went into ,arabia without consulting a single person4 8,when it had pleased ,god10 he writes1 8,i did not deserve it4 ,i had been an enemy of ,christ4 ,i had blasphemed ,his ,gospel4 ,i had shed innocent blood4 ,in the midst of my frenzy ,i was called4 ,why8 ,on account of my outrageous cruelty8 ,indeed not4 ,my gracious ,god who shows mercy unto whom ,he will1 pardoned all mine iniquities4 ,he bestowed ,his grace upon me1 and called me for an apostle40 ,we also have come to the knowledge of the truth by the same kindness of ,god4 ,i crucified ,christ daily in my cloistered life1 and blasphemed ,god by my wrong faith4 ,outwardly ,i kept myself chaste1 poor1 and obedient4 ,i was much given to fasting1 watching1 praying1 saying of masses1 and the like4 ,yet under the cloak of my outward respectability ,i continually mistrusted1 doubted1 feared1 hated1 and blasphemed ,god4 ,my righteousness was a filthy puddle4 ,satan loves such saints4 ,they are his darlings1 for they quickly destroy their body and soul by depriving them of the blessings of ,god's generous gifts4 ,i tell you ,i stood in awe of the pope's authority4 ,to dissent from him ,i considered a crime worthy of eternal death4 ,i thought of ,john ,huss as a cursed heretic4 ,i counted it a sin even to think of him4 ,i would gladly have furnished the wood to burn him4 ,i would have felt ,i had done ,god a real service4 ,in comparison with these sanctimonious hypocrites of the papacy1 publicans and harlots are not bad4 ,they at least feel remorse4 ,they at least do not try to justify their wicked deeds4 ,but these pretended saints1 so far from acknowledging their errors1 justify them and regard them as acceptable sacrifices unto ,god4 ,,verse #ae4 ,when it pleased ,god4 8,by the favor of ,god ,i1 a wicked and cursed wretch1 a blasphemer1 persecutor1 and rebel1 was spared4 ,not content to spare me1 ,god granted unto me the knowledge of ,his salvation1 ,his ,spirit1 ,his ,son1 the office of an apostle1 everlasting life40 ,paul speaking4 ,god not only pardoned our iniquities1 but in addition overwhelmed us with blessings and spiritual gifts4 ,many1 however1 are ungrateful4 ,worse1 by opening again a window to the devil many begin to loathe ,god's ,word1 and end by perverting the ,gospel4 ,,verse #ae4 ,who separated me from my mother's womb4 ,this is a ,hebrew expression1 meaning to sanctify1 ordain1 prepare4 ,paul is saying1 8,when ,i was not yet born ,god ordained me to be an apostle1 and in due time confirmed my apostleship before the world4 ,every gift1 be it small or great1 spiritual or temporal1 and every good thing ,i should ever do1 ,god has ordained while ,i was yet in my mother's womb where ,i could neither think nor perform any good thing4 ,after ,i was born ,god supported me4 ,heaping mercy upon mercy1 ,he freely forgave my sins1 replenishing me with ,his grace to enable me to learn what great things are ours in ,christ4 ,to crown it all1 ,he called me to preach the ,gospel to others40 ,,verse #ae4 ,and called me by his grace4 8,did ,god call me on account of my holy life8 ,or on account of my pharisaical religion8 ,or on account of my prayers1 fastings1 and works8 ,never4 ,well1 then1 it is certain ,god did not call me on account of my blasphemies1 persecutions1 oppressions4 ,what prompted ,him to call me8 ,his grace alone40 ,,verse #af4 ,to reveal his ,son to me4 ,we now hear what kind of doctrine was committed to ,paul3 ,the doctrine of the ,gospel1 the doctrine of the revelation of the ,son of ,god4 ,this doctrine differs greatly from the ,law4 ,the ,law terrorizes the conscience4 ,the ,law reveals the wrath and judgment of ,god4 ,the ,gospel does not threaten4 ,the ,gospel announces that ,christ is come to forgive the sins of the world4 ,the ,gospel conveys to us the inestimable treasures of ,god4 ,,verse #af4 ,that ,i might preach him among the heathen4 8,it pleased ,god10 says the ,apostle1 8to reveal himself in me4 ,why8 ,for a twofold purpose4 ,that ,i personally should believe in the ,son of ,god1 and that ,i should reveal ,him to the ,gentiles40 ,paul does not mention the ,jews1 for the simple reason that he was the called and acknowledged apostle of the ,gentiles1 although he preached ,christ also to the ,jews4 ,we can hear the ,apostle saying to himself3 8,i will not burden the ,gentiles with the ,law1 because ,i am their apostle and not their lawgiver4 ,not once did you ,galatians hear me speak of the righteousness of the ,law or of works4 ,my job was to bring you the ,gospel4 ,therefore you ought to listen to no teachers of the ,law1 but the ,gospel3 not ,moses1 but the ,son of ,god2 not the righteousness of works1 but the righteousness of faith must be proclaimed to the ,gentiles4 ,that is the right kind of preaching for ,gentiles40 ,,verse #af4 ,immediately ,i conferred not with flesh and blood4 ,once ,paul had received the ,gospel from ,christ1 he conferred with nobody in ,damascus4 ,he asked no man to teach him4 ,he did not go up to ,jerusalem to sit at the feet of ,peter and the other apostles4 ,at once he preached ,jesus ,christ in ,damascus4 ,,verse #ag4 ,neither went ,i up to ,jerusalem to them which were apostles before me2 but ,i went into ,arabia1 and returned again unto ,damascus4 8,i went to ,arabia before ,i saw any of the apostles4 ,i took it upon myself to preach the ,gospel to the ,gentiles without delay1 because ,christ had called me for that purpose40 ,this statement refutes the assertion of the false apostles that ,paul had been a pupil of the apostles1 from which the false apostles inferred that ,paul had been instructed in the obedience of the ,law1 that therefore the ,gentiles also ought to keep the ,law and submit to circumcision4 ,,verses #ah1 #ai4 ,then after three years ,i went up to ,jerusalem to see ,peter1 and abode with him fifteen days4 ,but other of the apostles saw ,i none1 save ,james the ,lord's brother4 ,paul minutely recounts his personal history to stop the cavil of the false apostles4 ,paul does not deny that he had been with some of the apostles4 ,he went to ,jerusalem uninvited1 not to be instructed1 but to visit with ,peter4 ,luke reports the occasion in the ninth chapter of the ,book of ,acts4 ,barnabas introduced ,paul to the apostles and related to them how ,paul had met the ,lord ,jesus on the way to ,damascus1 also how ,paul had preached boldly at ,damascus in the name of ,jesus4 ,paul says that he saw ,peter and ,james1 but he denies that he learned anything from them4 ,why does ,paul harp on this seemingly unimportant fact8 ,to convince the churches of ,galatia that his ,gospel was the true ,word of ,christ which he learned from ,christ ,himself and from no man4 ,paul was forced to affirm and re-affirm this fact4 ,his usefulness to all the churches that had used him as their pastor and teacher was at stake4 ,,verse #bj4 ,now the things which ,i write unto you1 behold1 before ,god1 ,i lie not4 ,was it necessary for ,paul to go under oath8 ,yes4 ,paul is reporting personal history4 ,how else would the churches believe him8 ,the false apostles might say1 8,who knows whether ,paul is telling the truth80 ,paul1 the elect vessel of ,god1 was held in so little esteem by his own ,galatians to whom he had preached ,christ that it was necessary for him to swear an oath that he spoke the truth4 ,if this happened to ,paul1 what business have we to complain when people doubt our words1 or hold us in little regard1 we who cannot begin to compare ourselves with the ,apostle8 ,,verse #ba4 ,afterwards ,i came into the regions of ,syria and ,cilicia4 ,syria and ,cilicia are adjacent countries4 ,paul traces his movements carefully in order to convince the ,galatians that he had never been the disciple of any apostle4 ,,verses #bb1 #bc1 #bd4 ,and was unknown by face unto the churches of ,judaea which were in ,christ3 ,but they had heard only1 that he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed4 ,and they glorified ,god in me4 ,in ,syria and ,cilicia ,paul won the indorsement of all the churches of ,judea1 by his preaching4 ,all the churches everywhere1 even those of ,judea1 could testify that he had preached the same faith everywhere4 8,and10 ,paul adds1 8these churches glorified ,god in me1 not because ,i taught that circumcision and the law of ,moses should be observed1 but because ,i urged upon all faith in the ,lord ,jesus ,christ40 ,,chapter #b ,,verse #a4 ,then fourteen years after ,i went up again to ,jerusalem4 ,paul taught justification by faith in ,christ ,jesus1 without the deeds of the ,law4 ,he reported this to the disciples at ,antioch4 ,among the disciples were some that had been brought up in the ancient customs of the ,jews4 ,these rose against ,paul in quick indignation1 accusing him of propagating a gospel of lawlessness4 ,great dissension followed4 ,paul and ,barnabas stood up for the truth4 ,they testified3 8,wherever we preached to the ,gentiles1 the ,holy ,ghost came upon those who received the ,word4 ,this happened everywhere4 ,we preached not circumcision1 we did not require observance of the ,law4 ,we preached faith in ,jesus ,christ4 ,at our preaching of faith1 ,god gave to the hearers the ,holy ,ghost40 ,from this fact ,paul and ,barnabas inferred that the ,holy ,ghost approved the faith of the ,gentiles without the ,law and circumcision4 ,if the faith of the ,gentiles had not pleased the ,holy ,ghost1 ,he would not have manifested ,his presence in the uncircumcised hearers of the ,word4 ,unconvinced1 the ,jews fiercely opposed ,paul1 asserting that the ,law ought to be kept and that the ,gentiles ought to be circumcised1 or else they could not be saved4 ,when we consider the obstinacy with which ,romanists cling to their traditions1 we can very well understand the zealous devotion of the ,jews for the ,law4 ,after all1 they had received the ,law from ,god4 ,we can understand how impossible it was for recent converts from ,judaism suddenly to break with the ,law4 ,for that matter1 ,god did bear with them1 as ,he bore with the infirmity of ,israel when the people halted between two religions4 ,was not ,god patient with us also while we were blindfolded by the papacy8 ,god is longsuffering and full of mercy4 ,but we dare not abuse the patience of the ,lord4 ,we dare no longer continue in error now that the truth has been revealed in the ,gospel4 ,the opponents of ,paul had his own example to prefer against him4 ,paul had circumcised ,timothy4 ,paul defended his action on the ground that he had circumcised ,timothy1 not from compulsion1 but from ,christian love1 lest the weak in faith should be offended4 ,his opponents would not accept ,paul's explanation4 ,when ,paul saw that the quarrel was getting out of hand he obeyed the direction of ,god and left for ,jerusalem1 there to confer with the other apostles4 ,he did this not for his own sake1 but for the sake of the people4 ,,verse #a4 ,with ,barnabas1 and took ,titus with me also4 ,paul chose two witnesses1 ,barnabas and ,titus4 ,barnabas had been ,paul's preaching companion to the ,gentiles4 ,barnabas was an eye-witness of the fact that the ,holy ,ghost had come upon the ,gentiles in response to the simple preaching of faith in ,jesus ,christ4 ,barnabas stuck to ,paul on this point1 that it was not necessary for the ,gentiles to be bothered with the ,law as long as they believed in ,christ4 ,titus was superintendent of the churches in ,crete1 having been placed in charge of the churches by ,paul4 ,titus was a former ,gentile4 ,,verse #b4 ,and ,i went up by revelation4 ,if ,god had not ordered ,paul to ,jerusalem1 ,paul would never have gone there4 ,,verse #b4 ,and communicated unto them that gospel4 ,after an absence of fourteen years1 respectively eighteen years1 ,paul returned to ,jerusalem to confer with the other apostles4 ,,verse #b4 ,which ,i preach among the ,gentiles4 ,among the ,jews ,paul allowed ,law and circumcision to stand for the time being4 ,so did all the apostles4 ,nevertheless ,paul held fast to the liberty of the ,gospel4 ,on one occasion he said to the ,jews3 8,through this man 7,christ7 is preached unto you forgiveness of sins2 and by him all that believe are justified from all things1 from which ye could not be justified by the law of ,moses40 7,acts #ac3ci47 ,always remembering the weak1 ,paul did not insist that they break at once with the ,law4 ,paul admits that he conferred with the apostles concerning his ,gospel4 ,but he denies that the conference benefited or taught him anything4 ,the fact is he resisted those who wanted to force the practice of the ,law upon the ,gentiles4 ,they did not overcome him1 he overcame them4 8,your false apostles lie1 when they say that ,i circumcised ,timothy1 shaved my head in ,cenchrea1 and went up to ,jerusalem1 at the request of the apostles4 ,i went to ,jerusalem at the request of ,god4 ,what is more1 ,i won the indorsement of the apostles4 ,my opponents lost out40 ,the matter upon which the apostles deliberated in conference was this3 ,is the observance of the ,law requisite unto justification8 ,paul answered3 8,i have preached faith in ,christ to the ,gentiles1 and not the ,law4 ,if the ,jews want to keep the ,law and be circumcised1 very well1 as long as they do so from a right motive40 ,,verse #b4 ,but privately to them which were of reputation4 ,this is to say1 8,i conferred not only with the brethren1 but with the leaders among them40 ,,verse #b4 ,lest by any means ,i should run1 or had run1 in vain4 ,not that ,paul himself ever thought he had run in vain4 ,however1 many did think that ,paul had preached the ,gospel in vain1 because he kept the ,gentiles free from the yoke of the ,law4 ,the opinion that obedience to the ,law was mandatory unto salvation was gaining ground4 ,paul meant to remedy this evil4 ,by this conference he hoped to establish the identity of his ,gospel with that of the other apostles1 to stop the talk of his opponents that he had been running around in vain4 ,,verse #c4 ,but neither ,titus1 who was with me1 being a ,greek1 was compelled to be circumcised4 ,the word 8compelled0 acquaints us with the outcome of the conference4 ,it was resolved that the ,gentiles should not be compelled to be circumcised4 ,paul did not condemn circumcision in itself4 ,neither by word nor deed did he ever inveigh against circumcision4 ,but he did protest against circumcision being made a condition for salvation4 ,he cited the case of the ,fathers4 8,the fathers were not justified by circumcision4 ,it was to them a sign and seal of righteousness4 ,they looked upon circumcision as a confession of their faith40 ,the believing ,jews1 however1 could not get it through their heads that circumcision was not necessary for salvation4 ,they were encouraged in their wrong attitude by the false apostles4 ,the result was that the people were up in arms against ,paul and his doctrine4 ,paul did not condemn circumcision as if it were a sin to receive it4 ,but he insisted1 and the conference upheld him1 that circumcision had no bearing upon salvation and was therefore not to be forced upon the ,gentiles4 ,the conference agreed that the ,jews should be permitted to keep their ancient customs for the time being1 so long as they did not regard those customs as conveying ,god's justification of the sinner4 ,the false apostles were dissatisfied with the verdict of the conference4 ,they did not want to rest circumcision and the practice of the ,law in ,christian liberty4 ,they insisted that circumcision was obligatory unto salvation4 ,as the opponents of ,paul1 so our own adversaries ,luther's1 the enemies of the ,reformation contend that the traditions of the ,fathers dare not be neglected without loss of salvation4 ,our opponents will not agree with us on anything4 ,they defend their blasphemies4 ,they go as far to enforce them with the sword4 ,paul's victory was complete4 ,titus1 who was with ,paul1 was not compelled to be circumcised1 although he stood in the midst of the apostles when this question of circumcision was debated4 ,this was a blow to the false apostles4 ,with the living fact that ,titus was not compelled to be circumcised ,paul was able to squelch his adversaries4 ,,verses #d1e4 ,and that because of false brethren unawares brought in1 who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in ,christ ,jesus1 that they might bring us into bondage3 ,to whom we gave place by subjection1 no1 not for an hour2 that the truth of the gospel might continue with you4 ,paul here explains his motive for going up to ,jerusalem4 ,he did not go to ,jerusalem to be instructed or confirmed in his ,gospel by the other apostles4 ,he went to ,jerusalem in order to preserve the true ,gospel for the ,galatian churches and for all the churches of the ,gentiles4 ,when ,paul speaks of the truth of the ,gospel he implies by contrast a false gospel4 ,the false apostles also had a gospel1 but it was an untrue gospel4 8,in holding out against them10 says ,paul1 8,i conserved the truth of the pure ,gospel40 ,now the true ,gospel has it that we are justified by faith alone1 without the deeds of the ,law4 ,the false gospel has it that we are justified by faith1 but not without the deeds of the ,law4 ,the false apostles preached a conditional gospel4 ,so do the papists4 ,they admit that faith is the foundation of salvation4 ,but they add the conditional clause that faith can save only when it is furnished with good works4 ,this is wrong4 ,the true ,gospel declares that good works are the embellishment of faith1 but that faith itself is the gift and work of ,god in our hearts4 ,faith is able to justify1 because it apprehends ,christ1 the ,redeemer4 ,human reason can think only in terms of the ,law4 ,it mumbles3 8,this ,i have done1 this ,i have not done40 ,but faith looks to ,jesus ,christ1 the ,son of ,god1 given into death for the sins of the whole world4 ,to turn one's eyes away from ,jesus means to turn them to the ,law4 ,true faith lays hold of ,christ and leans on ,him alone4 ,our opponents cannot understand this4 ,in their blindness they cast away the precious pearl1 ,christ1 and hang onto their stubborn works4 ,they have no idea what faith is4 ,how can they teach faith to others8 ,not satisfied with teaching an untrue gospel1 the false apostles tried to entangle ,paul4 8,they went about10 says ,paul1 8to spy out our liberty which we have in ,christ ,jesus1 that they might bring us into bondage40 ,when ,paul saw through their scheme1 he attacked the false apostles4 ,he says1 8,we did not let go of the liberty which we have in ,christ ,jesus4 ,we routed them by the judgment of the apostles1 and we would not give in to them1 no1 not an inch40 ,we too were willing to make all kinds of concessions to the papists4 ,yes1 we are willing to offer them more than we should4 ,but we will not give up the liberty of conscience which we have in ,christ ,jesus4 ,we refuse to have our conscience bound by any work or law1 so that by doing this or that we should be righteous1 or leaving this or that undone we should be damned4 ,since our opponents will not let it stand that only faith in ,christ justifies1 we will not yield to them4 ,on the question of justification we must remain adamant1 or else we shall lose the truth of the ,gospel4 ,it is a matter of life and death4 ,it involves the death of the ,son of ,god1 who died for the sins of the world4 ,if we surrender faith in ,christ1 as the only thing that can justify us1 the death and resurrection of ,jesus are without meaning2 that ,christ is the ,savior of the world would be a myth4 ,god would be a liar1 because ,he would not have fulfilled ,his promises4 ,our stubbornness is right1 because we want to preserve the liberty which we have in ,christ4 ,only by preserving our liberty shall we be able to retain the truth of the ,gospel inviolate4 ,some will object that the ,law is divine and holy4 ,let it be divine and holy4 ,the ,law has no right to tell me that ,i must be justified by it4 ,the ,law has the right to tell me that ,i should love ,god and my neighbor1 that ,i should live in chastity1 temperance1 patience1 etc4 ,the ,law has no right to tell me how ,i may be delivered from sin1 death1 and hell4 ,it is the ,gospel's business to tell me that4 ,i must listen to the ,gospel4 ,it tells me1 not what ,i must do1 but what ,jesus ,christ1 the ,son of ,god1 has done for me4 ,to conclude1 ,paul refused to circumcise ,titus for the reason that the false apostles wanted to compel him to circumcise ,titus4 ,paul refused to accede to their demands4 ,if they had asked it on the plea of brotherly love1 ,paul would not have denied them4 ,but because they demanded it on the ground that it was necessary for salvation1 ,paul defied them1 and prevailed4 ,titus was not circumcised4 ,,verse #f4 ,but of those who seemed to be somewhat1 whatsoever they were1 it maketh no matter to me4 ,this is a good point in ,paul's refutation4 ,paul disparages the authority and dignity of the true apostles4 ,he says of them1 8,which seemed to be somewhat40 ,the authority of the apostles was indeed great in all the churches4 ,paul did not want to detract from their authority1 but he had to speak disparagingly of their authority in order to conserve the truth of the ,gospel1 and the liberty of conscience4 ,the false apostles used this argument against ,paul3 8,the apostles lived with ,christ for three years4 ,they heard ,his sermons4 ,they witnessed ,his miracles4 ,they themselves preached and performed miracles while ,christ was on earth4 ,paul never saw ,jesus in the flesh4 ,now1 whom ought you to believe3 ,paul1 who stands alone1 a mere disciple of the apostles1 one of the last and least2 or will you believe those grand apostles who were sent and confirmed by ,christ ,himself long before ,paul80 ,what could ,paul say to that8 ,he answered3 8,what they say has no bearing on the argument4 ,if the apostles were angels from heaven1 that would not impress me4 ,we are not now discussing the excellency of the apostles4 ,we are talking about the ,word of ,god now1 and the truth of the ,gospel4 ,that ,gospel is more excellent than all apostles40 ,,verse #f4 ,god accepteth no man's person4 ,paul is quoting ,moses3 8,thou shalt not respect the person of the poor1 nor honor the person of the mighty40 7,lev4 #ai3ae7 ,this quotation from ,moses ought to shut the mouths of the false apostles4 8,don't you know that ,god is no respecter of persons80 cries ,paul4 ,the dignity or authority of men means nothing to ,god4 ,the fact is that ,god often rejects just such who stand in the odor of sanctity and in the aura of importance4 ,in doing so ,god seems unjust and harsh4 ,but men need deterring examples4 ,for it is a vice with us to esteem personality more highly than the ,word of ,god4 ,god wants us to exalt ,his ,word and not men4 ,there must be people in high office1 of course4 ,but we are not to deify them4 ,the governor1 the mayor1 the preacher1 the teacher1 the scholar1 father1 mother1 are persons whom we are to love and revere1 but not to the extent that we forget ,god4 ,least we attach too much importance to the person1 ,god leaves with important persons offenses and sins1 sometimes astounding shortcomings1 to show us that there is a lot of difference between any person and ,god4 ,david was a good king4 ,but when the people began to think too well of him1 down he fell into horrible sins1 adultery and murder4 ,peter1 excellent apostle that he was1 denied ,christ4 ,such examples of which the ,scriptures are full1 ought to warn us not to repose our trust in men4 ,in the papacy appearance counts for everything4 ,indeed1 the whole papacy amounts to nothing more than a mere kowtowing of persons and outward mummery4 ,but ,god alone is to be feared and honored4 ,i would honor the ,pope1 ,i would love his person1 if he would leave my conscience alone1 and not compel me to sin against ,god4 ,but the ,pope wants to be adored himself1 and that cannot be done without offending ,god4 ,since we must choose between one or the other1 let us choose ,god4 ,the truth is we are commissioned by ,god to resist the ,pope1 for it is written1 8,we ought to obey ,god rather than men40 7,acts #e3bi7 ,we have seen how ,paul refutes the argument of the false apostles concerning the authority of the apostles4 ,in order that the truth of the ,gospel may continue2 in order that the ,word of ,god and the righteousness of faith may be kept pure and undefiled1 let the apostles1 let an angel from heaven1 let ,peter1 let ,paul1 let them all perish4 ,,verse #f4 ,for they who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me4 ,the ,apostle repeats3 8,i did not so confer with the apostles that they taught me anything4 ,what could they possibly teach me since ,christ by ,his revelation had taught me all things8 ,it was but a conference1 and no disputation4 ,i learned nothing1 neither did ,i defend my cause4 ,i only stated what ,i had done1 that ,i had preached to the ,gentiles faith in ,christ1 without the ,law1 and that in response to my preaching the ,holy ,ghost came down upon the ,gentiles4 ,when the apostles heard this1 they were glad that ,i had taught the truth40 ,if ,paul would not give in to the false apostles1 much less ought we to give in to our opponents4 ,i know that a ,christian should be humble1 but against the ,pope ,i am going to be proud and say to him3 8,you1 ,pope1 ,i will not have you for my boss1 for ,i am sure that my doctrine is divine40 ,such pride against the ,pope is imperative1 for if we are not stout and proud we shall never succeed in defending the article of the righteousness of faith4 ,if the ,pope would concede that ,god alone by ,his grace through ,christ justifies sinners1 we would carry him in our arms1 we would kiss his feet4 ,but since we cannot obtain this concession1 we will give in to nobody1 not to all the angels in heaven1 not to ,peter1 not to ,paul1 not to a hundred emperors1 not to a thousand popes1 not to the whole world4 ,if in this matter we were to humble ourselves1 they would take from us the ,god who created us1 and ,jesus ,christ who has redeemed us by ,his blood4 ,let this be our resolution1 that we will suffer the loss of all things1 the loss of our good name1 of life itself1 but the ,gospel and our faith in ,jesus ,christ--we will not stand for it that anybody take them from us4 ,,verses #g1 #h4 ,but contrariwise1 when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me1 as the gospel of the circumcision was unto ,peter2 ,for he that wrought effectually in ,peter to the apostleship of the circumcision1 the same was mighty in me toward the ,gentiles4 ,here the ,apostle claims for himself the same authority which the false apostles attributed to the true apostles4 ,paul simply inverts their argument4 8,to bolster their evil cause10 says he1 8the false apostles quote the authority of the great apostles against me4 ,i can quote the same authority against them1 for the apostles are on my side4 ,they gave me the right hand of fellowship4 ,they approved my ministry4 ,o my ,galatians1 do not believe the counterfeit apostles60 ,what does ,paul mean by saying that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto him1 and that of the circumcision to ,peter8 ,did not ,paul preach to the ,jews1 while ,peter preached to the ,gentiles also8 ,peter converted the ,centurion4 ,paul's custom was to enter into the synagogues of the ,jews1 there to preach the ,gospel4 ,why then should he call himself the apostle of the ,gentiles1 while he calls ,peter the apostle of the circumcision8 ,paul refers to the fact that the other apostles remained in ,jerusalem until the destruction of the city became imminent4 ,but ,paul was especially called the apostle of the ,gentiles4 ,even before the destruction of ,jerusalem ,jews dwelt here and there in the cities of the ,gentiles4 ,coming to a city1 ,paul customarily entered the synagogues of the ,jews and first brought to them as the children of the kingdom1 the glad tidings that the promises made unto the fathers were fulfilled in ,jesus ,christ4 ,when the ,jews refused to hear these glad tidings1 ,paul turned to the ,gentiles4 ,he was the apostle of the ,gentiles in a special sense1 as ,peter was the apostle of the ,jews4 ,paul reiterates that ,peter1 ,james1 and ,john1 the accepted pillars of the ,church1 taught him nothing1 nor did they commit unto him the office of preaching the ,gospel unto the ,gentiles4 ,both the knowledge of the ,gospel and the commandment to preach it to the ,gentiles1 ,paul received directly from ,god4 ,his case was parallel to that of ,peter's1 who was particularly commissioned to preach the ,gospel to the ,jews4 ,the apostles had the same charge1 the identical ,gospel4 ,peter did not proclaim a different ,gospel1 nor had he appointed his fellow apostles4 ,they were equals4 ,they were all taught of ,god4 ,none was greater than the other1 none could point to prerogatives above the other4 ,to justify his usurped primacy in the ,church the ,pope claims that ,peter was the chief of the apostles4 ,this is an impudent falsehood4 ,,verse #h4 ,for he that wrought effectually in ,peter4 ,with these words ,paul refutes another argument of the false apostles4 8,what reason have the false apostles to boast that the ,gospel of ,peter was mighty1 that he converted many1 that he wrought great miracles1 and that his very shadow healed the sick8 ,these reports are true enough4 ,but where did ,peter acquire this power8 ,god gave him the power4 ,i have the same power4 ,i received my power1 not from ,peter1 but from the same ,god1 the same ,spirit who was mighty in ,peter was mighty in me also40 ,luke corroborates ,paul's statement in the words3 8,and ,god wrought special miracles by the hands of ,paul1 so that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons1 and the diseases departed from them1 and the evil spirits went out of them40 7,acts #ai3aa1 #ab47 ,to conclude1 ,paul is not going to be inferior to the rest of the apostles4 ,some secular writers put ,paul's boasting down as carnal pride4 ,but ,paul had no personal interest in his boasting4 ,it was with him a matter of faith and doctrine4 ,the controversy was not about the glory of ,paul1 but the glory of ,god1 the ,word of ,god1 the true worship of ,god1 true religion1 and the righteousness of faith4 ,,verse #i4 ,and when ,james1 ,cephas and ,john1 who seemed to be pillars1 perceived the grace that was given unto me1 they gave to me and ,barnabas the right hands of fellowship2 that we should go unto the heathen1 and they unto the circumcision4 8,the fact is1 when the apostles heard that ,i had received the charge to preach the ,gospel to the ,gentiles from ,christ2 when they heard that ,god had wrought many miracles through me2 that great numbers of the ,gentiles had come to the knowledge of ,christ through my ministry2 when they heard that the ,gentiles had received the ,holy ,ghost without ,law and circumcision1 by the simple preaching of faith2 when they heard all this they glorified ,god for ,his grace in me40 ,hence1 ,paul was justified in concluding that the apostles were for him1 and not against him4 ,,verse #i4 ,the right hands of fellowship4 ,as if the apostles had said to him3 8,we1 ,paul1 do agree with you in all things4 ,we are companions in doctrine4 ,we have the same ,gospel with this difference1 that to you is committed the ,gospel for the uncircumcised1 while the ,gospel for the circumcision is committed unto us4 ,but this difference ought not to hinder our friendship1 since we preach one and the same ,gospel40 ,,verse #aj4 ,only they would that we should remember the poor2 the same which ,i also was forward to do4 ,next to the preaching of the ,gospel1 a true and faithful pastor will take care of the poor4 ,where the ,church is1 there must be the poor1 for the world and the devil persecute the ,church and impoverish many faithful ,christians4 ,speaking of money1 nobody wants to contribute nowadays to the maintenance of the ministry1 and the erection of schools4 ,when it comes to establishing false worship and idolatry1 no cost is spared4 ,true religion is ever in need of money1 while false religions are backed by wealth4 ,,verse #aa4 ,but when ,peter was come to ,antioch1 ,i withstood him to the face1 because he was to be blamed4 ,paul goes on in his refutation of the false apostles by saying that in ,antioch he withstood ,peter in the presence of the whole congregation4 ,as he stated before1 ,paul had no small matter in hand1 but the chief article of the ,christian religion4 ,when this article is endangered1 we must not hesitate to resist ,peter1 or an angel from heaven4 ,paul paid no regard to the dignity and position of ,peter1 when he saw this article in danger4 ,it is written3 8,he that loveth father or mother or his own life1 more than me1 is not worthy of me40 7,matt4 #aj3cg47 ,for defending the truth in our day1 we are called proud and obstinate hypocrites4 ,we are not ashamed of these titles4 ,the cause we are called to defend1 is not ,peter's cause1 or the cause of our parents1 or that of the government1 or that of the world1 but the cause of ,god4 ,in defense of that cause we must be firm and unyielding4 ,when he says1 8to his face10 ,paul accuses the false apostles of slandering him behind his back4 ,in his presence they dared not to open their mouths4 ,he tells them1 8,i did not speak evil of ,peter behind his back1 but ,i withstood him frankly and openly40 ,others may debate here whether an apostle might sin4 ,i claim that we ought not to make ,peter out as faultless4 ,prophets have erred4 ,nathan told ,david that he should go ahead and build the ,temple of the ,lord4 ,but his prophecy was afterwards corrected by the ,lord4 ,the apostles erred in thinking of the ,kingdom of ,christ as a worldly state4 ,peter had heard the command of ,christ1 8,go ye into all the world1 and preach the ,gospel to every creature40 ,but if it had not been for the heavenly vision and the special command of ,christ1 ,peter would never have gone to the home of ,cornelius4 ,peter also erred in this matter of circumcision4 ,if ,paul had not publicly censured him1 all the believing ,gentiles would have been compelled to receive circumcision and accept the ,jewish law4 ,we are not to attribute perfection to any man4 ,luke reports 8that the contention between ,paul and ,barnabas was so sharp that they departed asunder one from the other40 ,the cause of their disagreement could hardly have been small since it separated these two1 who had been joined together for years in a holy partnership4 ,such incidents are recorded for our consolation4 ,after all1 it is a comfort to know that even saints might and do sin4 ,samson1 ,david1 and many other excellent men1 fell into grievous sins4 ,job and ,jeremiah cursed the day of their birth4 ,elijah and ,jonah became weary of life and prayed for death4 ,such offenses on the part of the saints1 the ,scriptures record for the comfort of those who are near despair4 ,no person has ever sunk so low that he cannot rise again4 ,on the other hand1 no man's standing is so secure that he may not fall4 ,if ,peter fell1 ,i may fall4 ,if he rose again1 ,i may rise again4 ,we have the same gifts that they had1 the same ,christ1 the same baptism and the same ,gospel1 the same forgiveness of sins4 ,they needed these saving ordinances just as much as we do4 ,,verse #ab4 ,for before that certain came from ,james1 he did eat with the ,gentiles4 ,the ,gentiles who had been converted to faith in ,christ1 ate meats forbidden by the ,law4 ,peter1 visiting some of these ,gentiles1 ate meat and drank wine with them1 although he knew that these things were forbidden in the ,law4 ,paul declared that he did likewise1 that he became as a ,jew to the ,jews1 and to them that were without law1 as without law4 ,he ate and drank with the ,gentiles unconcerned about the ,jewish ,law4 ,when he was with the ,jews1 however1 he abstained from all things forbidden in the ,law1 for he labored to serve all men1 that he 8might by all means save some40 ,paul does not reprove ,peter for transgressing the ,law1 but for disguising his attitude to the ,law4 ,,verse #ab4 ,but when they were come1 he withdrew and separated himself1 fearing them which were of the circumcision4 ,paul does not accuse ,peter of malice or ignorance1 but of lack of principle1 in that he abstained from meats1 because he feared the ,jews that came from ,james4 ,peter's weak attitude endangered the principle of ,christian liberty4 ,it is the deduction rather than the fact which ,paul reproves4 ,to eat and to drink1 or not to eat and drink1 is immaterial4 ,but to make the deduction 8,if you eat1 you sin2 if you abstain you are righteous0--this is wrong4 ,meats may be refused for two reasons4 ,first1 they may be refused for the sake of ,christian love4 ,there is no danger connected with a refusal of meats for the sake of charity4 ,to bear with the infirmity of a brother is a good thing4 ,paul himself taught and exemplified such thoughtfulness4 ,secondly1 meats may be refused in the mistaken hope of thereby obtaining righteousness4 ,when this is the purpose of abstaining from meats1 we say1 let charity go4 ,to refrain from meats for this latter reason amounts to a denial of ,christ4 ,if we must lose one or the other1 let us lose a friend and brother1 rather than ,god1 our ,father4 ,jerome1 who understood not this passage1 nor the whole epistle for that matter1 excuses ,peter's action on the ground 8that it was done in ignorance40 ,but ,peter offended by giving the impression that he was indorsing the ,law4 ,by his example he encouraged ,gentiles and ,jews to forsake the truth of the ,gospel4 ,if ,paul had not reproved him1 there would have been a sliding back of ,christians into the ,jewish religion1 and a return to the burdens of the ,law4 ,it is surprising that ,peter1 excellent apostle that he was1 should have been guilty of such vacillation4 ,in a former council at ,jerusalem he practically stood alone in defense of the truth that salvation is by faith1 without the ,law4 ,peter at that time valiantly defended the liberty of the ,gospel4 ,but now by abstaining from meats forbidden in the ,law1 he went against his better judgment4 ,you have no idea what danger there is in customs and ceremonies4 ,they so easily tend to error in works4 ,,verse #ac4 ,and the other ,jews dissembled likewise with him2 insomuch that ,barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation4 ,it is marvelous how ,god preserved the ,church by one single person4 ,paul alone stood up for the truth1 for ,barnabas1 his companion1 was lost to him1 and ,peter was against him4 ,sometimes one lone person can do more in a conference than the whole assembly4 ,i mention this to urge all to learn how properly to differentiate between the ,law and the ,gospel1 in order to avoid dissembling4 ,when it come to the article of justification we must not yield1 if we want to retain the truth of the ,gospel4 ,when the conscience is disturbed1 do not seek advice from reason or from the ,law1 but rest your conscience in the grace of ,god and in ,his ,word1 and proceed as if you had never heard of the ,law4 ,the ,law has its place and its own good time4 ,while ,moses was in the mountain where he talked with ,god face to face1 he had no law1 he made no law1 he administered no law4 ,but when he came down from the mountain1 he was a lawgiver4 ,the conscience must be kept above the ,law1 the body under the ,law4 ,paul reproved ,peter for no trifle1 but for the chief article of ,christian doctrine1 which ,peter's hypocrisy had endangered4 ,for ,barnabas and other ,jews followed ,peter's example4 ,it is surprising that such good men as ,peter1 ,barnabas1 and others should fall into unexpected error1 especially in a matter which they knew so well4 ,to trust in our own strength1 our own goodness1 our own wisdom1 is a perilous thing4 ,let us search the ,scriptures with humility1 praying that we may never lose the light of the ,gospel4 8,lord1 increase our faith40 ,,verse #ad4 ,but when ,i saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel4 ,no one except ,paul had his eyes open4 ,consequently it was his duty to reprove ,peter and his followers for swerving from the truth of the ,gospel4 ,it was no easy task for ,paul to reprimand ,peter4 ,to the honor of ,peter it must be said that he took the correction4 ,no doubt1 he freely acknowledged his fault4 ,the person who can rightly divide ,law and ,gospel has reason to thank ,god4 ,he is a true theologian4 ,i must confess that in times of temptation ,i do not always know how to do it4 ,to divide ,law and ,gospel means to place the ,gospel in heaven1 and to keep the ,law on earth2 to call the righteousness of the ,gospel heavenly1 and the righteousness of the ,law earthly2 to put as much difference between the righteousness of the ,gospel and that of the ,law1 as there is difference between day and night4 ,if it is a question of faith or conscience1 ignore the ,law entirely4 ,if it is a question of works1 then lift high the lantern of works and the righteousness of the ,law4 ,if your conscience is oppressed with a sense of sin1 talk to your conscience4 ,say3 8,you are now groveling in the dirt4 ,you are now a laboring ass4 ,go ahead1 and carry your burden4 ,but why don't you mount up to heaven8 ,there the ,law cannot follow you60 ,leave the ass burdened with laws behind in the valley4 ,but your conscience1 let it ascend with ,isaac into the mountain4 ,in civil life obedience to the law is severely required4 ,in civil life ,gospel1 conscience1 grace1 remission of sins1 ,christ ,himself1 do not count1 but only ,moses with the lawbooks4 ,if we bear in mind this distinction1 neither ,gospel nor ,law shall trespass upon each other4 ,the moment ,law and sin cross into heaven1 i4e41 your conscience1 kick them out4 ,on the other hand1 when grace wanders unto the earth1 i4e41 into the body1 tell grace3 8,you have no business to be around the dreg and dung of this bodily life4 ,you belong in heaven40 ,by his compromising attitude ,peter confused the separation of ,law and ,gospel4 ,paul had to do something about it4 ,he reproved ,peter1 not to embarrass him1 but to conserve the difference between the ,gospel which justifies in heaven1 and the ,law which justifies on earth4 ,the right separation between ,law and ,gospel is very important to know4 ,christian doctrine is impossible without it4 ,let all who love and fear ,god1 diligently learn the difference1 not only in theory but also in practice4 ,when your conscience gets into trouble1 say to yourself3 8,there is a time to die1 and a time to live2 a time to learn the ,law1 and a time to unlearn the ,law2 a time to hear the ,gospel1 and a time to ignore the ,gospel4 ,let the ,law now depart1 and let the ,gospel enter1 for now is the right time to hear the ,gospel1 and not the ,law40 ,however1 when the conflict of conscience is over and external duties must be performed1 close your ears to the ,gospel1 and open them wide to the ,law4 ,,verse #ad4 ,i said unto ,peter before them all1 ,if thou being a ,jew1 livest after the manner of ,gentiles1 and not as do the ,jews1 why compellest thou the ,gentiles to live as do the ,jews4 ,to live as a ,jew is nothing bad4 ,to eat or not to eat pork1 what difference does it make8 ,but to play the ,jew1 and for conscience' sake to abstain from certain meats1 is a denial of ,christ4 ,when ,paul saw that ,peter's attitude tended to this1 he withstood ,peter and said to him3 8,you know that the observance of the ,law is not needed unto righteousness4 ,you know that we are justified by faith in ,christ4 ,you know that we may eat all kinds of meats4 ,yet by your example you obligate the ,gentiles to forsake ,christ1 and to return to the ,law4 ,you give them reason to think that faith is not sufficient unto salvation40 ,peter did not say so1 but his example said quite plainly that the observance of the ,law must be added to faith in ,christ1 if men are to be saved4 ,from ,peter's example the ,gentiles could not help but draw the conclusion that the ,law was necessary unto salvation4 ,if this error had been permitted to pass unchallenged1 ,christ would have lost out altogether4 ,the controversy involved the preservation of pure doctrine4 ,in such a controversy ,paul did not mind if anybody took offense4 ,,verse #ae4 ,we who are ,jews by nature1 and not sinners of the ,gentiles4 8,when we ,jews compare ourselves with the ,gentiles1 we look pretty good4 ,we have the ,law1 we have good works4 ,our rectitude dates from our birth1 because the ,jewish religion is natural to us4 ,but all this does not make us righteous before ,god40 ,peter and the others lived up to the requirements of the ,law4 ,they had circumcision1 the covenant1 the promises1 the apostleship4 ,but because of these advantages they were not to think themselves righteous before ,god4 ,none of these prerogatives spell faith in ,christ1 which alone can justify a person4 ,we do not mean to imply that the ,law is bad4 ,we do not condemn the ,law1 circumcision1 etc41 for their failure to justify us4 ,paul spoke disparagingly of these ordinances1 because the false apostles asserted that mankind is saved by them without faith4 ,paul could not let this assertion stand1 for without faith all things are deadly4 ,,verse #af4 ,knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law1 but by the faith of ,jesus ,christ4 ,for the sake of argument let us suppose that you could fulfill the ,law in the spirit of the first commandment of ,god3 8,thou shalt love the ,lord1 thy ,god1 with all thy heart40 ,it would do you no good4 ,a person simply is not justified by the works of the ,law4 ,the works of the ,law1 according to ,paul1 include the whole ,law1 judicial1 ceremonial1 moral4 ,now1 if the performance of the moral law cannot justify1 how can circumcision justify1 when circumcision is part of the ceremonial law8 ,the demands of the ,law may be fulfilled before and after justification4 ,there were many excellent men among the pagans of old1 men who never heard of justification4 ,they lived moral lives4 ,but that fact did not justify them4 ,peter1 ,paul1 all ,christians1 live up to the ,law4 ,but that fact does not justify them4 8,for ,i know nothing by myself10 says ,paul1 8yet am ,i not hereby justified40 7,i ,cor4 #d3d47 ,the nefarious opinion of the papists1 which attributes the merit of grace and the remission of sins to works1 must here be emphatically rejected4 ,the papists say that a good work performed before grace has been obtained1 is able to secure grace for a person1 because it is no more than right that ,god should reward a good deed4 ,when grace has already been obtained1 any good work deserves everlasting life as a due payment and reward for merit4 ,for the first1 ,god is no debtor1 they say2 but because ,god is good and just1 it is no more than right 7they say7 that ,he should reward a good work by granting grace for the service4 ,but when grace has already been obtained1 they continue1 ,god is in the position of a debtor1 and is in duty bound to reward a good work with the gift of eternal life4 ,this is the wicked teaching of the papacy4 ,now1 if ,i could perform any work acceptable to ,god and deserving of grace1 and once having obtained grace my good works would continue to earn for me the right and reward of eternal life1 why should ,i stand in need of the grace of ,god and the suffering and death of ,christ8 ,christ would be of no benefit to me4 ,christ's mercy would be of no use to me4 ,this shows how little insight the pope and the whole of his religious coterie have into spiritual matters1 and how little they concern themselves with the spiritual health of their forlorn flocks4 ,they cannot believe that the flesh is unable to think1 speak1 or do anything except against ,god4 ,if they could see evil rooted in the nature of man1 they would never entertain such silly dreams about man's merit or worthiness4 ,with ,paul we absolutely deny the possibility of self merit4 ,god never yet gave to any person grace and everlasting life as a reward for merit4 ,the opinions of the papists are the intellectual pipe-dreams of idle pates1 that serve no other purpose but to draw men away from the true worship of ,god4 ,the papacy is founded upon hallucinations4 ,the true way of salvation is this4 ,first1 a person must realize that he is a sinner1 the kind of a sinner who is congenitally unable to do any good thing4 8,whatsoever is not of faith1 is sin40 ,those who seek to earn the grace of ,god by their own efforts are trying to please ,god with sins4 ,they mock ,god1 and provoke ,his anger4 ,the first step on the way to salvation is to repent4 ,the second part is this4 ,god sent ,his only-begotten ,son into the world that we may live through ,his merit4 ,he was crucified and killed for us4 ,by sacrificing ,his ,son for us ,god revealed ,himself to us as a merciful ,father who donates remission of sins1 righteousness1 and life everlasting for ,christ's sake4 ,god hands out ,his gifts freely unto all men4 ,that is the praise and glory of ,his mercy4 ,the scholastics explain the way of salvation in this manner4 ,when a person happens to perform a good deed1 ,god accepts it and as a reward for the good deed ,god pours charity into that person4 ,they call it 8charity infused40 ,this charity is supposed to remain in the heart4 ,they get wild when they are told that this quality of the heart cannot justify a person4 ,they also claim that we are able to love ,god by our own natural strength1 to love ,god above all things1 at least to the extent that we deserve grace4 ,and1 say the scholastics1 because ,god is not satisfied with a literal performance of the ,law1 but expects us to fulfill the ,law according to the mind of the ,lawgiver1 therefore we must obtain from above a quality above nature1 a quality which they call 8formal righteousness40 ,we say1 faith apprehends ,jesus ,christ4 ,christian faith is not an inactive quality in the heart4 ,if it is true faith it will surely take ,christ for its object4 ,christ1 apprehended by faith and dwelling in the heart1 constitutes ,christian righteousness1 for which ,god gives eternal life4 ,in contrast to the doting dreams of the scholastics1 we teach this3 ,first a person must learn to know himself from the ,law4 ,with the prophet he will then confess3 8,all have sinned1 and come short of the glory of ,god40 ,and1 8there is none that doeth good1 no1 not one40 ,and1 8against thee1 thee only1 have ,i sinned40 ,having been humbled by the ,law1 and having been brought to a right estimate of himself1 a man will repent4 ,he finds out that he is so depraved1 that no strength1 no works1 no merits of his own will ever deliver him from his guilt4 ,he will then understand the meaning of ,paul's words3 8,i am sold under sin02 and 8they are all under sin40 ,at this state a person begins to lament3 8,who is going to help me80 ,in due time comes the ,word of the ,gospel1 and says3 8,son1 thy sins are forgiven thee4 ,believe in ,jesus ,christ who was crucified for your sins4 ,remember1 your sins have been imposed upon ,christ40 ,in this way are we delivered from sin4 ,in this way are we justified and made heirs of everlasting life4 ,in order to have faith you must paint a true portrait of ,christ4 ,the scholastics caricature ,christ into a judge and tormentor4 ,but ,christ is no law giver4 ,he is the ,lifegiver4 ,he is the ,forgiver of sins4 ,you must believe that ,christ might have atoned for the sins of the world with one single drop of ,his blood4 ,instead1 ,he shed ,his blood abundantly in order that ,he might give abundant satisfaction for our sins4 ,here let me say1 that these three things1 faith1 ,christ1 and imputation of righteousness1 are to be joined together4 ,faith takes hold of ,christ4 ,god accounts this faith for righteousness4 ,this imputation of righteousness we need very much1 because we are far from perfect4 ,as long as we have this body1 sin will dwell in our flesh4 ,then1 too1 we sometimes drive away the ,holy ,spirit2 we fall into sin1 like ,peter1 ,david1 and other holy men4 ,nevertheless we may always take recourse to this fact1 8that our sins are covered10 and that 8,god will not lay them to our charge40 ,sin is not held against us for ,christ's sake4 ,where ,christ and faith are lacking1 there is no remission or covering of sins1 but only condemnation4 ,after we have taught faith in ,christ1 we teach good works4 8,since you have found ,christ by faith10 we say1 8begin now to work and do well4 ,love ,god and your neighbor4 ,call upon ,god1 give thanks unto ,him1 praise ,him1 confess ,him4 ,these are good works4 ,let them flow from a cheerful heart1 because you have remission of sin in ,christ40 ,when crosses and afflictions come our way1 we bear them patiently4 8,for ,christ's yoke is easy1 and ,his burden is light40 ,when sin has been pardoned1 and the conscience has been eased of its dreadful load1 a ,christian can endure all things in ,christ4 ,to give a short definition of a ,christian3 ,a ,christian is not somebody who chalks7sp7 sin1 because of his faith in ,christ4 ,this doctrine brings comfort to consciences in serious trouble4 ,when a person is a ,christian he is above law and sin4 ,when the ,law accuses him1 and sin wants to drive the wits out of him1 a ,christian looks to ,christ4 ,a ,christian is free4 ,he has no master except ,christ4 ,a ,christian is greater than the whole world4 ,,verse #af4 ,even we have believed in ,jesus ,christ1 that we might be justified4 ,the true way of becoming a ,christian is to be justified by faith in ,jesus ,christ1 and not by the works of the ,law4 ,we know that we must also teach good works1 but they must be taught in their proper turn1 when the discussion is concerning works and not the article of justification4 ,here the question arises by what means are we justified8 ,we answer with ,paul1 8,by faith only in ,christ are we pronounced righteous1 and not by works40 ,not that we reject good works4 ,far from it4 ,but we will not allow ourselves to be removed from the anchorage of our salvation4 ,the ,law is a good thing4 ,but when the discussion is about justification1 then is no time to drag in the ,law4 ,when we discuss justification we ought to speak of ,christ and the benefits ,he has brought us4 ,christ is no sheriff4 ,he is 8the ,lamb of ,god1 which taketh away the sin of the world40 7,john #a3bi47 ,,verse #af4 ,that we might be justified by the faith of ,christ1 and not by the works of the ,law4 ,we do not mean to say that the ,law is bad4 ,only it is not able to justify us4 ,to be at peace with ,god1 we have need of a far better mediator than ,moses or the ,law4 ,we must know that we are nothing4 ,we must understand that we are merely beneficiaries and recipients of the treasures of ,christ4 ,so far1 the words of ,paul were addressed to ,peter4 ,now ,paul turns to the ,galatians and makes this summary statement3 ,,verse #af4 ,for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified4 ,by the term 8flesh0 ,paul does not understand manifest vices4 ,such sins he usually calls by their proper names1 as adultery1 fornication1 etc4 ,by 8flesh0 ,paul understands what ,jesus meant in the third chapter of ,john1 8,that which is born of the flesh is flesh04 7,john #c3f47 8,flesh0 here means the whole nature of man1 inclusive of reason and instincts4 8,this flesh10 says ,paul1 8is not justified by the works of the law40 ,the papists do not believe this4 ,they say1 8,a person who performs this good deed or that1 deserves the forgiveness of his sins4 ,a person who joins this or that holy order1 has the promise of everlasting life40 ,to me it is a miracle that the ,church1 so long surrounded by vicious sects1 has been able to survive at all4 ,god must have been able to call a few who in their failure to discover any good in themselves to cite against the wrath and judgment of ,god1 simply took to the suffering and death of ,christ1 and were saved by this simple faith4 ,nevertheless ,god has punished the contempt of the ,gospel and of ,christ on the part of the papists1 by turning them over to a reprobate state of mind in which they reject the ,gospel1 and receive with gusto the abominable rules1 ordinances1 and traditions of men in preference to the ,word of ,god1 until they went so far as to forbid marriage4 ,god punished them justly1 because they blasphemed the only ,son of ,god4 ,this is1 then1 our general conclusion3 8,by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified40 ,,verse #ag4 ,but if1 while we seek to be justified by ,christ1 we ourselves also are found sinners1 is therefore ,christ the minister of sin8 ,god forbid4 ,either we are not justified by ,christ1 or we are not justified by the ,law4 ,the fact is1 we are justified by ,christ4 ,hence1 we are not justified by the ,law4 ,if we observe the ,law in order to be justified1 or after having been justified by ,christ1 we think we must further be justified by the ,law1 we convert ,christ into a legislator and a minister of sin4 8,what are these false apostles doing80 ,paul cries4 8,they are turning ,law into grace1 and grace into ,law4 ,they are changing ,moses into ,christ1 and ,christ into ,moses4 ,by teaching that besides ,christ and ,his righteousness the performance of the ,law is necessary unto salvation1 they put the ,law in the place of ,christ1 they attribute to the ,law the power to save1 a power that belongs to ,christ only40 ,the papists quote the words of ,christ3 8,if thou wilt enter into life1 keep the commandments40 7,matt4 #ai3ag47 ,with ,his own words they deny ,christ and abolish faith in ,him4 ,christ is made to lose ,his good name1 ,his office1 and ,his glory1 and is demoted to the status of a law enforcer1 reproving1 terrifying1 and chasing poor sinners around4 ,the proper office of ,christ is to raise the sinner1 and extricate him from his sins4 ,papists and ,anabaptists deride us because we so earnestly require faith4 8,faith10 they say1 8makes men reckless40 ,what do these law-workers know about faith1 when they are so busy calling people back from baptism1 from faith1 from the promises of ,christ to the ,law8 ,with their doctrine these lying sects of perdition deface the benefits of ,christ to this day4 ,they rob ,christ of ,his glory as the ,justifier of mankind and cast ,him into the role of a minister of sin4 ,they are like the false apostles4 ,there is not a single one among them who knows the difference between law and grace4 ,we can tell the difference4 ,we do not here and now argue whether we ought to do good works1 or whether the ,law is any good1 or whether the ,law ought to be kept at all4 ,we will discuss these questions some other time4 ,we are now concerned with justification4 ,our opponents refuse to make this distinction4 ,all they can do is to bellow that good works ought to be done4 ,we know that4 ,we know that good works ought to be done1 but we will talk about that when the proper time comes4 ,now we are dealing with justification1 and here good works should not be so much as mentioned4 ,paul's argument has often comforted me4 ,he argues3 8,if we who have been justified by ,christ are counted unrighteous1 why seek justification in ,christ at all8 ,if we are justified by the ,law1 tell me1 what has ,christ achieved by ,his death1 by ,his preaching1 by ,his victory over sin and death8 ,either we are justified by ,christ1 or we are made worse sinners by ,him40 ,the ,sacred ,scriptures1 particularly those of the ,new ,testament1 make frequent mention of faith in ,christ4 8,whosoever believeth in him is saved1 shall not perish1 shall have everlasting life1 is not judged10 etc4 ,in open contradiction to the ,scriptures1 our opponents misquote1 8,he that believeth in ,christ is condemned1 because he has faith without works40 ,our opponents turn everything topsy-turvy4 ,they make ,christ over into a murderer1 and ,moses into a savior4 ,is not this horrible blasphemy8 ,,verse #ag4 ,is therefore ,christ the minister of sin8 ,this is ,hebrew phraseology1 also used by ,paul in ,,ii ,corinthians1 chapter #c4 ,there ,paul speaks of two ministers3 ,the minister of the letter1 and the minister of the spirit2 the minister of the ,law1 and the minister of grace2 the minister of death1 and the minister of life4 8,moses10 says ,paul1 8is the minister of the ,law1 of sin1 wrath1 death1 and condemnation40 ,whoever teaches that good works are indispensable unto salvation1 that to gain heaven a person must suffer afflictions and follow the example of ,christ and of the saints1 is a minister of the ,law1 of sin1 wrath1 and of death1 for the conscience knows how impossible it is for a person to fulfill the ,law4 ,why1 the ,law makes trouble even for those who have the ,holy ,spirit4 ,what will not the ,law do in the case of the wicked who do not even have the ,holy ,spirit8 ,the ,law requires perfect obedience4 ,it condemns all who do not accomplish the will of ,god4 ,but show me a person who is able to render perfect obedience4 ,the ,law cannot justify4 ,it can only condemn according to the passage3 8,cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them40 ,paul has good reason for calling the minister of the ,law the minister of sin1 for the ,law reveals our sinfulness4 ,the realization of sin in turn frightens the heart and drives it to despair4 ,therefore all exponents of the ,law and of works deserve to be called tyrants and oppressors4 ,the purpose of the ,law is to reveal sin4 ,that this is the purpose of the ,law can be seen from the account of the giving of the ,law as reported in the nineteenth and twentieth chapters of ,exodus4 ,moses brought the people out of their tents to have ,god speak to them personally from a cloud4 ,but the people trembled with fear1 fled1 and standing aloof they begged ,moses3 8,speak thou with us1 and we will hear3 but let not ,god speak with us1 lest we die40 ,the proper office of the ,law is to lead us out of our tents1 in other words1 out of the security of our self-trust1 into the presence of ,god1 that we may perceive ,his anger at our sinfulness4 ,all who say that faith alone in ,christ does not justify a person1 convert ,christ into a minister of sin1 a teacher of the ,law1 and a cruel tyrant who requires the impossible4 ,all merit-seekers take ,christ for a new lawgiver4 ,in conclusion1 if the ,law is the minister of sin1 it is at the same time the minister of wrath and death4 ,as the ,law reveals sin it fills a person with the fear of death and condemnation4 ,eventually the conscience wakes up to the fact that ,god is angry4 ,if ,god is angry with you1 ,he will destroy and condemn you forever4 ,unable to stand the thought of the wrath and judgment of ,god1 many a person commits suicide4 ,,verse #ag4 ,god forbid4 ,christ is not the minister of sin1 but the ,dispenser of righteousness and the ,giver of life4 ,christ is ,lord over law1 sin and death4 ,all who believe in ,him are delivered from law1 sin and death4 ,the ,law drives us away from ,god1 but ,christ reconciles ,god unto us1 for 8,he is the ,lamb of ,god1 that taketh away the sins of the world40 ,now if the sin of the world is taken away1 it is taken away from me4 ,if sin is taken away1 the wrath of ,god and ,his condemnation are also taken away4 ,let us practice this blessed conviction4 ,,verse #ah4 ,for if ,i build again the things which ,i destroyed1 ,i make myself a transgressor4 8,i have not preached to the end that ,i build again the things which ,i destroyed4 ,if ,i should do so1 ,i would not only be laboring in vain1 but ,i would make myself guilty of a great wrong4 ,by the ministry of the ,gospel ,i have destroyed sin1 heaviness of heart1 wrath1 and death4 ,i have abolished the ,law1 so that it should not bother your conscience any more4 ,should ,i now once again establish the ,law1 and set up the rule of ,moses8 ,this is exactly what ,i should be doing1 if ,i would urge circumcision and the performance of the ,law as necessary unto salvation4 ,instead of righteousness and life1 ,i would restore sin and death40 ,by the grace of ,god we know that we are justified through faith in ,christ alone4 ,we do not mingle law and grace1 faith and works4 ,we keep them far apart4 ,let every true ,christian mark the distinction between law and grace1 and mark it well4 ,we must not drag good works into the article of justification as the monks do who maintain that not only good works1 but also the punishment which evildoers suffer for their wicked deeds1 deserve everlasting life4 ,when a criminal is brought to the place of execution1 the monks try to comfort him in this manner3 8,you want to die willingly and patiently1 and then you will merit remission of your sins and eternal life40 ,what cruelty is this1 that a wretched thief1 murderer1 robber should be so miserably misguided in his extreme distress1 that at the very point of death he should be denied the sweet promises of ,christ1 and directed to hope for pardon of his sins in the willingness and patience with which he is about to suffer death for his crimes8 ,the monks are showing him the paved way to hell4 ,these hypocrites do not know the first thing about grace1 the ,gospel1 or ,christ4 ,they retain the appearance and the name of the ,gospel and of ,christ for a decoy only4 ,in their confessional writings faith or the merit of ,christ are never mentioned4 ,in their writings they play up the merits of man1 as can readily be seen from the following form of absolution used among the monks4 8,god forgive thee1 brother4 ,the merit of the passion of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 and of the blessed ,saint ,mary1 always a virgin1 and of all the saints2 the merit of thy order1 the strictness of thy religion1 the humility of thy profession1 the contrition of thy heart1 the good works thou hast done and shalt do for the love of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 be available unto thee for the remission of thy sins1 the increase of thy worth and grace1 and the reward of everlasting life4 ,amen40 ,true1 the merit of ,christ is mentioned in this formula of absolution4 ,but if you look closer you will notice that ,christ's merit is belittled1 while monkish merits are aggrandized4 ,they confess ,christ with their lips1 and at the same time deny ,his power to save4 ,i myself was at one time entangled in this error4 ,i thought ,christ was a judge and had to be pacified by a strict adherence to the rules of my order4 ,but now ,i give thanks unto ,god1 the ,father of all mercies1 who has called me out of darkness into the light of ,his glorious ,gospel1 and has granted unto me the saving knowledge of ,christ ,jesus1 my ,lord4 ,we conclude with ,paul1 that we are justified by faith in ,christ1 without the ,law4 ,once a person has been justified by ,christ1 he will not be unproductive of good1 but as a good tree he will bring forth good fruit4 ,a believer has the ,holy ,spirit1 and the ,holy ,spirit will not permit a person to remain idle1 but will put him to work and stir him up to the love of ,god1 to patient suffering in affliction1 to prayer1 thanksgiving1 to the habit of charity towards all men4 ,,verse #ai4 ,for ,i through the law am dead to the law1 that ,i might live unto ,god4 ,this cheering form of speech is frequently met with in the ,scriptures1 particularly in the writings of ,st4 ,paul1 when the ,law is set against the ,law1 and sin is made to oppose sin1 and death is arrayed against death1 and hell is turned loose against hell1 as in the following quotations3 8,thou hast led captivity captive10 ,psalm #fh3ah4 8,o death1 ,i will be thy plagues2 ,o grave1 ,i will be thy destruction10 ,hosea #ac3ad4 8,and for sin1 condemned sin in the flesh10 ,romans #h3c4 ,here ,paul plays the ,law against the ,law1 as if to say3 8,the ,law of ,moses condemns me2 but ,i have another law1 the law of grace and liberty which condemns the accusing ,law of ,moses40 ,on first sight ,paul seems to be advancing a strange and ugly heresy4 ,he says1 8,i am dead to the law1 that ,i might live unto ,god40 ,the false apostles said the very opposite4 ,they said1 8,if you do not live to the law1 you are dead unto ,god40 ,the doctrine of our opponents is similar to that of the false apostles in ,paul's day4 ,our opponents teach1 8,if you want to live unto ,god1 you must live after the ,law1 for it is written1 ,do this and thou shalt live40 ,paul1 on the other hand1 teaches1 8,we cannot live unto ,god unless we are dead unto the ,law40 ,if we are dead unto the ,law1 the ,law can have no power over us4 ,paul does not only refer to the ,ceremonial ,law1 but to the whole ,law4 ,we are not to think that the ,law is wiped out4 ,it stays4 ,it continues to operate in the wicked4 ,but a ,christian is dead to the ,law4 ,for example1 ,christ by ,his resurrection became free from the grave1 and yet the grave remains4 ,peter was delivered from prison1 yet the prison remains4 ,the ,law is abolished as far as ,i am concerned1 when it has driven me into the arms of ,christ4 ,yet the ,law continues to exist and to function4 ,but it no longer exists for me4 8,i have nothing to do with the ,law10 cries ,paul4 ,he could not have uttered anything more devastating to the prestige of the ,law4 ,he declares that he does not care for the ,law1 that he does not intend ever to be justified by the ,law4 ,to be dead to the ,law means to be free of the ,law4 ,what right1 then1 has the ,law to accuse me1 or to hold anything against me8 ,when you see a person squirming in the clutches of the ,law1 say to him3 8,brother1 get things straight4 ,you let the ,law talk to your conscience4 ,make it talk to your flesh4 ,wake up1 and believe in ,jesus ,christ1 the ,conqueror of ,law and sin4 ,faith in ,christ will lift you high above the ,law into the heaven of grace4 ,though ,law and sin remain1 they no longer concern you1 because you are dead to the ,law and dead to sin40 ,blessed is the person who knows how to use this truth in times of distress4 ,he can talk4 ,he can say3 8,mr4 ,law1 go ahead and accuse me as much as you like4 ,i know ,i have committed many sins1 and ,i continue to sin daily4 ,but that does not bother me4 ,you have got to shout louder1 ,mr4 ,law4 ,i am deaf1 you know4 ,talk as much as you like1 ,i am dead to you4 ,if you want to talk to me about my sins1 go and talk to my flesh4 ,belabor that1 but don't talk to my conscience4 ,my conscience is a lady and a queen1 and has nothing to do with the likes of you1 because my conscience lives to ,christ under another law1 a new and better law1 the law of grace40 ,we have two propositions3 ,to live unto the ,law1 is to die unto ,god4 ,to die unto the ,law1 is to live unto ,god4 ,these two propositions go against reason4 ,no law-worker can ever understand them4 ,but see to it that you understand them4 ,the ,law can never justify and save a sinner4 ,the ,law can only accuse1 terrify1 and kill him4 ,therefore to live unto the ,law is to die unto ,god4 ,vice versa1 to die unto the ,law is to live unto ,god4 ,if you want to live unto ,god1 bury the ,law1 and find life through faith in ,christ ,jesus4 ,we have enough arguments right here to conclude that justification is by faith alone4 ,how can the ,law effect our justification1 when ,paul so plainly states that we must be dead to the ,law if we want to live unto ,god8 ,if we are dead to the ,law and the ,law is dead to us1 how can it possibly contribute anything to our justification8 ,there is nothing left for us but to be justified by faith alone4 ,this nineteenth verse is loaded with consolation4 ,it fortifies a person against every danger4 ,it allows you to argue like this3 8,i confess ,i have sinned40 8,then ,god will punish you40 8,no1 ,he will not do that40 8,why not8 ,does not the ,law say so80 8,i have nothing to do with the ,law40 8,how so80 8,i have another law1 the law of liberty40 8,what do you mean--#8liberty'80 8,the liberty of ,christ1 for ,christ has made me free from the ,law that held me down4 ,that ,law is now in prison itself1 held captive by grace and liberty40 ,by faith in ,christ a person may gain such sure and sound comfort1 that he need not fear the devil1 sin1 death1 or any evil4 8,sir ,devil10 he may say1 8,i am not afraid of you4 ,i have a ,friend whose name is ,jesus ,christ1 in whom ,i believe4 ,he has abolished the ,law1 condemned sin1 vanquished death1 and destroyed hell for me4 ,he is bigger than you1 ,satan4 ,he has licked you1 and holds you down4 ,you cannot hurt me40 ,this is the faith that overcomes the devil4 ,paul manhandles the ,law4 ,he treats the ,law as if it were a thief and a robber ,he treats the ,law as contemptible to the conscience1 in order that those who believe in ,christ may take courage to defy the ,law1 and say3 8,mr4 ,law1 ,i am a sinner4 ,what are you going to do about it80 ,or take death4 ,christ is risen from death4 ,why should we now fear the grave8 ,against my death ,i set another death1 or rather life1 my life in ,christ4 ,oh1 the sweet names of ,jesus6 ,he is called my law against the ,law1 my sin against sin1 my death against death4 ,translated1 it means that ,he is my righteousness1 my life1 my everlasting salvation4 ,for this reason was ,he made the law of the ,law1 the sin of sin1 the death of death1 that ,he might redeem me from the curse of the ,law4 ,he permitted the ,law to accuse ,him1 sin to condemn ,him1 and death to take ,him1 to abolish the ,law1 to condemn sin1 and to destroy death for me4 ,this peculiar form of speech sounds much sweeter than if ,paul had said3 8,i through liberty am dead to the law40 ,by putting it in this way1 8,i through the law am dead to the law10 he opposes one law with another law1 and has them fight it out4 ,in this masterly fashion ,paul draws our attention away from the ,law1 sin1 death1 and every evil1 and centers it upon ,christ4 ,,verse #bj4 ,i am crucified with ,christ4 ,christ is ,lord over the ,law1 because ,he was crucified unto the ,law4 ,i also am lord over the ,law1 because by faith ,i am crucified with ,christ4 ,paul does not here speak of crucifying the flesh1 but he speaks of that higher crucifying wherein sin1 devil1 and death are crucified in ,christ and in me4 ,by my faith in ,christ ,i am crucified with ,christ4 ,hence these evils are crucified and dead unto me4 ,,verse #bj4 ,nevertheless ,i live4 8,i do not mean to create the impression as though ,i did not live before this4 ,but in reality ,i first live now1 now that ,i have been delivered from the ,law1 from sin1 and death4 ,being crucified with ,christ and dead unto the ,law1 ,i may now rise unto a new and better life40 ,we must pay close attention to ,paul's way of speaking4 ,he says that we are crucified and dead unto the ,law4 ,the fact is1 the ,law is crucified and dead unto us4 ,paul purposely speaks that way in order to increase the portion of our comfort4 ,,verse #bj4 ,yet not ,i4 ,paul explains what constitutes true ,christian righteousness4 ,true ,christian righteousness is the righteousness of ,christ who lives in us4 ,we must look away from our own person4 ,christ and my conscience must become one1 so that ,i can see nothing else but ,christ crucified and raised from the dead for me4 ,if ,i keep on looking at myself1 ,i am gone4 ,if we lose sight of ,christ and begin to consider our past1 we simply go to pieces4 ,we must turn our eyes to the brazen serpent1 ,christ crucified1 and believe with all our heart that ,he is our righteousness and our life4 ,for ,christ1 on whom our eyes are fixed1 in whom we live1 who lives in us1 is ,lord over ,law1 sin1 death1 and all evil4 ,,verse #bj4 ,but ,christ liveth in me4 8,thus ,i live10 the ,apostle starts out4 ,but presently he corrects himself1 saying1 8,yet not ,i1 but ,christ liveth in me40 ,he is the form of my perfection4 ,he embellishes my faith4 ,since ,christ is now living in me1 ,he abolishes the ,law1 condemns sin1 and destroys death in me4 ,these foes vanish in ,his presence4 ,christ abiding in me drives out every evil4 ,this union with ,christ delivers me from the demands of the ,law1 and separates me from my sinful self4 ,as long as ,i abide in ,christ1 nothing can hurt me4 ,christ domiciling in me1 the old ,adam has to stay outside and remain subject to the ,law4 ,think what grace1 righteousness1 life1 peace1 and salvation there is in me1 thanks to that inseparable conjunction between ,christ and me through faith6 ,paul has a peculiar style1 a celestial way of speaking4 8,i live10 he says1 8,i live not2 ,i am dead1 ,i am not dead2 ,i am a sinner1 ,i am not a sinner2 ,i have the ,law1 ,i have no ,law40 ,when we look at ourselves we find plenty of sin4 ,but when we look at ,christ1 we have no sin4 ,whenever we separate the person of ,christ from our own person1 we live under the ,law and not in ,christ2 we are condemned by the ,law1 dead before ,god4 ,faith connects you so intimately with ,christ1 that ,he and you become as it were one person4 ,as such you may boldly say3 8,i am now one with ,christ4 ,therefore ,christ's righteousness1 victory1 and life are mine40 ,on the other hand1 ,christ may say3 8,i am that big sinner4 ,his sins and his death are mine1 because he is joined to me1 and ,i to him40 ,whenever remission of sins is freely proclaimed1 people misinterpret it according to ,romans #c3h1 8,let us do evil1 that good may come40 ,as soon as people hear that we are not justified by the ,law1 they reason maliciously3 8,why1 then let us reject the ,law4 ,if grace abounds1 where sin abounds1 let us abound in sin1 that grace may all the more abound40 ,people who reason thus are reckless4 ,they make sport of the ,scriptures and slander the sayings of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,however1 there are others who are not malicious1 only weak1 who may take offense when told that ,law and good works are unnecessary for salvation4 ,these must be instructed as to why good works do not justify1 and from what motives good works must be done4 ,good works are not the cause1 but the fruit of righteousness4 ,when we have become righteous1 then first are we able and willing to do good4 ,the tree makes the apple2 the apple does not make the tree4 ,,verse #bj4 ,and the life which ,i now live in the flesh ,i live by the faith of the ,son of ,god4 ,paul does not deny the fact that he is living in the flesh4 ,he performs the natural functions of the flesh4 ,but he says that this is not his real life4 ,his life in the flesh is not a life after the flesh4 8,i live by the faith of the ,son of ,god10 he says4 8,my speech is no longer directed by the flesh1 but by the ,holy ,ghost4 ,my sight is no longer governed by the flesh1 but by the ,holy ,ghost4 ,my hearing is no longer determined by the flesh1 but by the ,holy ,ghost4 ,i cannot teach1 write1 pray1 or give thanks without the instrumentality of the flesh2 yet these activities do not proceed from the flesh1 but from ,god40 ,a ,christian uses earthly means like any unbeliever4 ,outwardly they look alike4 ,nevertheless there is a great difference between them4 ,i may live in the flesh1 but ,i do not live after the flesh4 ,i do my living now 8by the faith of the ,son of ,god40 ,paul had the same voice1 the same tongue1 before and after his conversion4 ,before his conversion his tongue uttered blasphemies4 ,but after his conversion his tongue spoke a spiritual1 heavenly language4 ,we may now understand how spiritual life originates4 ,it enters the heart by faith4 ,christ reigns in the heart with ,his ,holy ,spirit1 who sees1 hears1 speaks1 works1 suffers1 and does all things in and through us over the protest and the resistance of the flesh4 ,,verse #bj4 ,who loved me1 and gave himself for me4 ,the sophistical papists assert that a person is able by natural strength to love ,god long before grace has entered his heart1 and to perform works of real merit4 ,they believe they are able to fulfill the commandments of ,god4 ,they believe they are able to do more than ,god expects of them1 so that they are in a position to sell their superfluous merits to laymen1 thereby saving themselves and others4 ,they are saving nobody4 ,on the contrary1 they abolish the ,gospel1 they deride1 deny1 and blaspheme ,christ1 and call upon themselves the wrath of ,god4 ,this is what they get for living in their own righteousness1 and not in the faith of the ,son of ,god4 ,the papists will tell you to do the best you can1 and ,god will give you ,his grace4 ,they have a rhyme for it3 8,god will no more require of man1 ,than of himself perform he can40 ,this may hold true in ordinary civic life4 ,but the papists apply it to the spiritual realm where a person can perform nothing but sin1 because he is sold under sin4 ,our opponents go even further than that4 ,they say1 nature is depraved1 but the qualities of nature are untainted4 ,again we say3 ,this may hold true in everyday life1 but not in the spiritual life4 ,in spiritual matters a person is by nature full of darkness1 error1 ignorance1 malice1 and perverseness in will and in mind4 ,in view of this1 ,paul declares that ,christ began and not we4 8,he loved me1 and gave ,himself for me4 ,he found in me no right mind and no good will4 ,but the good ,lord had mercy upon me4 ,out of pure kindness ,he loved me1 loved me so that ,he gave ,himself for me1 that ,i should be free from the ,law1 from sin1 devil1 and death40 ,the words1 8,the ,son of ,god who loved me1 and gave ,himself for me10 are so many thunderclaps and lightning bolts of protest from heaven against the righteousness of the ,law4 ,the wickedness1 error1 darkness1 ignorance in my mind and my will were so great1 that it was quite impossible for me to be saved by any other means than by the inestimable price of ,christ's death4 ,let us count the price4 ,when you hear that such an enormous price was paid for you1 will you still come along with your cowl1 your shaven pate1 your chastity1 your obedience1 your poverty1 your works1 your merits8 ,what do you want with all these trappings8 ,what good are the works of all men1 and all the pains of the martyrs1 in comparison with the pains of the ,son of ,god dying on the ,cross1 so that there was not a drop of ,his precious blood1 but it was all shed for your sins4 ,if you could properly evaluate this incomparable price1 you would throw all your ceremonies1 vows1 works1 and merits into the ash can4 ,what awful presumption to imagine that there is any work good enough to pacify ,god1 when to pacify ,god required the invaluable price of the death and blood of ,his own and only ,son8 ,,verse #bj4 ,for me4 ,who is this 8me08 ,i1 wretched and damnable sinner1 dearly beloved of the ,son of ,god4 ,if ,i could by work or merit love the ,son of ,god and come to ,him1 why should ,he have sacrificed ,himself for me8 ,this shows how the papists ignore the ,scriptures1 particularly the doctrine of faith4 ,if they had paid any attention at all to these words1 that it was absolutely necessary for the ,son of ,god to be given into death for me1 they would never have invented so many hideous heresies4 ,i always say1 there is no remedy against the sects1 no power to resist them1 except this article of ,christian righteousness4 ,if we lose this article we shall never be able to combat errors or sects4 ,what business have they to make such a fuss about works or merits8 ,if ,i1 a condemned sinner1 could have been purchased and redeemed by any other price1 why should the ,son of ,god have given ,himself for me8 ,just because there was no other price in heaven and on earth big and good enough1 was it necessary for the ,son of ,god to be delivered for me4 ,this ,he did out of ,his great love for me1 for the ,apostle says1 8,who loved me40 ,did the ,law ever love me8 ,did the ,law ever sacrifice itself for me8 ,did the ,law ever die for me8 ,on the contrary1 it accuses me1 it frightens me1 it drives me crazy4 ,somebody else saved me from the ,law1 from sin and death unto eternal life4 ,that ,somebody is the ,son of ,god1 to whom be praise and glory forever4 ,hence1 ,christ is no ,moses1 no tyrant1 no lawgiver1 but the ,giver of grace1 the ,savior1 full of mercy4 ,in short1 ,he is no less than infinite mercy and ineffable goodness1 bountifully giving ,himself for us4 ,visualize ,christ in these ,his true colors4 ,i do not say that it is easy4 ,even in the present diffusion of the ,gospel light1 ,i have much trouble to see ,christ as ,paul portrays ,him4 ,so deeply has the diseased opinion that ,christ is a lawgiver sunk into my bones4 ,you younger men are a good deal better off than we who are old4 ,you have never become infected with the nefarious errors on which ,i suckled all my youth1 until at the mention of the name of ,christ ,i shivered with fear4 ,you1 ,i say1 who are young may learn to know ,christ in all ,his sweetness4 ,for ,christ is ,joy and ,sweetness to a broken heart4 ,christ is a ,lover of poor sinners1 and such a ,lover that ,he gave ,himself for us4 ,now if this is true1 and it is true1 then are we never justified by our own righteousness4 ,read the words 8me0 and 8for me0 with great emphasis4 ,print this 8me0 with capital letters in your heart1 and do not ever doubt that you belong to the number of those who are meant by this 8me40 ,christ did not only love ,peter and ,paul4 ,the same love ,he felt for them ,he feels for us4 ,if we cannot deny that we are sinners1 we cannot deny that ,christ died for our sins4 ,,verse #ba4 ,i do not frustrate the grace of ,god4 ,paul is now getting ready for the second argument of his ,epistle1 to the effect that to seek justification by works of the ,law1 is to reject the grace of ,god4 ,i ask you1 what sin can be more horrible than to reject the grace of ,god1 and to refuse the righteousness of ,christ8 ,it is bad enough that we are wicked sinners and transgressors of all the commandments of ,god2 on top of that to refuse the grace of ,god and the remission of sins offered unto us by ,christ1 is the worst sin of all1 the sin of sins4 ,that is the limit4 ,there is no sin which ,paul and the other apostles detested more than when a person despises the grace of ,god in ,christ ,jesus4 ,still there is no sin more common4 ,that is why ,paul can get so angry at the ,antichrist1 because he snubs ,christ1 rebuffs the grace of ,god1 and refuses the merit of ,christ4 ,what else would you call it but spitting in ,christ's face1 pushing ,christ to the side1 usurping ,christ's throne1 and to say3 8,i am going to justify you people2 ,i am going to save you40 ,by what means8 ,by masses1 pilgrimages1 pardons1 merits1 etc4 ,for this is ,antichrist's doctrine3 ,faith is no good1 unless it is reinforced by works4 ,by this abominable doctrine ,antichrist has spoiled1 darkened1 and buried the benefit of ,christ1 and in place of the grace of ,christ and ,his ,kingdom1 he has established the doctrine of works and the kingdom of ceremonies4 ,we despise the grace of ,god when we observe the ,law for the purpose of being justified4 ,the ,law is good1 holy1 and profitable1 but it does not justify4 ,to keep the ,law in order to be justified means to reject grace1 to deny ,christ1 to despise ,his sacrifice1 and to be lost4 ,,verse #ba4 ,for if righteousness come by the law1 then ,christ is dead in vain4 ,did ,christ die1 or did ,he not die8 ,was ,his death worth while1 or was it not8 ,if ,his death was worth while1 it follows that righteousness does not come by the ,law4 ,why was ,christ born anyway8 ,why was ,he crucified8 ,why did ,he suffer8 ,why did ,he love me and give ,himself for me8 ,it was all done to no purpose if righteousness is to be had by the ,law4 ,or do you think that ,god spared not ,his ,son1 but delivered ,him for us all1 for the fun of it8 ,before ,i would admit anything like that1 ,i would consign the holiness of the saints and of the angels to hell4 ,to reject the grace of ,god is a common sin1 of which everybody is guilty who sees any righteousness in himself or in his deeds4 ,and the ,pope is the sole author of this iniquity4 ,not content to spoil the ,gospel of ,christ1 he has filled the world with his cursed traditions1 e4g41 his bulls and indulgences4 ,we will always affirm with ,paul that either ,christ died in vain1 or else the ,law cannot justify us4 ,but ,christ did not suffer and die in vain4 ,hence1 the ,law does not justify4 ,if my salvation was so difficult to accomplish that it necessitated the death of ,christ1 then all my works1 all the righteousness of the ,law1 are good for nothing4 ,how can ,i buy for a penny what cost a million dollars8 ,the ,law is a penny's worth when you compare it with ,christ4 ,should ,i be so stupid as to reject the righteousness of ,christ which cost me nothing1 and slave like a fool to achieve the righteousness of the ,law which ,god disdains8 ,man's own righteousness is in the last analysis a despising and rejecting of the grace of ,god4 ,no combination of words can do justice to such an outrage4 ,it is an insult to say that any man died in vain4 ,but to say that ,christ died in vain is a deadly insult4 ,to say that ,christ died in vain is to make ,his resurrection1 ,his victory1 ,his glory1 ,his kingdom1 heaven1 earth1 ,god ,himself1 of no purpose and benefit whatever4 ,that is enough to set any person against the righteousness of the ,law and all the trimmings of men's own righteousness1 the orders of monks and friars1 and their superstitions4 ,who would not detest his own vows1 his cowls1 his shaven crown1 his bearded traditions1 yes1 the very ,law of ,moses1 when he hears that for such things he rejected the grace of ,god and the death of ,christ4 ,it seems that such a horrible wickedness could not enter a man's heart1 that he should reject the grace of ,god1 and despise the death of ,christ4 ,and yet this atrocity is all too common4 ,let us be warned4 ,everyone who seeks righteousness without ,christ1 either by works1 merits1 satisfactions1 actions1 or by the ,law1 rejects the grace of ,god1 and despises the death of ,christ4 ,,chapter #c ,,verse #a4 #j foolish ,galatians4 ,,the ,apostle ,paul manifests his apostolic care for the ,galatians4 ,sometimes he entreats them1 then again he reproaches them1 in accordance with his own advice to ,timothy3 8,preach the word2 be instant in season1 out of season2 reprove1 rebuke1 exhort40 ,in the midst of his discourse on ,christian righteousness ,paul breaks off1 and turns to address the ,galatians4 8,o foolish ,galatians10 he cries4 8,i have brought you the true ,gospel1 and you received it with eagerness and gratitude4 ,now all of a sudden you drop the ,gospel4 ,what has got into you80 ,paul reproves the ,galatians rather sharply when he calls them 8fools1 bewitched1 and disobedient40 ,whether he is indignant or sorry1 ,i cannot say4 ,he may be both4 ,it is the duty of a ,christian pastor to reprove the people committed to his charge4 ,of course1 his anger must not flow from malice1 but from affection and a real zeal for ,christ4 ,there is no question that ,paul is disappointed4 ,it hurts him to think that his ,galatians showed so little stability4 ,we can hear him say3 8,i am sorry to hear of your troubles1 and disappointed in you for the disgraceful part you played40 ,i say rather much on this point to save ,paul from the charge that he railed upon the churches1 contrary to the spirit of the ,gospel4 ,a certain distance and coolness can be noted in the title with which the ,apostle addresses the ,galatians4 ,he does not now address them as his brethren1 as he usually does4 ,he addresses them as ,galatians in order to remind them of their national trait to be foolish4 ,we have here an example of bad traits that often cling to individual ,christians and entire congregations4 ,grace does not suddenly transform a ,christian into a new and perfect creature4 ,dregs of the old and natural corruption remain4 ,the ,spirit of ,god cannot at once overcome human deficiency4 ,sanctification takes time4 ,although the ,galatians had been enlightened by the ,holy ,spirit through the preaching of faith1 something of their national trait of foolishness plus their original depravity clung to them4 ,let no man think that once he has received faith1 he can presently be converted into a faultless creature4 ,the leavings of old vices will stick to him1 be he ever so good a ,christian4 ,,verse #a4 ,who hath bewitched you1 that ye should not obey the truth8 ,paul calls the ,galatians foolish and bewitched4 ,in the fifth chapter he mentions sorcery among the works of the flesh1 declaring that witchcraft and sorcery are real manifestations and legitimate activities of the devil4 ,we are all exposed to the influence of the devil1 because he is the prince and god of the world in which we live4 ,satan is clever4 ,he does not only bewitch men in a crude manner1 but also in a more artful fashion4 ,he bedevils the minds of men with hideous fallacies4 ,not only is he able to deceive the self-assured1 but even those who profess the true ,christian faith4 ,there is not one among us who is not at times seduced by ,satan into false beliefs4 ,this accounts for the many new battles we have to wage nowadays4 ,but the attacks of the old ,serpent are not without profit to us1 for they confirm our doctrine and strengthen our faith in ,christ4 ,many a time we were wrestled down in these conflicts with ,satan1 but ,christ has always triumphed and always will triumph4 ,do not think that the ,galatians were the only ones to be bewitched by the devil4 ,let us realize that we too may be seduced by ,satan4 ,,verse #a4 ,who hath bewitched you8 ,in this sentence ,paul excuses the ,galatians1 while he blames the false apostles for the apostasy of the ,galatians4 ,as if he were saying3 8,i know your defection was not willful4 ,the devil sent the false apostles to you1 and they tallied you into believing that you are justified by the ,law4 ,with this our epistle we endeavor to undo the damage which the false apostles have inflicted upon you40 ,like ,paul1 we struggle with the ,word of ,god against the fanatical ,anabaptists of our day2 and our efforts are not entirely in vain4 ,the trouble is there are many who refuse to be instructed4 ,they will not listen to reason2 they will not listen to the ,scriptures1 because they are bewitched by the tricky devil who can make a lie look like the truth4 ,since the devil has this uncanny ability to make us believe a lie until we would swear a thousand times it were the truth1 we must not be proud1 but walk in fear and humility1 and call upon the ,lord ,jesus to save us from temptation4 ,although ,i am a doctor of divinity1 and have preached ,christ and fought ,his battles for a long time1 ,i know from personal experience how difficult it is to hold fast to the truth4 ,i cannot always shake off ,satan4 ,i cannot always apprehend ,christ as the ,scriptures portray ,him4 ,sometimes the devil distorts ,christ to my vision4 ,but thanks be to ,god1 who keeps us in ,his ,word1 in faith1 and in prayer4 ,the spiritual witchery of the devil creates in the heart a wrong idea of ,christ4 ,those who share the opinion that a person is justified by the works of the ,law1 are simply bewitched4 ,their belief goes against faith and ,christ4 ,,verse #a4 ,that ye should not obey the truth4 ,paul incriminates the ,galatians in worse failure4 8,you are so bewitched that you no longer obey the truth4 ,i fear many of you have strayed so far that you will never return to the truth40 ,the apostasy of the ,galatians is a fine indorsement of the ,law1 all right4 ,you may preach the ,law ever so fervently2 if the preaching of the ,gospel does not accompany it1 the ,law will never produce true conversion and heartfelt repentance4 ,we do not mean to say that the preaching of the ,law is without value1 but it only serves to bring home to us the wrath of ,god4 ,the ,law bows a person down4 ,it takes the ,gospel and the preaching of faith in ,christ to raise and save a person4 ,,verse #a4 ,before whose eyes ,jesus ,christ hath been evidently set forth4 ,paul's increasing severity becomes apparent as he reminds the ,galatians that they disobeyed the truth in defiance of the vivid description he had given them of ,christ4 ,so vividly had he described ,christ to them that they could almost see and handle ,him4 ,as if ,paul were to say3 8,no artist with all his colors could have pictured ,christ to you as vividly as ,i have pictured ,him to you by my preaching4 ,yet you permitted yourselves to be seduced to the extent that you disobeyed the truth of ,christ40 ,,verse #a4 ,crucified among you4 8,you have not only rejected the grace of ,god1 you have shamefully crucified ,christ among you40 ,paul employs the same phraseology in ,hebrews #f3f3 8,seeing they crucify to themselves the ,son of ,god afresh1 and put him to an open shame40 ,it should make any person afraid to hear ,paul say that those who seek to be justified by the ,law1 not only deny ,christ1 but also crucify ,him anew4 ,if those who seek to be justified by the ,law and its works are crucifiers of ,christ1 what are they1 ,i like to know1 who seek salvation by the filthy rags of their own work-righteousness8 ,can there be anything more horrible than the papacy1 an alliance of people who crucify ,christ in themselves1 in the ,church1 and in the hearts of the believers8 ,of all the diseased and vicious doctrines of the papacy the worst is this3 8,if you want to serve ,god you must earn your own remission of sins and everlasting life1 and in addition help others to obtain salvation by giving them the benefit of your extra work-holiness40 ,monks1 friars1 and all the rest of them brag that besides the ordinary requirements common to all ,christians1 they do the works of supererogation1 i4e41 the performance of more than is required4 ,this is certainly a fiendish illusion4 ,no wonder ,paul employs such sharp language in his effort to recall the ,galatians from the doctrine of the false apostles4 ,he says to them3 8,don't you realize what you have done8 ,you have crucified ,christ anew because you seek salvation by the ,law40 ,true1 ,christ can no longer be crucified in person1 but ,he is crucified in us when we reject grace1 faith1 free remission of sins and endeavor to be justified by our own works1 or by the works of the ,law4 ,the ,apostle is incensed at the presumptuousness of any person who thinks he can perform the ,law of ,god to his own salvation4 ,he charges that person with the atrocity of crucifying anew the ,son of ,god4 ,,verse #b4 ,this only would ,i learn of you1 ,received ye the ,spirit by the works of the law1 or by the hearing of faith8 ,there is a touch of irony in these words of the ,apostle4 8,come on now1 my smart ,galatians1 you who all of a sudden have become doctors1 while ,i seem to be your pupil3 ,received ye the ,holy ,ghost by the works of the ,law1 or by the preaching of the ,gospel80 ,this question gave them something to think about1 because their own experience contradicted them4 8,you cannot say that you received the ,holy ,spirit by the ,law4 ,as long as you were servants of the ,law1 you never received the ,holy ,ghost4 ,nobody ever heard of the ,holy ,ghost being given to anybody1 be he doctor or dunce1 as a result of the preaching of the ,law4 ,in your own case1 you have not only learned the ,law by heart1 you have labored with all your might to perform it4 ,you most of all should have received the ,holy ,ghost by the ,law1 if that were possible4 ,you cannot show me that this ever happened4 ,but as soon as the ,gospel came your way1 you received the ,holy ,ghost by the simple hearing of faith1 before you ever had a chance to do a single good deed40 ,luke verifies this statement of ,paul in the ,book of ,acts3 8,while ,peter yet spake these words1 the ,holy ,ghost fell on all them which heard the word40 7,acts #aj3dd47 8,and as ,i began to speak1 the ,holy ,ghost fell on them1 as on us at the beginning40 7,acts #aa3ae47 ,try to appreciate the force of ,paul's argument which is so often repeated in the ,book of ,acts4 ,that ,book was written for the express purpose of verifying ,paul's assertion1 that the ,holy ,ghost comes upon men1 not in response to the preaching of the ,law1 but in response to the preaching of the ,gospel4 ,when ,peter preached ,christ at the first ,pentecost1 the ,holy ,ghost fell upon the hearers1 8and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls40 ,cornelius received the ,holy ,ghost while ,peter was speaking of ,christ4 8,the ,holy ,ghost fell on all of them which heard the word40 ,these are actual experiences that cannot very well be denied4 ,when ,paul and ,barnabas returned to ,jerusalem and reported what they had been able to accomplish among the ,gentiles1 the whole ,church was astonished1 particularly when it heard that the uncircumcised ,gentiles had received the ,holy ,ghost by the preaching of faith in ,christ4 ,now as ,god gave the ,holy ,ghost to the ,gentiles without the ,law by the simple preaching of the ,gospel1 so ,he gave the ,holy ,ghost also to the ,jews1 without the ,law1 through faith alone4 ,if the righteousness of the ,law were necessary unto salvation1 the ,holy ,ghost would never have come to the ,gentiles1 because they did not bother about the ,law4 ,hence the ,law does not justify1 but faith in ,christ justifies4 ,how was it with ,cornelius8 ,cornelius and his friends whom he had invited over to his house1 do nothing but sit and listen4 ,peter is doing the talking4 ,they just sit and do nothing4 ,the ,law is far removed from their thoughts4 ,they burn no sacrifices4 ,they are not at all interested in circumcision4 ,all they do is to sit and listen to ,peter4 ,suddenly the ,holy ,ghost enters their hearts4 ,his presence is unmistakable1 8for they spoke with tongues and magnified ,god40 ,right here we have one more difference between the ,law and the ,gospel4 ,the ,law does not bring on the ,holy ,ghost4 ,the ,gospel1 however1 brings on the gift of the ,holy ,ghost1 because it is the nature of the ,gospel to convey good gifts4 ,the ,law and the ,gospel are contrary ideas4 ,they have contrary functions and purposes4 ,to endow the ,law with any capacity to produce righteousness is to plagiarize the ,gospel4 ,the ,gospel brings donations4 ,it pleads for open hands to take what is being offered4 ,the ,law has nothing to give4 ,it demands1 and its demands are impossible4 ,our opponents come back at us with ,cornelius4 ,cornelius1 they point out1 was 8a devout man1 and one that feared ,god with all his house1 which gave much alms to the people and prayed ,god always40 ,because of these qualifications1 he merited the forgiveness of sins1 and the gift of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,so reason our opponents4 ,i answer3 ,cornelius was a ,gentile4 ,you cannot deny it4 ,as a ,gentile he was uncircumcised4 ,as a ,gentile he did not observe the ,law4 ,he never gave the ,law any thought4 ,for all that1 he was justified and received the ,holy ,ghost4 ,how can the ,law avail anything unto righteousness8 ,our opponents are not satisfied4 ,they reply3 8,granted that ,cornelius was a ,gentile and did not receive the ,holy ,ghost by the ,law1 yet the text plainly states that he was a devout man who feared ,god1 gave alms1 and prayed4 ,don't you think he deserved the gift of the ,holy ,ghost80 ,i answer3 ,cornelius had the faith of the fathers who were saved by faith in the ,christ to come4 ,if ,cornelius had died before ,christ1 he would have been saved because he believed in the ,christ to come4 ,but because the ,messiah had already come1 ,cornelius had to be apprized of the fact4 ,since ,christ has come we cannot be saved by faith in the ,christ to come1 but we must believe that he has come4 ,the object of ,peter's visit was to acquaint ,cornelius with the fact that ,christ was no longer to be looked for1 because ,he is here4 ,as to the contention of our opponents that ,cornelius deserved grace and the gift of the ,holy ,ghost1 because he was devout and just1 we say that these attributes are the characteristics of a spiritual person who already has faith in ,christ1 and not the characteristics of a ,gentile or of natural man4 ,luke first praises ,cornelius for being a devout and ,god-fearing man1 and then ,luke mentions the good works1 the alms and prayers of ,cornelius4 ,our opponents ignore the sequence of ,luke's words4 ,they pounce on this one sentence1 8which gave much alms to the people10 because it serves their assertion that merit precedes grace4 ,the fact is that ,cornelius gave alms and prayed to ,god because he had faith4 ,and because of his faith in the ,christ to come1 ,peter was delegated to preach unto ,cornelius faith in the ,christ who had already come4 ,this argument is convincing enough4 ,cornelius was justified without the ,law1 therefore the ,law cannot justify4 ,take the case of ,naaman1 the ,syrian1 who was a ,gentile and did not belong to the race of ,moses4 ,yet his flesh was cleansed1 the ,god of ,israel was revealed unto him1 and he received the ,holy ,ghost4 ,naaman confessed his faith3 8,behold1 now ,i know that there is no ,god in all the earth1 but in ,israel40 7,,ii ,kings #e3ae47 ,naaman does not do a thing4 ,he does not busy himself with the ,law4 ,he was never circumcised4 ,that does not mean that his faith was inactive4 ,he said to the ,prophet ,elisha3 8,thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto other gods1 but unto the ,lord4 ,in this thing the ,lord pardon thy servant1 that when my master goeth into the house of ,rimmon to worship there1 and he leaneth on my hand1 and ,i bow myself in the house of ,rimmon3 when ,i bow down myself in the house of ,rimmon1 the ,lord pardon thy servant in this thing40 ,what did the ,prophet tell him8 8,go in peace40 ,the ,jews do not like to hear the prophet say this4 8,what10 they exclaim1 8should this heathen be justified without the ,law8 ,should he be made equal to us who are circumcised80 ,long before the time of ,moses1 ,god justified men without the ,law4 ,he justified many kings of ,egypt and ,babylonia4 ,he justified ,job4 ,nineveh1 that great city1 was justified and received the promise of ,god that ,he would not destroy the city4 ,why was ,nineveh spared8 ,not because it fulfilled the ,law1 but because ,nineveh believed the word of ,god4 ,the ,prophet ,jonah writes3 8,so the people of ,nineveh believed ,god1 and proclaimed a fast1 and put on sackcloth40 ,they repented4 ,nowhere in the ,book of ,jonah do you read that the ,ninevites received the ,law of ,moses1 or that they were circumcised1 or that they offered sacrifices4 ,all this happened long before ,christ was born4 ,if the ,gentiles were justified without the ,law and quietly received the ,holy ,spirit at a time when the ,law was in full force1 why should the ,law count unto righteousness now1 now that ,christ has fulfilled the ,law8 ,and yet many devote much time and labor to the ,law1 to the decrees of the fathers1 and to the traditions of the ,pope4 ,many of these specialists have incapacitated themselves for any kind of work1 good or bad1 by their rigorous attention to rules and laws4 ,all the same1 they could not obtain a quiet conscience and peace in ,christ4 ,but the moment the ,gospel of ,christ touches them1 certainty comes to them1 and joy1 and a right judgment4 ,i have good reason for enlarging upon this point4 ,the heart of man finds it difficult to believe that so great a treasure as the ,holy ,ghost is gotten by the mere hearing of faith4 ,the hearer likes to reason like this3 ,forgiveness of sins1 deliverance from death1 the gift of the ,holy ,ghost1 everlasting life are grand things4 ,if you want to obtain these priceless benefits1 you must engage in correspondingly great efforts4 ,and the devil says1 8,amen40 ,we must learn that forgiveness of sins1 ,christ1 and the ,holy ,ghost1 are freely granted unto us at the preaching of faith1 in spite of our sinfulness4 ,we are not to waste time thinking how unworthy we are of the blessings of ,god4 ,we are to know that it pleased ,god freely to give us ,his unspeakable gifts4 ,if ,he offers ,his gifts free of charge1 why not take them8 ,why worry about our lack of worthiness8 ,why not accept gifts with joy and thanksgiving8 ,right away foolish reason is once more offended4 ,it scolds us4 8,when you say that a person can do nothing to obtain the grace of ,god1 you foster carnal security4 ,people become shiftless and will do no good at all4 ,better not preach this doctrine of faith4 ,rather urge the people to exert and to exercise themselves in good works1 so that the ,holy ,ghost will feel like coming to them40 ,what did ,jesus say to ,martha when she was very 8careful and troubled about many things0 and could hardly stand to see her sister ,mary sitting at the feet of ,jesus1 just listening8 8,martha1 ,martha10 ,jesus said1 8thou art careful and troubled about many things3 but one thing is needful2 and ,mary hath chosen that good part1 which shall not be taken away from her40 ,a person becomes a ,christian not by working1 but by hearing4 ,the first step to being a ,christian is to hear the ,gospel4 ,when a person has accepted the ,gospel1 let him first give thanks unto ,god with a glad heart1 and then let him get busy on the good works to strive for1 works that really please ,god1 and not man-made and self-chosen works4 ,our opponents regard faith as an easy thing1 but ,i know from personal experience how hard it is to believe4 ,that the ,holy ,ghost is received by faith1 is quickly said1 but not so quickly done4 ,all believers experience this difficulty4 ,they would gladly embrace the ,word with a full faith1 but the flesh deters them4 ,you see1 our reason always thinks it is too easy and cheap to have righteousness1 the ,holy ,spirit1 and life everlasting by the mere hearing of the ,gospel4 ,,verse #c4 ,are ye so foolish8 having begun in the ,spirit1 are ye now made perfect by the flesh8 ,paul now begins to warn the ,galatians against a twofold danger4 ,the first danger is3 8,are ye so foolish1 that after ye have begun in the ,spirit1 ye would now end in the flesh80 8,flesh0 stands for the righteousness of reason which seeks justification by the accomplishment of the ,law4 ,i am told that ,i began in the spirit under the papacy1 but am ending up in the flesh because ,i got married4 ,as though single life were a spiritual life1 and married life a carnal life4 ,they are silly4 ,all the duties of a ,christian husband1 e4g41 to love his wife1 to bring up his children1 to govern his family1 etc41 are the very fruits of the ,spirit4 ,the righteousness of the ,law which ,paul also terms the righteousness of the flesh is so far from justifying a person that those who once had the ,holy ,spirit and lost ,him1 end up in the ,law to their complete destruction4 ,,verse #d4 ,have ye suffered so many things in vain8 ,the other danger against which the ,apostle warns the ,galatians is this3 8,have ye suffered so many things in vain80 ,paul wants to say3 8,consider not only the good start you had and lost1 but consider also the many things you have suffered for the sake of the ,gospel and for the name of ,christ4 ,you have suffered the loss of your possessions1 you have borne reproaches1 you have passed through many dangers of body and life4 ,you endured much for the name of ,christ and you endured it faithfully4 ,but now you have lost everything1 the ,gospel1 faith1 and the spiritual benefit of your sufferings for ,christ's sake4 ,what a miserable thing to endure so many afflictions for nothing40 ,,verse #d4 ,if it be yet in vain4 ,the ,apostle adds the afterthought3 8,if it be yet in vain4 ,i do not despair of all hope for you4 ,but if you continue to look to the ,law for righteousness1 ,i think you should be told that all your past true worship of ,god and all the afflictions that you have endured for ,christ's sake are going to help you not at all4 ,i do not mean to discourage you altogether4 ,i do hope you will repent and amend40 ,,verse #e4 ,he therefore that ministereth to you the ,spirit1 and worketh miracles among you1 doeth he it by the works of the law1 or by the hearing of faith8 ,this argument based on the experience of the ,galatians1 pleased the ,apostle so well that he returns to it after he had warned them against their twofold danger4 8,you have not only received the ,spirit by the preaching of the ,gospel1 but by the same ,gospel you were enabled to do things40 8,what things80 we ask4 ,miracles4 ,at least the ,galatians had manifested the striking fruits of faith which true disciples of the ,gospel manifested in those days4 ,on one occasion the ,apostle wrote3 8,the kingdom of ,god is not in word1 but in power40 ,this 8power0 revealed itself not only in readiness of speech1 but in demonstrations of the supernatural ability of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,when the ,gospel is preached unto faith1 hope1 love1 and patience1 ,god gives ,his wonder-working ,spirit4 ,paul reminds the ,galatians of this4 8,god had not only brought you to faith by my preaching4 ,he had also sanctified you to bring forth the fruits of faith4 ,and one of the fruits of your faith was that you loved me so devotedly that you were willing to pluck out your eyes for me40 ,to love a fellow-man so devotedly as to be ready to bestow upon him money1 goods1 eyes in order to secure his salvation1 such love is the fruit of the ,holy ,spirit4 8,these products of the ,spirit you enjoyed before the false apostles misled you10 the ,apostle reminds the ,galatians4 8,but you haven't manifested any of these fruits under the regime of the ,law4 ,how does it come that you do not grow the same fruits now8 ,you no longer teach truly2 you do not believe boldly2 you do not live well2 you do not work hard2 you do not bear things patiently4 ,who has spoiled you that you no longer love me2 that you are not now ready to pluck out your eyes for me8 ,what has happened to cool your personal interest in me80 ,the same thing happened to me4 ,when ,i began to proclaim the ,gospel1 there were many1 very many who were delighted with our doctrine and had a good opinion of us4 ,and now8 ,now they have succeeded in making us so odious to those who formerly loved us that they now hate us like poison4 ,paul argues3 8,your experience ought to teach you that the fruits of love do not grow on the stump of the ,law4 ,you had not virtue prior to the preaching of the ,gospel and you have no virtues now under the regime of the false apostles40 ,we1 too1 may say to those who misname themselves 8evangelical0 and flout their new-found liberty3 ,have you put down the tyranny of the ,pope and obtained liberty in ,christ through the ,anabaptists and other fanatics8 ,or have you obtained your freedom from us who preach faith in ,christ ,jesus8 ,if there is any honesty left in them they will have to confess that their freedom dates from the preaching of the ,gospel4 ,,verse #f4 ,even as ,abraham believed ,god1 and it was accounted to him for righteousness4 ,the ,apostle next adduces the example of ,abraham and reviews the testimony of the ,scriptures concerning faith4 ,the first passage is taken from ,genesis #af3f3 8,and he believed in the ,lord2 and he counted it to him for righteousness40 ,the ,apostle makes the most of this passage4 ,abraham may have enjoyed a good standing with men for his upright life1 but not with ,god4 ,in the sight of ,god1 ,abraham was a condemned sinner4 ,that he was justified before ,god was not due to his own exertions1 but due to his faith4 ,the ,scriptures expressly state3 8,abraham believed in the ,lord2 and he counted it to him for righteousness40 ,paul places the emphasis upon the two words3 ,abraham believed4 ,faith in ,god constitutes the highest worship1 the prime duty1 the first obedience1 and the foremost sacrifice4 ,without faith ,god forfeits ,his glory1 wisdom1 truth1 and mercy in us4 ,the first duty of man is to believe in ,god and to honor ,him with his faith4 ,faith is truly the height of wisdom1 the right kind of righteousness1 the only real religion4 ,this will give us an idea of the excellence of faith4 ,to believe in ,god as ,abraham did is to be right with ,god because faith honors ,god4 ,faith says to ,god3 8,i believe what you say40 ,when we pay attention to reason1 ,god seems to propose impossible matters in the ,christian ,creed4 ,to reason it seems absurd that ,christ should offer ,his body and blood in the ,lord's ,supper2 that ,baptism should be the washing of regeneration2 that the dead shall rise2 that ,christ the ,son of ,god was conceived in the womb of the ,virgin ,mary1 etc4 ,reason shouts that all this is preposterous4 ,are you surprised that reason thinks little of faith8 ,reason thinks it ludicrous that faith should be the foremost service any person can render unto ,god4 ,let your faith supplant reason4 ,abraham mastered reason by faith in the ,word of ,god4 ,not as though reason ever yields meekly4 ,it put up a fight against the faith of ,abraham4 ,reason protested that it was absurd to think that ,sarah who was ninety years old and barren by nature1 should give birth to a son4 ,but faith won the victory and routed reason1 that ugly beast and enemy of ,god4 ,everyone who by faith slays reason1 the world's biggest monster1 renders ,god a real service1 a better service than the religions of all races and all the drudgery of meritorious monks can render4 ,men fast1 pray1 watch1 suffer4 ,they intend to appease the wrath of ,god and to deserve ,god's grace by their exertions4 ,but there is no glory in it for ,god1 because by their exertions these workers pronounce ,god an unmerciful slave driver1 an unfaithful and angry ,judge4 ,they despise ,god1 make a liar out of ,him1 snub ,christ and all ,his benefits2 in short they pull ,god from ,his throne and perch themselves on it4 ,faith truly honors ,god4 ,and because faith honors ,god1 ,god counts faith for righteousness4 ,christian righteousness is the confidence of the heart in ,god through ,christ ,jesus4 ,such confidence is accounted righteousness for ,christ's sake4 ,two things make for ,christian righteousness3 ,faith in ,christ1 which is a gift of ,god2 and ,god's acceptance of this imperfect faith of ours for perfect righteousness4 ,because of my faith in ,christ1 ,god overlooks my distrust1 the unwillingness of my spirit1 my many other sins4 ,because the shadow of ,christ's wing covers me ,i have no fear that ,god will cover all my sins and take my imperfections for perfect righteousness4 ,god 8winks0 at my sins and covers them up4 ,god says3 8,because you believe in ,my ,son ,i will forgive your sins until death shall deliver you from the body of sin40 ,learn to understand the constitution of your ,christian righteousness4 ,faith is weak1 but it means enough to ,god that ,he will not lay sin to our charge4 ,he will not punish nor condemn us for it4 ,he will forgive our sins as though they amount to nothing at all4 ,he will do it not because we are worthy of such mercy4 ,he will do it for ,jesus' sake in whom we believe4 ,paradoxically1 a ,christian is both right and wrong1 holy and profane1 an enemy of ,god and a child of ,god4 ,these contradictions no person can harmonize who does not understand the true way of salvation4 ,under the papacy we were told to toil until the feeling of guilt had left us4 ,but the authors of this deranged idea were frequently driven to despair in the hour of death4 ,it would have happened to me1 if ,christ had not mercifully delivered me from this error4 ,we comfort the afflicted sinner in this manner3 ,brother1 you can never be perfect in this life1 but you can be holy4 ,he will say3 8,how can ,i be holy when ,i feel my sins80 ,i answer3 ,you feel sin8 ,that is a good sign4 ,to realize that one is ill is a step1 and a very necessary step1 toward recovery4 8,but how will ,i get rid of my sin80 he will ask4 ,i answer3 ,see the heavenly ,physician1 ,christ1 who heals the broken-hearted4 ,do not consult that ,quackdoctor1 ,reason4 ,believe in ,christ and your sins will be pardoned4 ,his righteousness will become your righteousness1 and your sins will become ,his sins4 ,on one occasion ,jesus said to ,his disciples3 8,the ,father loveth you40 ,why8 ,not because the disciples were ,pharisees1 or circumcised1 or particularly attentive to the ,law4 ,jesus said3 8,the ,father loveth you1 because ye have loved me1 and have believed that ,i came out from ,god4 ,it pleased you to know that the ,father sent me into the world4 ,and because you believed it the ,father loves you40 ,on another occasion ,jesus called ,his disciples evil and commanded them to ask for forgiveness4 ,a ,christian is beloved of ,god and a sinner4 ,how can these two contradictions be harmonized3 ,i am a sinner and deserve ,god's wrath and punishment1 and yet the ,father loves me8 ,christ alone can harmonize these contradictions4 ,he is the ,mediator4 ,do you now see how faith justifies without works8 ,sin lingers in us1 and ,god hates sin4 ,a transfusion of righteousness therefore becomes vitally necessary4 ,this transfusion of righteousness we obtain from ,christ because we believe in ,him4 ,,verse #g4 ,know ye therefore that they which are of faith1 the same are the children of ,abraham4 ,this is the main point of ,paul's argument against the ,jews3 ,the children of ,abraham are those who believe and not those who are born of ,abraham's flesh and blood4 ,this point ,paul drives home with all his might because the ,jews attached saving value to the genealogical fact3 8,we are the seed and children of ,abraham40 ,let us begin with ,abraham and learn how this friend of ,god was justified and saved4 ,not because he left his country1 his relatives1 his father's house2 not because he was circumcised2 not because he stood ready to sacrifice his own son ,isaac in whom he had the promise of posterity4 ,abraham was justified because he believed4 ,paul's argumentation runs like this3 8,since this is the unmistakable testimony of ,holy ,writ1 why do you take your stand upon circumcision and the ,law8 ,was not ,abraham1 your father1 of whom you make so much1 justified and saved without circumcision and the ,law by faith alone80 ,paul therefore concludes3 8,they which are of faith1 the same are the children of ,abraham40 ,abraham was the father of the faithful4 ,in order to be a child of the believing ,abraham you must believe as he did4 ,otherwise you are merely the physical offspring of the procreating ,abraham1 i4e41 you were conceived and born in sin unto wrath and condemnation4 ,ishmael and ,isaac were both the natural children of ,abraham4 ,by rights ,ishmael should have enjoyed the prerogatives of the firstborn1 if physical generation had any special value4 ,nevertheless he was left out in the cold while ,isaac was called4 ,this goes to prove that the children of faith are the real children of ,abraham4 ,some find fault with ,paul for applying the term 8faith0 in ,genesis #ae3f to ,christ4 ,they think ,paul's use of the term too wide and general4 ,they think its meaning should be restricted to the context4 ,they claim ,abraham's faith had no more in it than a belief in the promise of ,god that he should have seed4 ,we reply3 ,faith presupposes the assurance of ,god's mercy4 ,this assurance takes in the confidence that our sins are forgiven for ,christ's sake4 ,never will the conscience trust in ,god unless it can be sure of ,god's mercy and promises in ,christ4 ,now all the promises of ,god lead back to the first promise concerning ,christ3 8,and ,i will put enmity between thee and the woman1 and between thy seed and her seed2 it shall bruise thy head1 and thou shalt bruise his heel40 ,the faith of the fathers in the ,old ,testament era1 and our faith in the ,new ,testament are one and the same faith in ,christ ,jesus1 although times and conditions may differ4 ,peter acknowledged this in the words3 8,which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear8 ,but we believe that through the grace of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ we shall be saved1 even as they40 7,acts l#e3 #aj1 #aa47 ,and ,paul writes3 8,and did all drink the spiritual drink2 for they drank of that spiritual ,rock that followed them3 and that ,rock was ,christ40 7,i ,cor4 #aj3d47 ,and ,christ ,himself declared3 8,your father ,abraham rejoiced to see my day3 and he saw it and was glad40 7,john #h3ef47 ,the faith of the fathers was directed at the ,christ who was to come1 while ours rests in the ,christ who has come4 ,time does not change the object of true faith1 or the ,holy ,spirit4 ,there has always been and always will be one mind1 one impression1 one faith concerning ,christ among true believers whether they live in times past1 now1 or in times to come4 ,we too believe in the ,christ to come as the fathers did in the ,old ,testament1 for we look for ,christ to come again on the last day to judge the quick and the dead4 ,,verse #g4 ,know ye therefore that they which are of faith1 the same are the children of ,abraham4 ,paul is saying3 8,you know from the example of ,abraham and from the plain testimony of the ,scriptures that they are the children of ,abraham1 who have faith in ,christ1 regardless of their nationality1 regardless of the ,law1 regardless of works1 regardless of their parentage4 ,the promise was made unto ,abraham1 #8,thou shalt be a father of many nations'2 again1 #8,and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed4'0 ,to prevent the ,jews from misinterpreting the word 8nations10 the ,scriptures are careful to say 8many nations40 ,the true children of ,abraham are the believers in ,christ from all nations4 ,,verse #h4 ,and the ,scripture1 foreseeing that ,god would justify the heathen through faith4 8,your boasting does not get you anywhere10 says ,paul to the ,galatians1 8because the ,sacred ,scriptures foresaw and foretold long before the ,law was ever given1 that the heathen should be justified by the blessed #8seed' of ,abraham and not by the ,law4 ,this promise was made four hundred and thirty years before the ,law was given4 ,because the ,law was given so many years after ,abraham1 it could not abolish the promised blessing40 ,this argument is strong because it is based on the exact factor of time4 8,why should you boast of the ,law1 my ,galatians1 when the ,law came four hundred and thirty years after the promise80 ,the false apostles glorified the ,law and despised the promise made unto ,abraham1 although it antedated the ,law by many years4 ,it was after ,abraham was accounted righteous because of his faith that the ,scriptures first make mention of circumcision4 8,the ,scriptures10 says ,paul1 8meant to forestall your infatuation for the righteousness of the ,law by installing the righteousness of faith before circumcision and the ,law ever were ordained40 ,,verse #h4 ,preached before the gospel unto ,abraham1 saying1 ,in thee shall all nations be blessed4 ,the ,jews misconstrue this passage4 ,they want the term 8to bless0 to mean 8to praise40 ,they want the passage to read3 ,in thee shall all the nations of the earth be praised4 ,but this is a perversion of the words of ,holy ,writ4 ,with the words 8,abraham believed0 ,paul describes a spiritual ,abraham1 renewed by faith and regenerated by the ,holy ,ghost1 that he should be the spiritual father of many nations4 ,in that way all the ,gentiles could be given to him for an inheritance4 ,the ,scriptures ascribe no righteousness to ,abraham except through faith4 ,the ,scriptures speak of ,abraham as he stands before ,god1 a man justified by faith4 ,because of his faith ,god extends to him the promise3 8,in thee shall all nations be blessed40 ,,verse #i4 ,so then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful ,abraham4 ,the emphasis lies on the words 8with faithful ,abraham40 ,paul distinguishes between ,abraham and ,abraham4 ,there is a working and there is a believing ,abraham4 ,with the working ,abraham we have nothing to do4 ,let the ,jews glory in the generating ,abraham2 we glory in the believing ,abraham of whom the ,scriptures say that he received the blessing of righteousness by faith1 not only for himself but for all who believe as he did4 ,the world was promised to ,abraham because he believed4 ,the whole world is blessed if it believes as ,abraham believed4 ,the blessing is the promise of the ,gospel4 ,that all nations are to be blessed means that all nations are to hear the ,gospel4 ,all nations are to be declared righteous before ,god through faith in ,christ ,jesus4 ,to bless simply means to spread abroad the knowledge of ,christ's salvation4 ,this is the office of the ,new ,testament ,church which distributes the promised blessing by preaching the ,gospel1 by administering the sacraments1 by comforting the broken-hearted1 in short1 by dispensing the benefits of ,christ4 ,the ,jews exhibited a working ,abraham4 ,the ,pope exhibits a working ,christ1 or an exemplary ,christ4 ,the ,pope quotes ,christ's saying recorded in ,john #ac3ae1 8,i have given you an example1 that ye should do as ,i have done to you40 ,we do not deny that ,christians ought to imitate the example of ,christ2 but mere imitation will not satisfy ,god4 ,and bear in mind that ,paul is not now discussing the example of ,christ1 but the salvation of ,christ4 ,that ,abraham submitted to circumcision at the command of ,god1 that he was endowed with excellent virtues1 that he obeyed ,god in all things1 was certainly admirable of him4 ,to follow the example of ,christ1 to love one's neighbor1 to do good to them that persecute you1 to pray for one's enemies1 patiently to bear the ingratitude of those who return evil for good1 is certainly praiseworthy4 ,but praiseworthy or not1 such virtues do not acquit us before ,god4 ,it takes more than that to make us righteous before ,god4 ,we need ,christ ,himself1 not ,his example1 to save us4 ,we need a redeeming1 not an exemplary ,christ1 to save us4 ,paul is here speaking of the redeeming ,christ and the believing ,abraham1 not of the model ,christ or the sweating ,abraham4 ,the believing ,abraham is not to lie buried in the grave4 ,he is to be dusted off and brought out before the world4 ,he is to be praised to the sky for his faith4 ,heaven and earth ought to know about him and about his faith in ,christ4 ,the working ,abraham ought to look pretty small next to the believing ,abraham4 ,paul's words contain the implication of contrast4 ,when he quotes ,scripture to the effect that all nations that share the faith of faithful ,abraham are to be blessed1 ,paul means to imply the contrast that all nations are accursed without faith in ,christ4 ,,verse #aj4 ,for as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse4 ,the curse of ,god is like a flood that swallows everything that is not of faith4 ,to avoid the curse we must hold on to the promise of the blessing in ,christ4 ,the reader is reminded that all this has no bearing upon civil laws1 customs1 or political matters4 ,civil laws and ordinances have their place and purpose4 ,let every government enact the best possible laws4 ,but civil righteousness will never deliver a person from the condemnation of ,god's ,law4 ,i have good reason for calling your attention to this4 ,people easily mistake civil righteousness for spiritual righteousness4 ,in civil life we must1 of course1 pay attention to laws and deeds1 but in the spiritual life we must not think to be justified by laws and works1 but always keep in mind the promise and blessing of ,christ1 our only ,savior4 ,according to ,paul everything that is not of faith is sin4 ,when our opponents hear us repeat this statement of ,paul1 they make it appear as if we taught that governments should not be honored1 as if we favored rebellion against the constituted authorities1 as if we condemned all laws4 ,our opponents do us a great wrong1 for we make a clear-cut distinction between civil and spiritual affairs4 ,governmental laws and ordinances are blessings of ,god for this life only4 ,as for everlasting life1 temporal blessings are not good enough4 ,unbelievers enjoy more temporal blessings than the ,christians4 ,civil or legal righteousness may be good enough for this life but not for the life hereafter4 ,otherwise the infidels would be nearer heaven than the ,christians1 for infidels often excel in civil righteousness4 ,,verse #aj4 ,for it is written1 ,cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them4 ,paul goes on to prove from this quotation out of the ,book of ,deuteronomy that all men who are under the ,law are under the sentence of sin1 of the wrath of ,god1 and of everlasting death4 ,paul produces his proof in a roundabout way4 ,he turns the negative statement1 8,cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them10 into a positive statement1 8,as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse40 ,these two statements1 one by ,paul and the other by ,moses1 appear to conflict4 ,paul declares1 8,whosoever shall do the works of the ,law1 is accursed40 ,moses declares1 8,whosoever shall not do the works of the ,law1 is accursed40 ,how can these two contradictory statements be reconciled8 ,how can the one statement prove the other8 ,no person can hope to understand ,paul unless he understands the article of justification4 ,these two statements are not at all inconsistent4 ,we must bear in mind that to do the works of the ,law does not mean only to live up to the superficial requirements of the ,law1 but to obey the spirit of the ,law to perfection4 ,but where will you find the person who can do that8 ,let him step forward and we will praise him4 ,our opponents have their answer ready-made4 ,they quote ,paul's own statement in ,romans #b3ac1 8,the doers of the law shall be justified40 ,very well4 ,but let us first find out who the doers of the law are4 ,they call a 8doer0 of the ,law one who performs the ,law in its literal sense4 ,this is not to 8do0 the ,law4 ,this is to sin4 ,when our opponents go about to perform the ,law they sin against the first1 the second1 and the third commandments1 in fact they sin against the whole ,law4 ,for ,god requires above all that we worship ,him in spirit and in faith4 ,in observing the ,law for the purpose of obtaining righteousness without faith in ,christ these law-workers go smack against the ,law and against ,god4 ,they deny the righteousness of ,god1 ,his mercy1 and ,his promises4 ,they deny ,christ and all ,his benefits4 ,in their ignorance of the true purpose of the ,law the exponents of the ,law abuse the ,law1 as ,paul says1 ,romans #aj3c1 8,for they1 being ignorant of ,god's righteousness1 and going about to establish their own righteousness1 have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of ,god40 ,in their folly our opponents rush into the ,scriptures1 pick out a sentence here and a sentence there about the ,law and imagine they know all about it4 ,their work-righteousness is plain idolatry and blasphemy against ,god4 ,no wonder they abide under the curse of ,god4 ,because ,god saw that we could not fulfill the ,law1 ,he provided a way of salvation long before the ,law was ever given1 a salvation that ,he promised to ,abraham1 saying1 8,in thee shall all nations be blessed40 ,the very first thing for us to do is to believe in ,christ4 ,first1 we must receive the ,holy ,spirit1 who enlightens and sanctifies us so that we can begin to do the ,law1 i4e41 to love ,god and our neighbor4 ,now1 the ,holy ,ghost is not obtained by the ,law1 but by faith in ,christ4 ,in the last analysis1 to do the ,law means to believe in ,jesus ,christ4 ,the tree comes first1 and then come the fruits4 ,the scholastics admit that a mere external and superficial performance of the ,law without sincerity and good will is plain hypocrisy4 ,judas acted like the other disciples4 ,what was wrong with ,judas8 ,mark what ,rome answers1 8,judas was a reprobate4 ,his motives were perverse1 therefore his works were hypocritical and no good40 ,well1 well4 ,rome does admit1 after all1 that works in themselves do not justify unless they issue from a sincere heart4 ,why do our opponents not profess the same truth in spiritual matters8 ,there1 above all1 faith must precede everything4 ,the heart must be purified by faith before a person can lift a finger to please ,god4 ,there are two classes of doers of the ,law1 true doers and hypocritical doers4 ,the true doers of the ,law are those who are moved by faith in ,christ to do the ,law4 ,the hypocritical doers of the ,law are those who seek to obtain righteousness by a mechanical performance of good works while their hearts are far removed from ,god4 ,they act like the foolish carpenter who starts with the roof when he builds a house4 ,instead of doing the ,law1 these law-conscious hypocrites break the ,law4 ,they break the very first commandment of ,god by denying ,his promise in ,christ4 ,they do not worship ,god in faith4 ,they worship themselves4 ,no wonder ,paul was able to foretell the abominations that ,antichrist would bring into the ,church4 ,that ,antichrists would come1 ,christ ,himself prophesied1 ,matthew #bd3e1 8,for many shall come in my name1 saying1 ,i am ,christ2 and shall deceive many40 ,whoever seeks righteousness by works denies ,god and makes himself ,god4 ,he is an ,antichrist because he ascribes to his own works the omnipotent capability of conquering sin1 death1 devil1 hell1 and the wrath of ,god4 ,an ,antichrist lays claim to the honor of ,christ4 ,he is an idolater of himself4 ,the law-righteous person is the worst kind of infidel4 ,those who intend to obtain righteousness by their own efforts do not say in so many words3 8,i am ,god2 ,i am ,christ40 ,but it amounts to that4 ,they usurp the divinity and office of ,christ4 ,the effect is the same as if they said1 8,i am ,christ2 ,i am a ,savior4 ,i save myself and others40 ,this is the impression the monks give out4 ,the ,pope is the ,antichrist1 because he is against ,christ1 because he takes liberties with the things of ,god1 because he lords it over the temple of ,god4 ,i cannot tell you in words how criminal it is to seek righteousness before ,god without faith in ,christ1 by the works of the ,law4 ,it is the abomination standing in the holy place4 ,it deposes the ,creator and deifies the creature4 ,the real doers of the ,law are the true believers4 ,the ,holy ,spirit enables them to love ,god and their neighbor4 ,but because we have only the first-fruits of the ,spirit and not the tenth-fruits1 we do not observe the ,law perfectly4 ,this imperfection of ours1 however1 is not imputed to us1 for ,christ's sake4 ,hence1 the statement of ,moses1 8,cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them10 is not contrary to ,paul4 ,moses requires perfect doers of the ,law4 ,but where will you find them8 ,nowhere4 ,moses himself confessed that he was not a perfect doer of the ,law4 ,he said to the ,lord3 8,pardon our iniquity and our sin40 ,christ alone can make us innocent of any transgression4 ,how so8 ,first1 by the forgiveness of our sins and the imputation of ,his righteousness4 ,secondly1 by the gift of the ,holy ,ghost1 who engenders new life and activity in us4 ,objections to the ,doctrine of ,faith ,disproved ,here we shall take the time to enter upon the objections which our opponents raise against the doctrine of faith4 ,there are many passages in the ,bible that deal with works and the reward of works which our opponents cite against us in the belief that these will disprove the doctrine of faith which we teach4 ,the scholastics grant that according to the reasonable order of nature being precedes doing4 ,they grant that any act is faulty unless it proceeds from a right motive4 ,they grant that a person must be right before he can do right4 ,why don't they grant that the right inclination of the heart toward ,god through faith in ,christ must precede works8 ,in the eleventh chapter of the ,epistle to the ,hebrews we find a catalogue of various works and deeds of the saints of the ,bible4 ,david1 who killed a lion and a bear1 and defeated ,goliath1 is mentioned4 ,in the heroic deeds of ,david the scholastic can discover nothing more than outward achievement4 ,but the deeds of ,david must be evaluated according to the personality of ,david4 ,when we understand that ,david was a man of faith1 whose heart trusted in the ,lord1 we shall understand why he could do such heroic deeds4 ,david said3 8,the ,lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion1 and out of the paw of the bear1 he will deliver me out of the hand of this ,philistine40 ,again3 8,thou comest to me with a sword1 and with a spear1 and with a shield3 but ,i come to thee in the name of the ,lord of hosts1 the ,god of the armies of ,israel1 whom thou hast defied4 ,this day will the ,lord deliver thee into mine hand2 and ,i will smite thee1 and take thine head from thee40 7,i ,samuel #ag3cg1 #de1 #df47 ,before ,david could achieve a single heroic deed he was already a man beloved of ,god1 strong and constant in faith4 ,of ,abel it is said in the same ,epistle3 8,by faith ,abel offered unto ,god a more excellent sacrifice than ,cain40 ,when the scholastics come upon the parallel passage in ,genesis #d3d they get no further than the words3 8,and the ,lord had respect unto ,abel and to his offering40 8,aha60 they cry4 8,see1 ,god has respect to offerings4 ,works do justify40 ,with mud in their eyes they cannot see that the text says in ,genesis that the ,lord had respect to the person of ,abel first4 ,abel pleased the ,lord because of his faith4 ,because the person of ,abel pleased the ,lord1 the offering of ,abel pleased the ,lord also4 ,the ,epistle to the ,hebrews expressly states3 8,by faith ,abel offered unto ,god a more excellent sacrifice40 ,in our dealings with ,god the work is worth nothing without faith1 for 8without faith it is impossible to please him40 7,hebrews #aa3f47 ,the sacrifice of ,abel was better than the sacrifice of ,cain1 because ,abel had faith4 ,as to ,cain he had no faith or trust in ,god's grace1 but strutted about in his own fancied worth4 ,when ,god refused to recognize ,cain's worth1 ,cain got angry at ,god and at ,abel4 ,the ,holy ,spirit speaks of faith in different ways in the ,sacred ,scriptures4 ,sometimes ,he speaks of faith independently of other matters4 ,when the ,scriptures speak of faith in the absolute or abstract1 faith refers to justification directly4 ,but when the ,scripture speaks of rewards and works it speaks of compound or relative faith4 ,we will furnish some examples4 ,galatians #e3f1 8,faith which worketh by love40 ,leviticus #ah3e1 8,which if a man do1 he shall live in them40 ,matthew #ai3ag1 8,if thou wilt enter into life1 keep the commandments40 ,psalm #cg3bg1 8,depart from evil1 and do good40 ,in these and other passages where mention is made of doing1 the ,scriptures always speak of a faithful doing1 a doing inspired by faith4 8,do this and thou shalt live10 means3 ,first have faith in ,christ1 and ,christ will enable you to do and to live4 ,in the ,word of ,god all things that are attributed to works are attributable to faith4 ,faith is the divinity of works4 ,faith permeates all the deeds of the believer1 as ,christ's divinity permeated ,his humanity4 ,abraham was accounted righteous because faith pervaded his whole personality and his every action4 ,when you read how the fathers1 prophets1 and kings accomplished great deeds1 remember to explain them as the ,epistle to the ,hebrews accounts for them3 8,who through faith subdued kingdoms1 wrought righteousness1 obtained promises1 stopped the mouths of lions40 7,hebrews #aa3cc47 ,in this way will we correctly interpret all those passages that seem to support the righteousness of works4 ,the ,law is truly observed only through faith4 ,hence1 every 8holy10 8moral0 law-worker is accursed4 ,supposing that this explanation will not satisfy the scholastics1 supposing that they should completely wrap me up in their arguments 7they cannot do it71 ,i would rather be wrong and give all credit to ,christ alone4 ,here is ,christ4 ,paul1 ,christ's apostle1 declares that 8,christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law1 being made a curse for us40 7,gal4 #c3ac47 ,i hear with my own ears that ,i cannot be saved except by the blood and death of ,christ4 ,i conclude1 therefore1 that it is up to ,christ to overcome my sins1 and not up to the ,law1 or my own efforts4 ,if ,he is the price of my redemption1 if ,he was made sin for my justification1 ,i don't give a care if you quote me a thousand ,scripture passages for the righteousness of works against the righteousness of faith4 ,i have the ,author and ,lord of the ,scriptures on my side4 ,i would rather believe ,him than all that riffraff of 8pious0 law-workers4 ,,verse #aa4 ,but that no man is justified by the law in the sight of ,god1 it is evident3 for1 ,the just shall live by faith4 ,the ,apostle draws into his argument the testimony of the ,prophet ,habakkuk3 8,the just shall live by his faith40 ,this passage carries much weight because it eliminates the ,law and the deeds of the ,law as factors in the process of our justification4 ,the scholastics misconstrue this passage by saying3 8,the just shall live by faith1 if it is a working faith1 or a faith formed and performed by charitable works40 ,their annotation is a forgery4 ,to speak of formed or unformed faith1 a sort of double faith1 is contrary to the ,scriptures4 ,if charitable works can form and perfect faith ,i am forced to say eventually that charitable deeds constitute the essential factor in the ,christian religion4 ,christ and ,his benefits would be lost to us4 ,,verse #ab4 ,and the law is not of faith4 ,in direct opposition to the scholastics ,paul declares3 8,the law is not of faith40 ,what is this charity the scholastics talk so much about8 ,does not the ,law command charity8 ,the fact is the ,law commands nothing but charity1 as we may gather from the following ,scripture passages3 8,thou shalt love the ,lord thy ,god with all thine heart1 and with all thy soul1 and with all thy might0 7,deut4 #f3e47 8,strewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me1 and keep my commandments40 7,exodus #bj3f47 8,on these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets40 7,matt4 #bb3dj47 ,if the law requires charity1 charity is part of the ,law and not of faith4 ,since ,christ has displaced the ,law which commands charity1 it follows that charity has been abrogated with the ,law as a factor in our justification1 and only faith is left4 ,,verse #ab4 ,but1 ,the man that doeth them shall live in them4 ,paul undertakes to explain the difference between the righteousness of the ,law and the righteousness of faith4 ,the righteousness of the ,law is the fulfillment of the ,law according to the passage3 8,the man that doeth them shall live in them40 ,the righteousness of faith is to believe the ,gospel according to the passage3 8,the just shall live by faith40 ,the ,law is a statement of debit1 the ,gospel a statement of credit4 ,by this distinction ,paul explains why charity which is the commandment of the ,law cannot justify1 because the ,law contributes nothing to our justification4 ,indeed1 works do follow after faith1 but faith is not therefore a meritorious work4 ,faith is a gift4 ,the character and limitations of the ,law must be rigidly maintained4 ,when we believe in ,christ we live by faith4 ,when we believe in the ,law we may be active enough but we have no life4 ,the function of the ,law is not to give life2 the function of the ,law is to kill4 ,true1 the ,law says3 8,the man that doeth them shall live in them40 ,but where is the person who can do 8them10 i4e41 love ,god with all his heart1 soul1 and mind1 and his neighbor as himself8 ,paul has nothing against those who are justified by faith and therefore are true doers of the ,law4 ,he opposes those who think they can fulfill the ,law when in reality they can only sin against the ,law by trying to obtain righteousness by the ,law4 ,the ,law demands that we fear1 love1 and worship ,god with a true faith4 ,the law-workers fail to do this4 ,instead1 they invent new modes of worship and new kinds of works which ,god never commanded4 ,they provoke ,his anger according to the passage3 8,but in vain they do worship me1 teaching for doctrines the commandments of men40 7,matthew #ae3i47 ,hence1 the law-righteous workers are downright rebels against ,god1 and idolaters who constantly sin against the first commandment4 ,in short1 they are no good at-all though outwardly they seem to be extremely solicitous of the honor of ,god4 ,we who are justified by faith as the saints of old1 may be under the ,law1 but we are not under the curse of the ,law because sin is not imputed to us for ,christ's sake4 ,if the ,law cannot be fulfilled by the believers1 if sin continues to cling to them despite their love for ,god1 what can you expect of people who are not yet justified by faith1 who are still enemies of ,god and ,his ,word1 like the unbelieving law-workers8 ,it goes to show how impossible it is for those who have not been justified by faith to fulfill the ,law4 ,,verse #ac4 ,christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law1 being made a curse for us3 for it is written1 ,cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree4 ,jerome and his present-day followers rack their miserable brains over this comforting passage in an effort to save ,christ from the fancied insult of being called a curse4 ,they say3 8,this quotation from ,moses does not apply to ,christ4 ,paul is taking liberties with ,moses by generalizing the statements in ,deuteronomy #ba3bc4 ,moses has #8he that is hanged4' ,paul puts it #8every one that hangeth4' ,on the other hand1 ,paul omits the words #8of ,god' in his quotation from ,moses3 #8,for he that is hanged is accursed of ,god4' ,moses speaks of a criminal who is worthy of death40 8,how10 our opponents ask1 8can this passage be applied to the holy ,christ as if ,he were accursed of ,god and worthy to be hanged80 ,this piece of exegesis may impress the naive as a zealous attempt to defend the honor and glory of ,christ4 ,let us see what ,paul has in mind4 ,paul does not say that ,christ was made a curse for ,himself4 ,the accent is on the two words 8for us40 ,christ is personally innocent4 ,personally1 ,he did not deserve to be hanged for any crime of ,his own doing4 ,but because ,christ took the place of others who were sinners1 ,he was hanged like any other transgressor4 ,the ,law of ,moses leaves no loopholes4 ,it says that a transgressor should be hanged4 ,who are the other sinners8 ,we are4 ,the sentence of death and everlasting damnation had long been pronounced over us4 ,but ,christ took all our sins and died for them on the ,cross4 8,he was numbered with the transgressors2 and he bare the sin of many1 and made intercession for the transgressors40 7,isaiah #ec3ab47 ,all the prophets of old said that ,christ should be the greatest transgressor1 murderer1 adulterer1 thief1 blasphemer that ever was or ever could be on earth4 ,when ,he took the sins of the whole world upon ,himself1 ,christ was no longer an innocent person4 ,he was a sinner burdened with the sins of a ,paul who was a blasphemer2 burdened with the sins of a ,peter who denied ,christ2 burdened with the sins of a ,david who committed adultery and murder1 and gave the heathen occasion to laugh at the ,lord4 ,in short1 ,christ was charged with the sins of all men1 that ,he should pay for them with ,his own blood4 ,the curse struck ,him4 ,the ,law found ,him among sinners4 ,he was not only in the company of sinners4 ,he had gone so far as to invest ,himself with the flesh and blood of sinners4 ,so the ,law judged and hanged ,him for a sinner4 ,in separating ,christ from us sinners and holding ,him up as a holy exemplar1 errorists rob us of our best comfort4 ,they misrepresent ,him as a threatening tyrant who is ready to slaughter us at the slightest provocation4 ,i am told that it is preposterous and wicked to call the ,son of ,god a cursed sinner4 ,i answer3 ,if you deny that ,he is a condemned sinner1 you are forced to deny that ,christ died4 ,it is not less preposterous to say1 the ,son of ,god died1 than to say1 the ,son of ,god was a sinner4 ,john the ,baptist called ,him 8the lamb of ,god1 which taketh away the sin of the world40 ,being the unspotted ,lamb of ,god1 ,christ was personally innocent4 ,but because ,he took the sins of the world ,his sinlessness was defiled with the sinfulness of the world4 ,whatever sins ,i1 you1 all of us have committed or shall commit1 they are ,christ's sins as if ,he had committed them ,himself4 ,our sins have to be ,christ's sins or we shall perish forever4 ,isaiah declares of ,christ3 8,the ,lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all40 ,we have no right to minimize the force of this declaration4 ,god does not amuse ,himself with words4 ,what a relief for a ,christian to know that ,christ is covered all over with my sins1 your sins1 and the sins of the whole world4 ,the papists invented their own doctrine of faith4 ,they say charity creates and adorns their faith4 ,by stripping ,christ of our sins1 by making ,him sinless1 they cast our sins back at us1 and make ,christ absolutely worthless to us4 ,what sort of charity is this8 ,if that is a sample of their vaunted charity we want none of it4 ,our merciful ,father in heaven saw how the ,law oppressed us and how impossible it was for us to get out from under the curse of the ,law4 ,he therefore sent ,his only ,son into the world and said to ,him3 8,you are now ,peter1 the liar2 ,paul1 the persecutor2 ,david1 the adulterer2 ,adam1 the disobedient2 the thief on the cross4 ,you1 ,my ,son1 must pay the world's iniquity40 ,the ,law growls3 8,all right4 ,if ,your ,son is taking the sin of the world1 ,i see no sins anywhere else but in ,him4 ,he shall die on the ,cross40 ,and the ,law kills ,christ4 ,but we go free4 ,the argument of the ,apostle against the righteousness of the ,law is impregnable4 ,if ,christ bears our sins1 we do not bear them4 ,but if ,christ is innocent of our sins and does not bear them1 we must bear them1 and we shall die in our sins4 8,but thanks be to ,god1 which giveth us the victory through our ,lord ,jesus ,christ40 ,let us see how ,christ was able to gain the victory over our enemies4 ,the sins of the whole world1 past1 present1 and future1 fastened themselves upon ,christ and condemned ,him4 ,but because ,christ is ,god ,he had an everlasting and unconquerable righteousness4 ,these two1 the sin of the world and the righteousness of ,god1 met in a death struggle4 ,furiously the sin of the world assailed the righteousness of ,god4 ,righteousness is immortal and invincible4 ,on the other hand1 sin is a mighty tyrant who subdues all men4 ,this tyrant pounces on ,christ4 ,but ,christ's righteousness is unconquerable4 ,the result is inevitable4 ,sin is defeated and righteousness triumphs and reigns forever4 ,in the same manner was death defeated4 ,death is emperor of the world4 ,he strikes down kings1 princes1 all men4 ,he has an idea to destroy all life4 ,but ,christ has immortal life1 and life immortal gained the victory over death4 ,through ,christ death has lost her sting4 ,christ is the ,death of death4 ,the curse of ,god waged a similar battle with the eternal mercy of ,god in ,christ4 ,the curse meant to condemn ,god's mercy4 ,but it could not do it because the mercy of ,god is everlasting4 ,the curse had to give way4 ,if the mercy of ,god in ,christ had lost out1 ,god ,himself would have lost out1 which1 of course1 is impossible4 8,christ10 says ,paul1 8spoiled principalities and powers1 ,he made a show of them openly1 triumphing over them in it40 7,col4 #b3ae47 ,they cannot harm those who hide in ,christ4 ,sin1 death1 the wrath of ,god1 hell1 the devil are mortified in ,christ4 ,where ,christ is near the powers of evil must keep their distance4 ,st4 ,john says3 8,and this is the victory that overcometh the world1 even our faith40 7,i ,john #e3d47 ,you may now perceive why it is imperative to believe and confess the divinity of ,christ4 ,to overcome the sin of a whole world1 and death1 and the wrath of ,god was no work for any creature4 ,the power of sin and death could be broken only by a greater power4 ,god alone could abolish sin1 destroy death1 and take away the curse of the ,law4 ,god alone could bring righteousness1 life1 and mercy to light4 ,in attributing these achievements to ,christ the ,scriptures pronounce ,christ to be ,god forever4 ,the article of justification is indeed fundamental4 ,if we remain sound in this one article1 we remain sound in all the other articles of the ,christian faith4 ,when we teach justification by faith in ,christ we confess at the same time that ,christ is ,god4 ,i cannot get over the blindness of the ,pope's theologians4 ,to imagine that the mighty forces of sin1 death1 and the curse can be vanquished by the righteousness of man's paltry works1 by fasting1 pilgrimages1 masses1 vows1 and such gewgaws4 ,these blind leaders of the blind turn the poor people over to the mercy of sin1 death1 and the devil4 ,what chance has a defenseless human creature against these powers of darkness8 ,they train sinners who are ten times worse than any thief1 whore1 murderer4 ,the divine power of ,god alone can destroy sin and death1 and create righteousness and life4 ,when we hear that ,christ was made a curse for us1 let us believe it with joy and assurance4 ,by faith ,christ changes places with us4 ,he gets our sins1 we get ,his holiness4 ,by faith alone can we become righteous1 for faith invests us with the sinlessness of ,christ4 ,the more fully we believe this1 the fuller will be our joy4 ,if you believe that sin1 death1 and the curse are void1 why1 they are null1 zero4 ,whenever sin and death make you nervous write it down as an illusion of the devil4 ,there is no sin now1 no curse1 no death1 no devil because ,christ has done away with them4 ,this fact is sure4 ,there is nothing wrong with the fact4 ,the defect lies in our lack of faith4 ,in the ,apostolic ,creed we confess3 8,i believe in the holy ,christian ,church40 ,that means1 ,i believe that there is no sin1 no curse1 no evil in the ,church of ,god4 ,faith says3 8,i believe that40 ,but if you want to believe your eyes you will find many shortcomings and offenses in the members of the holy ,church4 ,you see them succumb to temptation1 you see them weak in faith1 you see them giving way to anger1 envy1 and other evil dispositions4 8,how can the ,church be holy80 you ask4 ,it is with the ,christian ,church as it is with the individual ,christian4 ,if ,i examine myself ,i find enough unholiness to shock me4 ,but when ,i look at ,christ in me ,i find that ,i am altogether holy4 ,and so it is with the ,church4 ,holy ,writ does not say that ,christ was under the curse4 ,it says directly that ,christ was made a curse4 ,in ,,ii ,corinthians #e3ba ,paul writes3 8,for he 7,god7 hath made him 7,christ7 to be sin for us1 who knew no sin2 that we might be made the righteousness of ,god in him40 ,although this and similar passages may be properly explained by saying that ,christ was made a sacrifice for the curse and for sin1 yet in my judgment it is better to leave these passages stand as they read3 ,christ was made sin itself2 ,christ was made the curse itself4 ,when a sinner gets wise to himself he does not only feel miserable1 he feels like misery personified2 he does not only feel like a sinner1 he feels like sin itself4 ,to finish with this verse3 ,all evils would have overwhelmed us1 as they shall overwhelm the unbelievers forever1 if ,christ had not become the great transgressor and guilty bearer of all our sins4 ,the sins of the world got ,him down for a moment4 ,they came around ,him like water4 ,of ,christ1 the ,old ,testament ,prophet complained3 8,thy fierce wrath goeth over me2 thy terrors have cut me off40 7,psalm #hh #af47 ,by ,christ's salvation we have been delivered from the terrors of ,god to a life of eternal felicity4 ,,verse #ad4 ,that the blessing of ,abraham might come1 on the ,gentiles through ,jesus ,christ4 ,paul always keeps this text before him3 8,in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed40 ,the blessing promised unto ,abraham could come upon the ,gentiles only by ,christ1 the seed of ,abraham4 ,to become a blessing unto all nations ,christ had to be made a curse to take away the curse from the nations of the earth4 ,the merit that we plead1 and the work that we proffer is ,christ who was made a curse for us4 ,let us become expert in the art of transferring our sins1 our death1 and every evil from ourselves to ,christ2 and ,christ's righteousness and blessing from ,christ to ourselves4 ,,verse #ad4 ,that we might receive the promise of the ,spirit through faith4 8,the promise of the ,spirit0 is ,hebrew for 8the promised ,spirit40 ,the ,spirit spells freedom from the ,law1 sin1 death1 the curse1 hell1 and the judgment of ,god4 ,no merits are mentioned in connection with this promise of the ,spirit and all the blessings that go with ,him4 ,this ,spirit of many blessings is received by faith alone4 ,faith alone builds on the promises of ,god1 as ,paul says in this verse4 ,long ago the prophets visualized the happy changes ,christ would effect in all things4 ,despite the fact that the ,jews had the ,law of ,god they never ceased to look longingly for ,christ4 ,after ,moses no prophet or king added a single law to the ,book4 ,any changes or additions were deferred to the time of ,christ's coming4 ,moses told the people3 8,the ,lord thy ,god will raise up unto thee a ,prophet from the midst of thee1 of thy brethren1 like unto me2 unto him ye shall hearken40 7,deut4 #ah3ae47 ,god's people of old felt that the ,law of ,moses could not be improved upon until the ,messiah would bring better things than the ,law1 i4e41 grace and remission of sins4 ,,verse #ae4 ,brethren1 ,i speak after the manner of men2 ,though it be but a man's covenant1 yet if it be confirmed1 no man disannulleth1 or addeth thereto4 ,after the preceding1 well-taken argument1 ,paul offers another based on the similarity between a man's testament and ,god's testament4 ,a man's testament seems too weak a premise for the ,apostle to argue from in confirmation of so important a matter as justification4 ,we ought to prove earthly things by heavenly things1 and not heavenly things by earthly things4 ,but where the earthly thing is an ordinance of ,god we may use it to prove divine matters4 ,in ,matthew #g3aa ,christ ,himself argued from earthly to heavenly things when ,he said3 8,if ye then1 being evil1 know how to give good gifts to your children2 how much more shall your ,father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him80 ,to come to ,paul's argument4 ,civil law1 which is ,god's ordinance1 prohibits tampering with any testament of man4 ,any person's last will and testament must be respected4 ,paul asks3 8,why is it that man's last will is scrupulously respected and not ,god's testament8 ,you would not think of breaking faith with a man's testament4 ,why do you not keep faith with ,god's testament80 ,the ,apostle says that he is speaking after the manner of men4 ,he means to say3 8,i will give you an illustration from the customs of men4 ,if a man's last will is respected1 and it is1 how much more ought the testament of ,god be honored3 #8,in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed4' ,when ,christ died1 this testament was sealed by ,his blood4 ,after ,his death the testament was opened1 it was published to the nations4 ,no man ought to alter ,god's testament as the false apostles do who substitute the ,law and traditions of men for the testament of ,god40 ,as the false prophets tampered with ,god's testament in the days of ,paul1 so many do in our day4 ,they will observe human laws punctiliously1 but the laws of ,god they transgress without the flicker of an eyelid4 ,but the time will come when they will find out that it is no joke to pervert the testament of ,god4 ,,verse #af4 ,now to ,abraham and his seed were the promises made4 ,he saith not1 ,and to seeds1 as of many2 but as of one1 ,and to thy seed1 which is ,christ4 ,the word testament is another name for the promise that ,god made unto ,abraham concerning ,christ4 ,a testament is not a law1 but an inheritance4 ,heirs do not look for laws and assessments when they open a last will2 they look for grants and favors4 ,the testament which ,god made out to ,abraham did not contain laws4 ,it contained promises of great spiritual blessings4 ,the promises were made in view of ,christ1 in one seed1 not in many seeds4 ,the ,jews will not accept this interpretation4 ,they insist that the singular 8seed0 is put for the plural 8seeds40 ,we prefer the interpretation of ,paul1 who makes a fine case for ,christ and for us out of the singular 8seed10 and is after all inspired to do so by the ,holy ,ghost4 ,,verse #ag4 ,and this ,i say1 that the covenant1 that was confirmed before of ,god in ,christ1 the law which was four hundred and thirty years after1 cannot disannul1 that it should make the promise of none effect4 ,the ,jews assert that ,god was not satisfied with ,his promises1 but after four hundred and thirty years ,he gave the ,law4 8,god10 they say1 8must have mistrusted ,his own promises1 and considered them inadequate for salvation4 ,therefore ,he added to ,his promises something better1 the ,law4 ,the ,law10 they say1 8canceled the promises40 ,paul answers3 8,the ,law was given four hundred and thirty years after the promise was made to ,abraham4 ,the ,law could not cancel the promise because the promise was the testament of ,god1 confirmed by ,god in ,christ many years before the ,law4 ,what ,god has once promised ,he does not take back4 ,every promise of ,god is a ratified promise40 ,why was the ,law added to the promise8 ,not to serve as a medium by which the promise might be obtained4 ,the ,law was added for these reasons3 ,that there might be in the world a special people1 rigidly controlled by the ,law1 a people out of which ,christ should be born in due time2 and that men burdened by many laws might sigh and long for ,him1 their ,redeemer1 the seed of ,abraham4 ,even the ceremonies prescribed by the ,law foreshadowed ,christ4 ,therefore the ,law was never meant to cancel the promise of ,god4 ,the ,law was meant to confirm the promise until the time should come when ,god would open ,his testament in the ,gospel of ,jesus ,christ4 ,god did well in giving the promise so many years before the ,law1 that it may never be said that righteousness is granted through the ,law and not through the promise4 ,if ,god had meant for us to be justified by the ,law1 ,he would have given the ,law four hundred and thirty years before the promise1 at least ,he would have given the ,law at the same time ,he gave the promise4 ,but ,he never breathed a word about the ,law until four hundred years after4 ,the promise is therefore better than the ,law4 ,the ,law does not cancel the promise1 but faith in the promised ,christ cancels the ,law4 ,the ,apostle is careful to mention the exact number of four hundred and thirty years4 ,the wide divergence in the time between the promise and the ,law helps to clinch ,paul's argument that righteousness is not obtained by the ,law4 ,let me illustrate4 ,a man of great wealth adopts a strange lad for his son4 ,remember1 he does not owe the lad anything4 ,in due time he appoints the lad heir to his entire fortune4 ,several years later the old man asks the lad to do something for him4 ,and the young lad does it4 ,can the lad then go around and say that he deserved the inheritance by his obedience to the old man's request8 ,how can anybody say that righteousness is obtained by obedience to the ,law when the ,law was given four hundred and thirty years after ,god's promise of the blessing8 ,one thing is certain1 ,abraham was never justified by the ,law1 for the simple reason that the ,law was not in his day4 ,if the ,law was non-existent how could ,abraham obtain righteousness by the ,law8 ,abraham had nothing else to go by but the promise4 ,this promise he believed and that was counted unto him for righteousness4 ,if the father obtained righteousness through faith1 the children get it the same way4 ,we use the argument of time also4 ,we say our sins were taken away by the death of ,christ fifteen hundred years ago1 long before there were any religious orders1 canons1 or rules of penance1 merits1 etc4 ,what did people do about their sins before these new inventions were hatched up8 ,paul finds his arguments for the righteousness of faith everywhere4 ,even the element of time serves to build his case against the false apostles4 ,let us fortify our conscience with similar arguments4 ,they help us in the trials of our faith4 ,they turn our attention from the ,law to the promises1 from sin to righteousness2 from death to life4 ,it is not for nothing that ,paul bears down on this argument4 ,he foresaw this confusion of the promise and the ,law creeping into the ,church4 ,accustom yourself to separate ,law and ,gospel even in regard to time4 ,when the ,law comes to pay your conscience a visit1 say3 8,mister ,law1 you come too soon4 ,the four hundred and thirty years aren't up yet4 ,when they are up1 you come again4 ,won't you80 ,,verse #ah4 ,for if the inheritance be of the law1 it is no more of promise4 ,in ,romans #d3ad1 the ,apostle writes3 8,for if they which are made of the law be heirs1 faith is made void1 and the promise made of none effect40 ,it cannot be otherwise4 ,that the ,law is something entirely different from the promise is plain4 ,the ,law thunders3 8,thou shalt1 thou shalt not40 ,the promise of the 8seed0 pleads3 8,take this gift of ,god40 ,if the inheritance of the gifts of ,god were obtained by the ,law1 ,god would be a liar4 ,we would have the right to ask ,him3 8,why did you make this promise in the first place3 #8,in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed'8 ,why did you not say3 #8,in thy works thou shalt be blessed'80 ,,verse #ah4 ,but ,god gave it to ,abraham by promise4 ,so much is certain1 before the ,law ever existed1 ,god gave ,abraham the inheritance or blessing by the promise4 ,in other words1 ,god granted unto ,abraham remission of sins1 righteousness1 salvation1 and everlasting life4 ,and not only to ,abraham but to all believers1 because ,god said3 8,in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed40 ,the blessing was given unconditionally4 ,the ,law had no chance to butt in because ,moses was not yet born4 8,how then can you say that righteousness is obtained by the ,law80 ,the ,apostle now goes to work to explain the province and purpose of the ,law4 ,,verse #ai4 ,wherefore then serveth the law8 ,the question naturally arises3 ,if the ,law was not given for righteousness or salvation1 why was it given8 ,why did ,god give the ,law in the first place if it cannot justify a person8 ,the ,jews believed if they kept the ,law they would be saved4 ,when they heard that the ,gospel proclaimed a ,christ who had come into the world to save sinners and not the righteous2 when they heard that sinners were to enter the kingdom of heaven before the righteous1 the ,jews were very much put out4 ,they murmured3 8,these last have wrought but one hour1 and thou hast made them equal unto us1 which have borne the burden and heat of the day40 7,matthew #bj3ab47 ,they complained that the heathen who at one time had been worshipers of idols obtained grace without the drudgery of the ,law that was theirs4 ,today we hear the same complaints4 8,what was the use of our having lived in a cloister1 twenty1 thirty1 forty years2 what was the sense of having vowed chastity1 poverty1 obedience2 what good are all the masses and canonical hours that we read2 what profit is there in fasting1 praying1 etc41 if any man or woman1 any beggar or scour woman is to be made equal to us1 or even be considered more acceptable unto ,god than we80 ,reason takes offense at the statement of ,paul3 8,the law was added because of transgressions40 ,people say that ,paul abrogated the ,law1 that he is a radical1 that he blasphemed ,god when he said that4 ,people say3 8,we might as well live like wild people if the ,law does not count4 ,let us abound in sin that grace may abound4 ,let us do evil that good may come of it40 ,what are we to do8 ,such scoffing distresses us1 but we cannot stop it4 ,christ ,himself was accused of being a blasphemer and rebel4 ,paul and all the other apostles were told the same things4 ,let the scoffers slander us1 let them spare us not4 ,but we must not on their account keep silent4 ,we must speak frankly in order that afflicted consciences may find surcease4 ,neither are we to pay any attention to the foolish and ungodly people for abusing our doctrine4 ,they are the kind that would scoff1 ,law or no ,law4 ,our first consideration must be the comfort of troubled consciences1 that they may not perish with the multitudes4 ,when he saw that some were offended at his doctrine1 while others found in it encouragement to live after the flesh1 ,paul comforted himself with the thought that it was his duty to preach the ,gospel to the elect of ,god1 and that for their sake he must endure all things4 ,like ,paul we also do all these things for the sake of ,god's elect4 ,as for the scoffers and skeptics1 ,i am so disgusted with them that in all my life ,i would not open my mouth for them once4 ,i wish that they were back there where they belong under the iron heel of the ,pope4 ,people foolish but wise in their conceits jump to the conclusion3 ,if the ,law does not justify1 it is good for nothing4 ,how about that8 ,because money does not justify1 would you say that money is good for nothing8 ,because the eyes do not justify1 would you have them taken out8 ,because the ,law does not justify it does not follow that the ,law is without value4 ,we must find and define the proper purpose of the ,law4 ,we do not offhand condemn the ,law because we say it does not justify4 ,we say with ,paul that the ,law is good if it is used properly4 ,within its proper sphere the ,law is an excellent thing4 ,but if we ascribe to the ,law functions for which it was never intended1 we pervert not only the ,law but also the ,gospel4 ,it is the universal impression that righteousness is obtained through the deeds of the ,law4 ,this impression is instinctive and therefore doubly dangerous4 ,gross sins and vices may be recognized or else repressed by the threat of punishment4 ,but this sin1 this opinion of man's own righteousness refuses to be classified as sin4 ,it wants to be esteemed as high-class religion4 ,hence1 it constitutes the mighty influence of the devil over the entire world4 ,in order to point out the true office of the ,law1 and thus to stamp out that false impression of the righteousness of the ,law1 ,paul answers the question3 8,wherefore then serveth the ,law80 with the words3 ,,verse #ai4 ,it was added because of transgressions4 ,all things differ4 ,let everything serve its unique purpose4 ,let the sun shine by day1 the moon and the stars by night4 ,let the sea furnish fish1 the earth grain1 the woods trees1 etc4 ,let the ,law also serve its unique purpose4 ,it must not step out of character and take the place of anything else4 ,what is the function of the ,law8 8,transgression10 answers the ,apostle4 ,the ,twofold ,purpose of the ,law ,the ,law has a twofold purpose4 ,one purpose is civil4 ,god has ordained civil laws to punish crime4 ,every law is given to restrain sin4 ,does it not then make men righteous8 ,no4 ,in refraining from murder1 adultery1 theft1 or other sins1 ,i do so under compulsion because ,i fear the jail1 the noose1 the electric chair4 ,these restrain me as iron bars restrain a lion and a bear4 ,otherwise they would tear everything to pieces4 ,such forceful restraint cannot be regarded as righteousness1 rather as an indication of unrighteousness4 ,as a wild beast is tied to keep it from running amuck1 so the ,law bridles mad and furious man to keep him from running wild4 ,the need for restraint shows plainly enough that those who need the ,law are not righteous1 but wicked men who are fit to be tied4 ,no1 the ,law does not justify4 ,the first purpose of the ,law1 accordingly1 is to restrain the wicked4 ,the devil gets people into all kinds of scrapes4 ,therefore ,god instituted governments1 parents1 laws1 restrictions1 and civil ordinances4 ,at least they help to tie the devil's hands so that he does not rage up and down the earth4 ,this civil restraint by the ,law is intended by ,god for the preservation of all things1 particularly for the good of the ,gospel that it should not be hindered too much by the tumult of the wicked4 ,but ,paul is not now treating of this civil use and function of the ,law4 ,the second purpose of the ,law is spiritual and divine4 ,paul describes this spiritual purpose of the ,law in the words1 8,because of transgressions10 i4e41 to reveal to a person his sin1 blindness1 misery1 his ignorance1 hatred1 and contempt of ,god1 his death1 hell1 and condemnation4 ,this is the principal purpose of the ,law and its most valuable contribution4 ,as long as a person is not a murderer1 adulterer1 thief1 he would swear that he is righteous4 ,how is ,god going to humble such a person except by the ,law8 ,the ,law is the hammer of death1 the thunder of hell1 and the lightning of ,god's wrath to bring down the proud and shameless hypocrites4 ,when the ,law was instituted on ,mount ,sinai it was accompanied by lightning1 by storms1 by the sound of trumpets1 to tear to pieces that monster called self-righteousness4 ,as long as a person thinks he is right he is going to be incomprehensibly proud and presumptuous4 ,he is going to hate ,god1 despise ,his grace and mercy1 and ignore the promises in ,christ4 ,the ,gospel of the free forgiveness of sins through ,christ will never appeal to the self-righteous4 ,this monster of self-righteousness1 this stiff-necked beast1 needs a big axe4 ,and that is what the ,law is1 a big axe4 ,accordingly1 the proper use and function of the ,law is to threaten until the conscience is scared stiff4 ,the awful spectacle at ,mount ,sinai portrayed the proper use of the ,law4 ,when the children of ,israel came out of ,egypt a feeling of singular holiness possessed them4 ,they boasted3 8,we are the people of ,god4 ,all that the ,lord hath spoken we will do40 7,ex4 #ai3h7 ,this feeling of holiness was heightened when ,moses ordered them to wash their clothes1 to refrain from their wives1 and to prepare themselves all around4 ,the third day came and ,moses led the people out of their tents to the foot of the mountain into the presence of the ,lord4 ,what happened8 ,when the children of ,israel saw the whole mountain burning and smoking1 the black clouds rent by fierce lightning flashing up and down in the inky darkness1 when they heard the sound of the trumpet blowing louder and longer1 shattered by the roll of thunder1 they were so frightened that they begged ,moses3 8,speak thou with us1 and we will hear3 but let not ,god speak with us1 lest we die40 7,ex4 #bj3ai47 ,i ask you1 what good did their scrubbing1 their snow-white clothes1 and their continence do them8 ,no good at all4 ,not a single one could stand in the presence of the glorious ,lord4 ,stricken by the terror of ,god1 they fled back into their tents1 as if the devil were after them4 ,the ,law is meant to produce the same effect today which it produced at ,mount ,sinai long ago4 ,i want to encourage all who fear ,god1 especially those who intend to become ministers of the ,gospel1 to learn from the ,apostle the proper use of the ,law4 ,i fear that after our time the right handling of the ,law will become a lost art4 ,even now1 although we continually explain the separate functions of the ,law and the ,gospel1 we have those among us who do not understand how the ,law should be used4 ,what will it be like when we are dead and gone8 ,we want it understood that we do not reject the ,law as our opponents claim4 ,on the contrary1 we uphold the ,law4 ,we say the ,law is good if it is used for the purposes for which it was designed1 to check civil transgression1 and to magnify spiritual transgressions4 ,the ,law is also a light like the ,gospel4 ,but instead of revealing the grace of ,god1 righteousness1 and life1 the ,law brings sin1 death1 and the wrath of ,god to light4 ,this is the business of the ,law1 and here the business of the ,law ends1 and should go no further4 ,the business of the ,gospel1 on the other hand1 is to quicken1 to comfort1 to raise the fallen4 ,the ,gospel carries the news that ,god for ,christ's sake is merciful to the most unworthy sinners1 if they will only believe that ,christ by ,his death has delivered them from sin and everlasting death unto grace1 forgiveness1 and everlasting life4 ,by keeping in mind the difference between the ,law and the ,gospel we let each perform its special task4 ,of this difference between the ,law and the ,gospel nothing can be discovered in the writings of the monks or scholastics1 nor for that matter in the writings of the ancient fathers4 ,augustine understood the difference somewhat4 ,jerome and others knew nothing of it4 ,the silence in the ,church concerning the difference between the ,law and the ,gospel has resulted in untold harm4 ,unless a sharp distinction is maintained between the purpose and function of the ,law and the ,gospel1 the ,christian doctrine cannot be kept free from error4 ,,verse #ai4 ,it was added because of transgressions4 ,in other words1 that transgressions might be recognized as such and thus increased4 ,when sin1 death1 and the wrath of ,god are revealed to a person by the ,law1 he grows impatient1 complains against ,god1 and rebels4 ,before that he was a very holy man2 he worshipped and praised ,god2 he bowed his knees before ,god and gave thanks1 like the ,pharisee4 ,but now that sin and death are revealed to him by the ,law he wishes there were no ,god4 ,the ,law inspires hatred of ,god4 ,thus sin is not only revealed by the ,law2 sin is actually increased and magnified by the ,law4 ,the ,law is a mirror to show a person what he is like1 a sinner who is guilty of death1 and worthy of everlasting punishment4 ,what is this bruising and beating by the hand of the ,law to accomplish8 ,this1 that we may find the way to grace4 ,the ,law is an usher to lead the way to grace4 ,god is the ,god of the humble1 the miserable1 the afflicted4 ,it is ,his nature to exalt the humble1 to comfort the sorrowing1 to heal the broken-hearted1 to justify the sinners1 and to save the condemned4 ,the fatuous idea that a person can be holy by himself denies ,god the pleasure of saving sinners4 ,god must therefore first take the sledge-hammer of the ,law in ,his fists and smash the beast of self-righteousness and its brood of self-confidence1 self-wisdom1 self-righteousness1 and self-help4 ,when the conscience has been thoroughly frightened by the ,law it welcomes the ,gospel of grace with its message of a ,savior who came into the world1 not to break the bruised reed1 nor to quench the smoking flax1 but to preach glad tidings to the poor1 to heal the broken-hearted1 and to grant forgiveness of sins to all the captives4 ,man's folly1 however1 is so prodigious that instead of embracing the message of grace with its guarantee of the forgiveness of sin for ,christ's sake1 man finds himself more laws to satisfy his conscience4 8,if ,i live10 says he1 8,i will mend my life4 ,i will do this1 ,i will do that40 ,man1 if you don't do the very opposite1 if you don't send ,moses with the ,law back to ,mount ,sinai and take the hand of ,christ1 pierced for your sins1 you will never be saved4 ,when the ,law drives you to the point of despair1 let it drive you a little farther1 let it drive you straight into the arms of ,jesus who says3 8,come unto me1 all ye that labour and are heavy laden1 and ,i will give you rest40 ,,verse #ai4 ,till the seed should come to whom the promise was made4 ,the ,law is not to have its say indefinitely4 ,we must know how long the ,law is to put in its licks4 ,if it hammers away too long1 no person would and could be saved4 ,the ,law has a boundary beyond which it must not go4 ,how long ought the ,law to hold sway8 8,till the seed should come to whom the promise was made40 ,that may be taken literally to mean until the time of the ,gospel4 8,from the days of ,john the ,baptist10 says ,jesus1 8until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence1 and the violent take it by force4 ,for all the prophets and the law prophesied until ,john40 7,matthew #aa3ab1 #ac47 ,when ,christ came the ,law and the ceremonies of ,moses ceased4 ,spiritually1 it means that the ,law is not to operate on a person after he has been humbled and frightened by the exposure of his sins and the wrath of ,god4 ,we must then say to the ,law3 8,mister ,law1 lay off him4 ,he has had enough4 ,you scared him good and proper40 ,now it is the ,gospel's turn4 ,now let ,christ with ,his gracious lips talk to him of better things1 grace1 peace1 forgiveness of sins1 and eternal life4 ,,verse #ai4 ,and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator4 ,the ,apostle digresses a little from his immediate theme4 ,something occurred to him and he throws it in by the way4 ,it occurred to him that the ,law differs from the ,gospel in another respect1 in respect to authorship4 ,the ,law was delivered by the angels1 but the ,gospel by the ,lord ,himself4 ,hence1 the ,gospel is superior to the ,law1 as the word of a lord is superior to the word of his servant4 ,the ,law was handed down by a being even inferior to the angels1 by a middleman named ,moses4 ,paul wants us to understand that ,christ is the mediator of a better testament than mediator ,moses of the ,law4 ,moses led the people out of their tents to meet ,god4 ,but they ran away4 ,that is how good a mediator ,moses was4 ,paul says3 8,how can the ,law justify when that whole sanctified people of ,israel and even mediator ,moses trembled at the voice of ,god8 ,what kind of righteousness do you call that when people run away from it and hate it the worst way8 ,if the ,law could justify1 people would love the ,law4 ,but look at the children of ,israel running away from it40 ,the flight of the children of ,israel from ,mount ,sinai indicates how people feel about the ,law4 ,they don't like it4 ,if this were the only argument to prove that salvation is not by the ,law1 this one ,bible history would do the work4 ,what kind of righteousness is this law-righteousness when at the commencement exercises of the ,law ,moses and the scrubbed people run away from it so fast that an iron mountain1 the ,red ,sea even1 could not have stopped them until they were back in ,egypt once again8 ,if they could not hear the ,law1 how could they ever hope to perform the ,law8 ,if all the world had stood at the mountain1 all the world would have hated the ,law and fled from it as the children of ,israel did4 ,the whole world is an enemy of the ,law4 ,how1 then1 can anyone be justified by the ,law when everybody hates the ,law and its divine author8 ,all this goes to show how little the scholastics know about the ,law4 ,they do not consider its spiritual effect and purpose1 which is not to justify or to pacify afflicted consciences1 but to increase sin1 to terrify the conscience1 and to produce wrath4 ,in their ignorance the papists spout about man's good will and right judgment1 and man's capacity to perform the ,law of ,god4 ,ask the people of ,israel who were present at the presentation of the ,law on ,mount ,sinai whether what the scholastics say is true4 ,ask ,david1 who often complains in the ,psalms that he was cast away from ,god and in hell1 that he was frantic about his sin1 and sick at the thought of the wrath and judgment of ,god4 ,no1 the ,law does not justify4 ,,verse #bj4 ,now a mediator is not a mediator of one4 ,here the ,apostle briefly compares the two mediators3 ,moses and ,christ4 8,a mediator10 says ,paul1 8is not a mediator of one40 ,he is necessarily a mediator of two3 ,the offender and the offended4 ,moses was such a mediator between the ,law and the people who were offended at the ,law4 ,they were offended at the ,law because they did not understand its purpose4 ,that was the veil which ,moses put over his face4 ,the people were also offended at the ,law because they could not look at the bare face of ,moses4 ,it shone with the glory of ,god4 ,when ,moses addressed the people he had to cover his face with that veil of his4 ,they could not listen to their mediator ,moses without another mediator1 the veil4 ,the ,law had to change its face and voice4 ,in other words1 the ,law had to be made tolerable to the people4 ,thus covered1 the ,law no longer spoke to the people in its undisguised majesty4 ,it became more tolerable to the conscience4 ,this explains why men fail to understand the ,law properly1 with the result that they become secure and presumptuous hypocrites4 ,one of two things has to be done3 ,either the ,law must be covered with a veil and then it loses its full effectiveness1 or it must be unveiled and then the full blast of its force kills4 ,man cannot stand the ,law without a veil over it4 ,hence1 we are forced either to look beyond the ,law to ,christ1 or we go through life as shameless hypocrites and secure sinners4 ,paul says3 8,a mediator is not a mediator of one40 ,moses could not be a mediator of ,god only1 for ,god needs no mediator4 ,again1 ,moses could not be a mediator of the people only4 ,he was a mediator between ,god and the people4 ,it is the office of a mediator to conciliate the party that is offended and to placate the party that is the offender4 ,however1 ,moses' mediation consisted only in changing the tone of the ,law to make it more tolerable to the people4 ,moses was merely a mediator of the veil4 ,he could not supply the ability to perform the ,law4 ,what do you suppose would have happened if the ,law had been given without a mediator and the people had been denied the services of a go-between8 ,the people would have perished1 or in case they had escaped they would have required the services of another mediator to preserve them alive and to keep the ,law in force4 ,moses came along and he was made the mediator4 ,he covered his face with a veil4 ,but that is as much as he could do4 ,he could not deliver men's consciences from the terror of the ,law4 ,the sinner needs a better mediator4 ,that better mediator is ,jesus ,christ4 ,he does not change the voice of the ,law1 nor does ,he hide the ,law with a veil4 ,he takes the full blast of the wrath of the ,law and fulfills its demands most meticulously4 ,of this better ,mediator ,paul says3 8,a mediator is not a mediator of one40 ,we are the offending party2 ,god is the party offended4 ,the offense is of such a nature that ,god cannot pardon it4 ,neither can we render adequate satisfaction for our offenses4 ,there is discord between ,god and us4 ,could not ,god revoke ,his ,law8 ,no4 ,how about running away from ,god8 ,it cannot be done4 ,it took ,christ to come between us and ,god and to reconcile ,god to us4 ,how did ,christ do it8 8,blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us1 which was contrary to us1 and took it out of the way1 nailing it to his cross40 7,col4 #b3ad47 ,this one word1 8mediator10 is proof enough that the ,law cannot justify4 ,otherwise we should not need a mediator4 ,in ,christian theology the ,law does not justify4 ,in fact it has the contrary effect4 ,the ,law alarms us1 it magnifies our sins until we begin to hate the ,law and its divine ,author4 ,would you call this being justified by the ,law8 ,can you imagine a more arrant outrage than to hate ,god and to abhor ,his ,law8 ,what an excellent ,law it is4 ,listen3 8,i am the ,lord thy ,god1 which have brought thee out of the land of ,egypt1 out of the house of bondage4 ,thou shalt have no other gods444showing mercy unto thousands444 honor thy father and thy mother2 that thy days may be long upon the land4440 7,ex4 #bj3b1 #c1 #f1 #ab47 ,are these not excellent laws1 perfect wisdom8 8,let not ,god speak with us1 lest we die10 cried the children of ,israel4 ,is it not amazing that a person should refuse to hear things that are good for him8 ,any person would be glad to hear1 ,i should think1 that he has a gracious ,god who shows mercy unto thousands4 ,is it not amazing that people hate the ,law that promotes their safety and welfare1 e4g41 8,thou shalt not kill2 thou shalt not commit adultery2 thou shalt not steal08 ,the ,law can do nothing for us except to arouse the conscience4 ,before the ,law comes to me ,i feel no sin4 ,but when the ,law comes1 sin1 death1 and hell are revealed to me4 ,you would not call this being made righteous4 ,you would call it being condemned to death and hell-fire4 ,,verse #bj4 ,but ,god is one4 ,god does not offend anybody1 therefore ,he needs no mediator4 ,but we offend ,god1 therefore we need a mediator4 ,and we need a better mediator than ,moses4 ,we need ,christ4 ,,verse #ba4 ,is the law then against the promises of ,god8 ,before he digressed ,paul stated that the ,law does not justify4 ,shall we then discard the ,law8 ,no1 no4 ,it supplies a certain need4 ,it supplies men with a needed realization of their sinfulness4 ,now arises another question3 ,if the ,law does no more than to reveal sin1 does it not oppose the promises of ,god8 ,the ,jews believed that by the restraint and discipline of the ,law the promises of ,god would be hastened1 in fact earned by them4 ,paul answers3 8,not so4 ,on the contrary1 if we pay too much attention to the ,law the promises of ,god will be slowed up4 ,how can ,god fulfill ,his promises to a people that hates the ,law80 ,,verse #ba4 ,god forbid4 ,god never said to ,abraham3 8,in thee shall all the nations of the earth be blessed because thou hast kept the ,law40 ,when ,abraham was still uncircumcised and without the ,law or any law1 indeed1 when he was still an idol worshiper1 ,god said to him3 8,get thee out of thy country1 etc42 ,i am thy shield1 etc42 ,in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed40 ,these are unconditional promises which ,god freely made to ,abraham without respect to works4 ,this is aimed especially at the ,jews who think that the promises of ,god are impeded by their sins4 ,paul says3 8,the ,lord is not slack concerning ,his promises because of our sins1 or hastens ,his promises because of any merit on our part40 ,god's promises are not influenced by our attitudes4 ,they rest in ,his goodness and mercy4 ,just because the ,law increases sin1 it does not therefore obstruct the promises of ,god4 ,the ,law confirms the promises1 in that it prepares a person to look for the fulfillment of the promises of ,god in ,christ4 ,the proverb has it that ,hunger is the best cook4 ,the ,law makes afflicted consciences hungry for ,christ4 ,christ tastes good to them4 ,hungry hearts appreciate ,christ4 ,thirsty souls are what ,christ wants4 ,he invites them3 8,come unto me1 all ye that labour and are heavy laden1 and ,i will give you rest40 ,christ's benefits are so precious that ,he will dispense them only to those who need them and really desire them4 ,,verse #ba4 ,for if there had been a law given which could have given life1 verily righteousness should have been by the law4 ,the ,law cannot give life4 ,it kills4 ,the ,law does not justify a person before ,god2 it increases sin4 ,the ,law does not secure righteousness2 it hinders righteousness4 ,the ,apostle declares emphatically that the ,law of itself cannot save4 ,despite the intelligibility of ,paul's statement1 our enemies fail to grasp it4 ,otherwise they would not emphasize free will1 natural strength1 the works of supererogation1 etc4 ,to escape the charge of forgery they always have their convenient annotation handy1 that ,paul is referring only to the ceremonial and not to the moral law4 ,but ,paul includes all laws4 ,he expressly says3 8,if there had been a law given40 ,there is no law by which righteousness may be obtained1 not a single one4 ,why not8 ,,verse #bb4 ,but the ,scripture hath concluded all under sin4 ,where8 ,first in the promises concerning ,christ in ,genesis #c3ae and in ,genesis #bb3ah1 which speak of the seed of the woman and the seed of ,abraham4 ,the fact that these promises were made unto the fathers concerning ,christ implies that the fathers were subject to the curse of sin and eternal death4 ,otherwise why the need of promises8 ,next1 ,holy ,writ 8concludes0 all under sin in this passage from ,paul3 8,for as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse40 ,again1 in the passage which the ,apostle quotes from ,deuteronomy #bg3bf1 8,cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them40 ,this passage clearly submits all men to the curse1 not only those who sin openly against the ,law1 but also those who sincerely endeavor to perform the ,law1 inclusive of monks1 friars1 hermits1 etc4 ,the conclusion is inevitable3 ,faith alone justified without works4 ,if the ,law itself cannot justify1 much less can imperfect performance of the ,law or the works of the ,law1 justify4 ,,verse #bb4 ,that the promise by faith of ,jesus ,christ might be given to them that believe4 ,the ,apostle stated before that 8the ,scripture hath concluded all under sin40 ,forever8 ,no1 only until the promise should be fulfilled4 ,the promise1 you will recall1 is the inheritance itself or the blessing promised to ,abraham1 deliverance from the ,law1 sin1 death1 and the devil1 and the free gift of grace1 righteousness1 salvation1 and eternal life4 ,this promise1 says ,paul1 is not obtained by any merit1 by any law1 or by any work4 ,this promise is given4 ,to whom8 ,to those who believe4 ,in whom8 ,in ,jesus ,christ4 ,,verse #bc4 ,but before faith came4 ,the ,apostle proceeds to explain the service which the ,law is to render4 ,previously ,paul had said that the ,law was given to reveal the wrath and death of ,god upon all sinners4 ,although the ,law kills1 ,god brings good out of evil4 ,he uses the ,law to bring life4 ,god saw that the universal illusion of self-righteousness could not be put down in any other way but by the ,law4 ,the ,law dispels all self-illusions4 ,it puts the fear of ,god in a man4 ,without this fear there can be no thirst for ,god's mercy4 ,god accordingly uses the ,law for a hammer to break up the illusion of self-righteousness1 that we should despair of our own strength and efforts at self-justification4 ,,verse #bc4 ,but before faith came1 we were kept under the law1 shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed4 ,the ,law is a prison to those who have not as yet obtained grace4 ,no prisoner enjoys the confinement4 ,he hates it4 ,if he could he would smash the prison and find his freedom at all cost4 ,as long as he stays in prison he refrains from evil deeds4 ,not because he wants to1 but because he has to4 ,the bars and the chains restrain him4 ,he does not regret the crime that put him in jail4 ,on the contrary1 he is mighty sore that he cannot rob and kill as before4 ,if he could escape he would go right back to robbing and killing4 ,the ,law enforces good behavior1 at least outwardly4 ,we obey the ,law because if we don't we will be punished4 ,our obedience is inspired by fear4 ,we obey under duress and we do it resentfully4 ,now what kind of righteousness is this when we refrain from evil out of fear of punishment8 ,hence1 the righteousness of the ,law is at bottom nothing but love of sin and hatred of righteousness4 ,all the same1 the ,law accomplishes this much1 that it will outwardly at least and to a certain extent repress vice and crime4 ,but the ,law is also a spiritual prison1 a veritable hell4 ,when the ,law begins to threaten a person with death and the eternal wrath of ,god1 a man just cannot find any comfort at all4 ,he cannot shake off at will the nightmare of terror which the ,law stirs up in his conscience4 ,of this terror of the ,law the ,psalms furnish many glimpses4 ,the ,law is a civil and a spiritual prison4 ,and such it should be4 ,for that the ,law is intended4 ,only the confinement in the prison of the ,law must not be unduly prolonged4 ,it must come to an end4 ,the freedom of faith must succeed the imprisonment of the ,law4 ,happy the person who knows how to utilize the ,law so that it serves the purposes of grace and of faith4 ,unbelievers are ignorant of this happy knowledge4 ,when ,cain was first shut up in the prison of the ,law he felt no pang at the fratricide he had committed4 ,he thought he could pass it off as an incident with a shrug of the shoulder4 8,am ,i my brother's keeper80 he answered ,god flippantly4 ,but when he heard the ominous words1 8,what hast thou done8 the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground10 ,cain began to feel his imprisonment4 ,did he know how to get out of prison8 ,no4 ,he failed to call the ,gospel to his aid4 ,he said3 8,my punishment is greater than ,i can bear40 ,he could only think of the prison4 ,he forgot that he was brought face to face with his crime so that he should hurry to ,god for mercy and for pardon4 ,cain remained in the prison of the ,law and despaired4 ,as a stone prison proves a physical handicap1 so the spiritual prison of the ,law proves a chamber of torture4 ,but this it should only be until faith be revealed4 ,the silly conscience must be educated to this4 ,talk to your conscience4 ,say3 8,sister1 you are now in jail all right4 ,but you don't have to stay there forever4 ,it is written that we are #8shut up unto faith which should afterwards be revealed4' ,christ will lead you to freedom4 ,do not despair like ,cain1 ,saul1 or ,judas4 ,they might have gone free if they had called ,christ to their aid4 ,just take it easy1 ,sister ,conscience4 ,it's good for you to be locked up for a while4 ,it will teach you to appreciate ,christ40 ,how anybody can say that he by nature loves the ,law is beyond me4 ,the ,law is a prison to be feared and hated4 ,any unconverted person who says he loves the ,law is a liar4 ,he does not know what he is talking about4 ,we love the ,law about as well as a murderer loves his gloomy cell1 his straight-jacket1 and the iron bars in front of him4 ,how then can the ,law justify us8 ,,verse #bc4 ,shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed4 ,we know that ,paul has reference to the time of ,christ's coming4 ,it was then that faith and the object of faith were fully revealed4 ,but we may apply the historical fact to our inner life4 ,when ,christ came ,he abolished the ,law and brought liberty and life to light4 ,this ,he continues to do in the hearts of the believers4 ,the ,christian has a body in whose members1 as ,paul says1 sin dwells and wars4 ,i take sin to mean not only the deed but root1 tree1 fruit1 and all4 ,a ,christian may perhaps not fall into the gross sins of murder1 adultery1 theft1 but he is not free from impatience1 complaints1 hatreds1 and blasphemy of ,god4 ,as carnal lust is strong in a young man1 in a man of full age the desire for glory1 and in an old man covetousness1 so impatience1 doubt1 and hatred of ,god often prevail in the hearts of sincere ,christians4 ,examples of these sins may be garnered from the ,psalms1 ,job1 ,jeremiah1 and all the ,sacred ,scriptures4 ,accordingly each ,christian continues to experience in his heart times of the ,law and times of the ,gospel4 ,the times of the ,law are discernible by heaviness of heart1 by a lively sense of sin1 and a feeling of despair brought on by the ,law4 ,these periods of the ,law will come again and again as long as we live4 ,to mention my own case4 ,there are many times when ,i find fault with ,god and am impatient with ,him4 ,the wrath and the judgment of ,god displease me1 my wrath and impatience displease ,him4 ,then is the season of the ,law1 when 8the flesh lusteth against the ,spirit1 and the ,spirit against the flesh40 ,the time of grace returns when the heart is enlivened by the promise of ,god's mercy4 ,it soliloquizes3 8,why art thou cast down1 ,o my soul8 and why art thou disquieted within me8 ,can you see nothing but law1 sin1 death1 and hell8 ,is there no grace1 no forgiveness1 no joy1 peace1 life1 heaven1 no ,christ and ,god8 ,trouble me no more1 my soul4 ,hope in ,god who has not spared ,his own dear ,son but has given ,him into death for thy sins40 ,when the ,law carries things too far1 say3 8,mister ,law1 you are not the whole show4 ,there are other and better things than you4 ,they tell me to trust in the ,lord40 ,there is a time for the ,law and a time for grace4 ,let us study to be good timekeepers4 ,it is not easy4 ,law and grace may be miles apart in essence1 but in the heart1 they are pretty close together4 ,in the heart fear and trust1 sin and grace1 ,law and ,gospel cross paths continually4 ,whether reason hears that justification before ,god is obtained by grace alone1 it draws the inference that the ,law is without value4 ,the doctrine of the ,law must therefore be studied carefully lest we either reject the ,law altogether1 or are tempted to attribute to the ,law a capacity to save4 ,there are three ways in which the ,law may be abused4 ,first1 by the self-righteous hypocrites who fancy that they can be justified by the ,law4 ,secondly1 by those who claim that ,christian liberty exempts a ,christian from the observance of the ,law4 8,these10 says ,peter1 8use their liberty for a cloak of maliciousness10 and bring the name and the ,gospel of ,christ into ill repute4 ,thirdly1 the ,law is abused by those who do not understand that the ,law is meant to drive us to ,christ4 ,when the ,law is properly used its value cannot be too highly appraised4 ,it will take me to ,christ every time4 ,,verse #bd4 ,wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto ,christ4 ,this simile of the schoolmaster is striking4 ,schoolmasters are indispensable4 ,but show me a pupil who loves his schoolmaster4 ,how little love is lost upon them the ,jews showed by their attitude toward ,moses4 ,they would have been glad to stone ,moses to death4 7,ex4 #ag3d47 ,you cannot expect anything else4 ,how can a pupil love a teacher who frustrates his desires8 ,and if the pupil disobeys1 the schoolmaster whips him1 and the pupil has to like it and even kiss the rod with which he was beaten4 ,do you think the schoolboy feels good about it8 ,as soon as the teacher turns his back1 the pupil breaks the rod and throws it into the fire4 ,and if he were stronger than the teacher he would not take the beatings1 but beat up the teacher4 ,all the same1 teachers are indispensable1 otherwise the children would grow up without discipline1 instruction1 and training4 ,but how long are the scolding and the whippings of the schoolmaster to continue8 ,only for a time1 until the boy has been trained to be a worthy heir of his father4 ,no father wants his son to be whipped all the time4 ,the discipline is to last until the boy has been trained to be his father's worthy successor4 ,the ,law is such a schoolmaster4 ,not for always1 but until we have been brought to ,christ4 ,the ,law is not just another schoolmaster4 ,the ,law is a specialist to bring us to ,christ4 ,what would you think of a schoolmaster who could only torment and beat a child8 ,yet of such schoolmasters there were plenty in former times1 regular bruisers4 ,the ,law is not that kind of a schoolmaster4 ,it is not to torment us always4 ,with its lashings it is only too anxious to drive us to ,christ4 ,the ,law is like the good schoolmaster who trains his children to find pleasure in doing things they formerly detested4 ,,verse #bd4 ,that we might be justified by faith4 ,the ,law is not to teach us another ,law4 ,when a person feels the full force of the ,law he is likely to think3 ,i have transgressed all the commandments of ,god2 ,i am guilty of eternal death4 ,if ,god will spare me ,i will change and live right from now on4 ,this natural but entirely wrong reaction to the ,law has bred the many ceremonies and works devised to earn grace and remission of sins4 ,the ,law means to enlarge my sins1 to make me small1 so that ,i may be justified by faith in ,christ4 ,faith is neither law nor word2 but confidence in ,christ 8who is the end of the law40 ,how so is ,christ the end of the ,law8 ,not in this way that ,he replaced the old ,law with new laws4 ,nor is ,christ the end of the ,law in a way that makes ,him a hard judge who has to be bribed by works as the papists teach4 ,christ is the end or finish of the ,law to all who believe in ,him4 ,the ,law can no longer accuse or condemn them4 ,but what does the ,law accomplish for those who have been justified by ,christ8 ,paul answers this question next4 ,,verse #be4 ,but after that faith is come1 we are no longer under a schoolmaster4 ,the ,apostle declares that we are free from the ,law4 ,christ fulfilled the ,law for us4 ,we may live in joy and safety under ,christ4 ,the trouble is1 our flesh will not let us believe in ,christ with all our heart4 ,the fault lies not with ,christ1 but with us4 ,sin clings to us as long as we live and spoils our happiness in ,christ4 ,hence1 we are only partly free from the ,law4 8,with the mind ,i myself serve the law of ,god2 but with the flesh the law of sin40 7,romans #g3be47 ,as far as the conscience is concerned it may cheerfully ignore the ,law4 ,but because sin continues to dwell in the flesh1 the ,law waits around to molest our conscience4 ,more and more1 however1 ,christ increases our faith and in the measure in which our faith is increased1 sin1 ,law1 and flesh subside4 ,if anybody objects to the ,gospel and the sacraments on the ground that ,christ has taken away our sins once and for always1 you will know what to answer4 ,you will answer3 ,indeed1 ,christ has taken away my sins4 ,but my flesh1 the world1 and the devil interfere with my faith4 ,the little light of faith in my heart does not shine all over me at once4 ,it is a gradual diffusion4 ,in the meanwhile ,i console myself with the thought that eventually my flesh will be made perfect in the resurrection4 ,,verse #bf4 ,for we are all the children of ,god by faith in ,christ ,jesus4 ,paul as a true apostle of faith always has the word 8faith0 on the tip of his tongue4 ,by faith1 says he1 we are the children of ,god4 ,the ,law cannot beget children of ,god4 ,it cannot regenerate us4 ,it can only remind us of the old birth by which we were born into the kingdom of the devil4 ,the best the ,law can do for us is to prepare us for a new birth through faith in ,christ ,jesus4 ,faith in ,christ regenerates us into the children of ,god4 ,st4 ,john bears witness to this in his ,gospel3 8,as many as received him1 to them gave he power to become the sons of ,god1 even to them that believe on his name40 7,john #a3ab47 ,what tongue of man or angel can adequately extol the mercy of ,god toward us miserable sinners in that ,he adopted us for ,his own children and fellow-heirs with ,his ,son by the simple means of faith in ,christ ,jesus6 ,,verse #bg4 ,for as many of you as have been baptized into ,christ have put on ,christ4 ,to 8put on ,christ0 may be understood in two ways1 according to the ,law and according to the ,gospel4 ,according to the ,law as in ,romans #ac3ad1 8,put ye on the ,lord ,jesus ,christ10 which means to follow the example of ,christ4 ,to put on ,christ according to the ,gospel means to clothe oneself with the righteousness1 wisdom1 power1 life1 and ,spirit of ,christ4 ,by nature we are clad in the garb of ,adam4 ,this garb ,paul likes to call 8the old man40 ,before we can become the children of ,god this old man must be put off1 as ,paul says1 ,ephesians #d3bi4 ,the garment of ,adam must come off like soiled clothes4 ,of course1 it is not as simple as changing one's clothes4 ,but ,god makes it simple4 ,he clothes us with the righteousness of ,christ by means of ,baptism1 as the ,apostle says in this verse3 8,as many of you as have been baptized into ,christ have put on ,christ40 ,with this change of garments a new birth1 a new life stirs in us4 ,new affections toward ,god spring up in the heart4 ,new determinations affect our will4 ,all this is to put on ,christ according to the ,gospel4 ,needless to say1 when we have put on the robe of the righteousness of ,christ we must not forget to put on also the mantle of the imitation of ,christ4 ,,verse #bh4 ,there is neither ,jew nor ,greek1 there is neither bond nor free1 there is neither male nor female2 for ye are all one in ,christ ,jesus4 ,the list might be extended indefinitely3 ,there is neither preacher nor hearer1 neither teacher nor scholar1 neither master nor servant1 etc4 ,in the matter of salvation1 rank1 learning1 righteousness1 influence count for nothing4 ,with this statement ,paul deals a death blow to the ,law4 ,when a person has put on ,christ nothing else matters4 ,whether a person is a ,jew1 a punctilious and circumcised observer of the ,law of ,moses1 or whether a person is a noble and wise ,greek does not matter4 ,circumstances1 personal worth1 character1 achievements have no bearing upon justification4 ,before ,god they count for nothing4 ,what counts is that we put on ,christ4 ,whether a servant performs his duties well2 whether those who are in authority govern wisely2 whether a man marries1 provides for his family1 and is an honest citizen2 whether a woman is chaste1 obedient to her husband1 and a good mother3 all these advantages do not qualify a person for salvation4 ,these virtues are commendable1 of course2 but they do not count points for justification4 ,all the best laws1 ceremonies1 religions1 and deeds of the world cannot take away sin guilt1 cannot dispatch death1 cannot purchase life4 ,there is much disparity among men in the world1 but there is no such disparity before ,god4 8,for all have sinned1 and come short of the glory of ,god40 7,romans #c3bc47 ,let the ,jews1 let the ,greeks1 let the whole world keep silent in the presence of ,god4 ,those who are justified are justified by ,christ4 ,without faith in ,christ the ,jew with his laws1 the monk with his holy orders1 the ,greek with his wisdom1 the servant with his obedience1 shall perish forever4 ,,verse #bh4 ,for ye are all one in ,christ ,jesus4 ,there is much imparity among men in the world4 ,and it is a good thing4 ,if the woman would change places with the man1 if the son would change places with the father1 the servant with the master1 nothing but confusion would result4 ,in ,christ1 however1 all are equal4 ,we all have one and the same ,gospel1 8one faith1 one baptism1 one ,god and ,father of all10 one ,christ and ,savior of all4 ,the ,christ of ,peter1 ,paul1 and all the saints is our ,christ4 ,paul can always be depended on to add the conditional clause1 8,in ,christ ,jesus40 ,if we lose sight of ,christ1 we lose out4 ,,verse #bi4 ,and if ye be ,christ's1 then are ye ,abraham's seed1 and heirs according to the promise4 8,if ye be ,christ's0 means1 if you believe in ,christ4 ,if you believe in ,christ1 then are you the children of ,abraham indeed4 ,through our faith in ,christ ,abraham gains paternity over us and over the nations of the earth according to the promise3 8,in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed40 ,through faith we belong to ,christ and ,christ to us4 ,,chapter #d ,,verse #a4 ,now ,i say1 ,that the heir1 as long as he is a child1 differeth nothing from a servant1 though he be ,lord of all2 ,,verse #b4 ,but is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father4 ,,the ,apostle had apparently finished his discourse on justification when this illustration of the youthful heir occurred to him4 ,he throws it in for good measure4 ,he knows that plain people are sooner impressed by an apt illustration than by learned discussion4 8,i want to give you another illustration from everyday life10 he writes to the ,galatians4 8,as long as an heir is under age he is treated very much like a servant4 ,he is not permitted to order his own affairs4 ,he is kept under constant surveillance4 ,such discipline is good for him1 otherwise he would waste his inheritance in no time4 ,this discipline1 however1 is not to last forever4 ,it is to last only until #8the time appointed of the father4'0 ,,verse #c4 ,even so we1 when we were children1 were in bondage under the elements of the world4 ,as children of the ,law we were treated like servants and prisoners4 ,we were oppressed and condemned by the ,law4 ,but the tyranny of the ,law is not to last forever4 ,it is to last only until 8the time appointed of the father10 until ,christ came and redeemed us4 ,,verse #c4 ,under the elements of the world4 ,by the elements of the world the ,apostle does not understand the physical elements1 as some have thought4 ,in calling the ,law 8the elements of the world0 ,paul means to say that the ,law is something material1 mundane1 earthly4 ,it may restrain evil1 but it does not deliver from sin4 ,the ,law does not justify2 it does not bring a person to heaven4 ,i do not obtain eternal life because ,i do not kill1 commit adultery1 steal1 etc4 ,such mere outward decency does not constitute ,christianity4 ,the heathen observe the same restraints to avoid punishment or to secure the advantages of a good reputation4 ,in the last analysis such restraint is simple hypocrisy4 ,when the ,law exercises its higher function it accuses and condemns the conscience4 ,all these effects of the ,law cannot be called divine or heavenly4 ,these effects are elements of the world4 ,in calling the ,law the elements of the world ,paul refers to the whole ,law1 principally to the ceremonial law which dealt with external matters1 as meat1 drink1 dress1 places1 times1 feasts1 cleansings1 sacrifices1 etc4 ,these are mundane matters which cannot save the sinner4 ,ceremonial laws are like the statutes of governments dealing with purely civil matters1 as commerce1 inheritance1 etc4 ,as for the pope's church laws forbidding marriage and meats1 ,paul calls them elsewhere the doctrines of devils4 ,you would not call such laws elements of heaven4 ,the ,law of ,moses deals with mundane matters4 ,it holds the mirror to the evil which is in the world4 ,by revealing the evil that is in us it creates a longing in the heart for the better things of ,god4 ,the ,law forces us into the arms of ,christ1 8who is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth40 7,romans #a3d47 ,christ relieves the conscience of the ,law4 ,in so far as the ,law impels us to ,christ it renders excellent service4 ,i do not mean to give the impression that the ,law should be despised4 ,neither does ,paul intend to leave that impression4 ,the ,law ought to be honored4 ,but when it is a matter of justification before ,god1 ,paul had to speak disparagingly of the ,law1 because the ,law has nothing to do with justification4 ,if it thrusts its nose into the business of justification we must talk harshly to the ,law to keep it in its place4 ,the conscience ought not to be on speaking terms with the ,law4 ,the conscience ought to know only ,christ4 ,to say this is easy1 but in times of trial1 when the conscience writhes in the presence of ,god1 it is not so easy to do4 ,as such times we are to believe in ,christ as if there were no ,law or sin anywhere1 but only ,christ4 ,we ought to say to the ,law3 8,mister ,law1 ,i do not get you4 ,you stutter so much4 ,i don't think that you have anything to say to me40 ,when it is not a question of salvation or justification with us1 we are to think highly of the ,law and call it 8holy1 just1 and good40 7,romans #g3ab7 ,the ,law is of no comfort to a stricken conscience4 ,therefore it should not be allowed to rule in our conscience1 particularly in view of the fact that ,christ paid so great a price to deliver the conscience from the tyranny of the ,law4 ,let us understand that the ,law and ,christ are impossible bedfellows4 ,the ,law must leave the bed of the conscience1 which is so narrow that it cannot hold two1 as ,isaiah says1 chapter #bh1 verse #bj4 ,only ,paul among the apostles calls the ,law 8the elements of the world1 weak and beggarly elements1 the strength of sin1 the letter that killeth10 etc4 ,the other apostles do not speak so slightingly of the ,law4 ,those who want to be first-class scholars in the school of ,christ want to pick up the language of ,paul4 ,christ called him a chosen vessel and equipped with a facility of expression far above that of the other apostles1 that he as the chosen vessel should establish the doctrine of justification in clear-cut words4 ,,verses #d1 #e4 ,but when the fullness of the time was come1 ,god sent forth his ,son1 made of a woman1 made under the law1 to redeem them that were under the law4 8,the fullness of the time0 means when the time of the ,law was fulfilled and ,christ was revealed4 ,note how ,paul explains ,christ4 8,christ10 says he1 8is the ,son of ,god and the son of a woman4 ,he submitted ,himself under the ,law to redeem us who were under the ,law40 ,in these words the ,apostle explains the person and office of ,christ4 ,his person is divine and human4 8,god sent forth ,his ,son1 made of a woman40 ,christ therefore is true ,god and true man4 ,christ's office the ,apostle describes in the words3 8,made under the law1 to redeem them that were under the law40 ,paul calls the ,virgin ,mary a woman4 ,this has been frequently deplored even by some of the ancient fathers who felt that ,paul should have written 8virgin0 instead of woman4 ,but ,paul is now treating of faith and ,christian righteousness1 of the person and office of ,christ1 not of the virginity of ,mary4 ,the inestimable mercy of ,god is sufficiently set forth by the fact that ,his ,son was born of a woman4 ,the more general term 8woman0 indicates that ,christ was born a true man4 ,paul does not say that ,christ was born of man and woman1 but only of woman4 ,that he has a virgin in mind is obvious4 ,this passage furthermore declares that ,christ's purpose in coming was the abolition of the ,law1 not with the intention of laying down new laws1 but 8to redeem them that were under the law40 ,christ himself declared3 8,i judge no man40 7,john #h3ae47 ,again1 8,i came not to judge the world1 but to save the world40 7,john #ab3dg47 ,in other words3 8,i came not to bring more laws1 or to judge men according to the existing ,law4 ,i have a higher and better office4 ,i came to judge and to condemn the ,law1 so that it may no more judge and condemn the world40 ,how did ,christ manage to redeem us8 8,he was made under the law40 ,when ,christ came ,he found us all in prison4 ,what did ,he do about it8 ,although ,he was the ,lord of the ,law1 ,he voluntarily placed ,himself under the ,law and permitted it to exercise dominion over ,him1 indeed to accuse and to condemn ,him4 ,when the ,law takes us into judgment it has a perfect right to do so4 8,for we are by nature the children of wrath1 even as others40 7,eph4 #b3c47 ,christ1 however1 8did no sin1 neither was guile found in his mouth40 7,i ,pet4 #b3bb47 ,hence the ,law had no jurisdiction over ,him4 ,yet the ,law treated this innocent1 just1 and blessed ,lamb of ,god as cruelly as it treated us4 ,it accused ,him of blasphemy and treason4 ,it made ,him guilty of the sins of the whole world4 ,it overwhelmed him with such anguish of soul that ,his sweat was as blood4 ,the ,law condemned ,him to the shameful death on the ,cross4 ,it is truly amazing that the ,law had the effrontery to turn upon its divine ,author1 and that without a show of right4 ,for its insolence the ,law in turn was arraigned before the judgment seat of ,god and condemned4 ,christ might have overcome the ,law by an exercise of ,his omnipotent authority over the ,law4 ,instead1 ,he humbled ,himself under the ,law for and together with them that were under the ,law4 ,he gave the ,law license to accuse and condemn ,him4 ,his present mastery over the ,law was obtained by virtue of ,his ,sonship and ,his substitutionary victory4 ,thus ,christ banished the ,law from the conscience4 ,it dare no longer banish us from ,god4 ,for that matter1--the ,law continues to reveal sin4 ,it still raises its voice in condemnation4 ,but the conscience finds quick relief in the words of the ,apostle3 8,christ has redeemed us from the law40 ,the conscience can now hold its head high and say to the ,law3 8,you are not so holy yourself4 ,you crucified the ,son of ,god4 ,that was an awful thing for you to do4 ,you have lost your influence forever40 ,the words1 8,christ was made under the law10 are worth all the attention we can bestow on them4 ,they declare that the ,son of ,god did not only fulfill one or two easy requirements of the ,law1 but that ,he endured all the tortures of the ,law4 ,the ,law brought all its fright to bear upon ,christ until ,he experienced anguish and terror such as nobody else ever experienced4 ,his bloody sweat4 ,his need of angelic comfort1 ,his tremulous prayer in the garden1 ,his lamentation on the ,cross1 8,my ,god1 my ,god1 why hast thou forsaken me80 bear eloquent witness to the sting of the ,law4 ,he suffered 8to redeem them that were under the law40 ,the ,roman conception of ,christ as a mere lawgiver more stringent than ,moses1 is quite contrary to ,paul's teaching4 ,christ1 according to ,paul1 was not an agent of the ,law but a patient of the ,law4 ,he was not a law-giver1 but a law-taker4 ,true enough1 ,christ also taught and expounded the ,law4 ,but it was incidental4 ,it was a sideline with ,him4 ,he did not come into the world for the purpose of teaching the ,law1 as little as it was the purpose of ,his coming to perform miracles4 ,teaching the ,law and performing miracles did not constitute ,his unique mission to the world4 ,the prophets also taught the ,law and performed miracles4 ,in fact1 according to the promise of ,christ1 the apostles performed greater miracles than ,christ ,himself4 7,john #ad3ab47 ,the true purpose of ,christ's coming was the abolition of the ,law1 of sin1 and of death4 ,if we think of ,christ as ,paul here depicts ,him1 we shall never go wrong4 ,we shall never be in danger of misconstruing the meaning of the ,law4 ,we shall understand that the ,law does not justify4 ,we shall understand why a ,christian observes laws3 ,for the peace of the world1 out of gratitude to ,god1 and for a good example that others may be attracted to the ,gospel4 ,,verse #e4 ,that we might receive the adoption of sons4 ,paul still has for his text ,genesis #bb3ah1 8,in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed40 ,in the course of his ,epistle he calls this promise of the blessing righteousness1 life1 deliverance from the ,law1 the testament1 etc4 ,now he also calls the promise of blessing 8the adoption of sons10 the inheritance of everlasting life4 ,what ever induced ,god to adopt us for ,his children and heirs8 ,what claim can men who are subservient to sin1 subject to the curse of the ,law1 and worthy of everlasting death1 have on ,god and eternal life8 ,that ,god adopted us is due to the merit of ,jesus ,christ1 the ,son of ,god1 who humbled ,himself under the ,law and redeemed us law-ridden sinners4 ,,verse #f4 ,and because ye are sons1 ,god hath sent forth the ,spirit of his ,son into your hearts4 ,in the early ,church the ,holy ,spirit was sent forth in visible form4 ,he descended upon ,christ in the form of a dove 7,matt4 #c3af71 and in the likeness of fire upon the apostles and other believers4 7,acts #b3c47 ,this visible outpouring of the ,holy ,spirit was necessary to the establishment of the early ,church1 as were also the miracles that accompanied the gift of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,paul explained the purpose of these miraculous gifts of the ,spirit in ,i ,corinthians #ad3bb1 8,tongues are for a sign1 not to them that believe1 but to them that believe not40 ,once the ,church had been established and properly advertised by these miracles1 the visible appearance of the ,holy ,ghost ceased4 ,next1 the ,holy ,ghost is sent forth into the hearts of the believers1 as here stated1 8,god sent the ,spirit of his ,son into your hearts40 ,this sending is accomplished by the preaching of the ,gospel through which the ,holy ,spirit inspires us with fervor and light1 with new judgment1 new desires1 and new motives4 ,this happy innovation is not a derivative of reason or personal development1 but solely the gift and operation of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,this renewal by the ,holy ,spirit may not be conspicuous to the world1 but it is patent to us by our better judgment1 our improved speech1 and our unashamed confession of ,christ4 ,formerly we did not confess ,christ to be our only merit1 as we do now in the light of the ,gospel4 ,why1 then1 should we feel bad if the world looks upon us as ravagers of religion and insurgents against constituted authority8 ,we confess ,christ and our conscience approves of it4 ,then1 too1 we live in the fear of ,god4 ,if we sin1 we sin not on purpose1 but unwittingly1 and we are sorry for it4 ,sin sticks in our flesh1 and the flesh gets us into sin even after we have been imbued by the ,holy ,ghost4 ,outwardly there is no great difference between a ,christian and any honest man4 ,the activities of a ,christian are not sensational4 ,he performs his duty according to his vocation4 ,he takes good care of his family1 and is kind and helpful to others4 ,such homely1 everyday performances are not much admired4 ,but the setting-up exercises of the monks draw great applause4 ,holy works1 you know4 ,only the acts of a ,christian are truly good and acceptable to ,god1 because they are done in faith1 with a cheerful heart1 out of gratitude to ,christ4 ,we ought to have no misgivings about whether the ,holy ,ghost dwells in us4 ,we are 8the temple of the ,holy ,ghost40 7,i ,cor4 #c3af47 ,when we have a love for the ,word of ,god1 and gladly hear1 talk1 write1 and think of ,christ1 we are to know that this inclination toward ,christ is the gift and work of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,where you come across contempt for the ,word of ,god1 there is the devil4 ,we meet with such contempt for the ,word of ,god mostly among the common people4 ,they act as though the ,word of ,god does not concern them4 ,wherever you find a love for the ,word1 thank ,god for the ,holy ,spirit who infuses this love into the hearts of men4 ,we never come by this love naturally1 neither can it be enforced by laws4 ,it is the gift of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,the ,roman theologians teach that no man can know for a certainty whether he stands in the favor of ,god or not4 ,this teaching forms one of the chief articles of their faith4 ,with this teaching they tormented men's consciences1 excommunicated ,christ from the ,church1 and limited the operations of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,st4 ,augustine observed that 8every man is certain of his faith1 if he has faith40 ,this the ,romanists deny4 8,god forbid10 they exclaim piously1 8that ,i should ever be so arrogant as to think that ,i stand in grace1 that ,i am holy1 or that ,i have the ,holy ,ghost40 ,we ought to feel sure that we stand in the grace of ,god1 not in view of our own worthiness1 but through the good services of ,christ4 ,as certain as we are that ,christ pleases ,god1 so sure ought we to be that we also please ,god1 because ,christ is in us4 ,and although we daily offend ,god by our sins1 yet as often as we sin1 ,god's mercy bends over us4 ,therefore sin cannot get us to doubt the grace of ,god4 ,our certainty is of ,christ1 that mighty ,hero who overcame the ,law1 sin1 death1 and all evils4 ,so long as ,he sits at the right hand of ,god to intercede for us1 we have nothing to fear from the anger of ,god4 ,this inner assurance of the grace of ,god is accompanied by outward indications such as gladly to hear1 preach1 praise1 and to confess ,christ1 to do one's duty in the station in which ,god has placed us1 to aid the needy1 and to comfort the sorrowing4 ,these are the affidavits of the ,holy ,spirit testifying to our favorable standing with ,god4 ,if we could be fully persuaded that we are in the good grace of ,god1 that our sins are forgiven1 that we have the ,spirit of ,christ1 that we are the beloved children of ,god1 we would be ever so happy and grateful to ,god4 ,but because we often feel fear and doubt we cannot come to that happy certainty4 ,train your conscience to believe that ,god approves of you4 ,fight it out with doubt4 ,gain assurance through the ,word of ,god4 ,say3 8,i am all right with ,god4 ,i have the ,holy ,ghost4 ,christ1 in whom ,i do believe1 makes me worthy4 ,i gladly hear1 read1 sing1 and write of ,him4 ,i would like nothing better than that ,christ's ,gospel be known throughout the world and that many1 many be brought to faith in ,him40 ,,verse #f4 ,crying1 ,abba1 ,father4 ,paul might have written1 8,god sent forth the ,spirit of his ,son into your hearts1 calling ,abba1 ,father40 ,instead1 he wrote1 8,crying1 ,abba1 ,father40 ,in the eighth chapter of the ,epistle to the ,romans the ,apostle describes this crying of the ,spirit as 8groanings which cannot be uttered40 ,he writes in the #bfth verse3 8,likewise the ,spirit also helpeth our infirmities3 for we know not what we should pray for as we ought3 but the ,spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered40 ,the fact that the ,spirit of ,christ in our hearts cries unto ,god and makes intercession for us with groanings should reassure us greatly4 ,however1 there are many factors that prevent such full reassurance on our part4 ,we are born in sin4 ,to doubt the good will of ,god is an inborn suspicion of ,god with all of us4 ,besides1 the devil1 our adversary1 goeth about seeking to devour us by roaring3 8,god is angry at you and is going to destroy you forever40 ,in all these difficulties we have only one support1 the ,gospel of ,christ4 ,to hold on to it1 that is the trick4 ,christ cannot be perceived with the senses4 ,we cannot see ,him4 ,the heart does not feel ,his helpful presence4 ,especially in times of trials a ,christian feels the power of sin1 the infirmity of his flesh1 the goading darts of the devil1 the agues of death1 the scowl and judgment of ,god4 ,all these things cry out against us4 ,the ,law scolds us1 sin screams at us1 death thunders at us1 the devil roars at us4 ,in the midst of the clamor the ,spirit of ,christ cries in our hearts3 8,abba1 ,father40 ,and this little cry of the ,spirit transcends the hullabaloo of the ,law1 sin1 death1 and the devil1 and finds a hearing with ,god4 ,the ,spirit cries in us because of our weakness4 ,because of our infirmity the ,holy ,ghost is sent forth into our hearts to pray for us according to the will of ,god and to assure us of the grace of ,god4 ,let the ,law1 sin1 and the devil cry out against us until their outcry fills heaven and earth4 ,the ,spirit of ,god outcries them all4 ,our feeble groans1 8,abba1 ,father10 will be heard of ,god sooner than the combined racket of hell1 sin1 and the ,law4 ,we do not think of our groanings as a crying4 ,it is so faint we do not know we are groaning4 8,but he10 says ,paul1 8that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the ,spirit40 7,romans #h3bg47 ,to this ,searcher of hearts our feeble groaning1 as it seems to us1 is a loud shout for help in comparison with which the howls of hell1 the din of the devil1 the yells of the ,law1 the shouts of sin are like so many whispers4 ,in the fourteenth chapter of ,exodus the ,lord addresses ,moses at the ,red ,sea3 8,wherefore criest thou unto me80 ,moses had not cried unto the ,lord4 ,he trembled so he could hardly talk4 ,his faith was at low ebb4 ,he saw the people of ,israel wedged between the ,sea and the approaching armies of ,pharaoh4 ,how were they to escape8 ,moses did not know what to say4 ,how then could ,god say that ,moses was crying to ,him8 ,god heard the groaning heart of ,moses and the groans to ,him sounded like loud shouts for help4 ,god is quick to catch the sigh of the heart4 ,some have claimed that the saints are without infirmities4 ,but ,paul says3 8,the ,spirit helpeth our infirmities1 and maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered40 ,we need the help of the ,holy ,spirit because we are weak and infirm4 ,and the ,holy ,spirit never disappoints us4 ,confronted by the armies of ,pharaoh1 retreat cut off by the waters of the ,red ,sea1 ,moses was in a bad spot4 ,he felt himself to blame4 ,the devil accused him3 8,these people will all perish1 for they cannot escape4 ,and you are to blame because you led the people out of ,egypt4 ,you started all this40 ,and then the people started in on ,moses4 8,because there were no graves in ,egypt1 hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness8 ,for it had been better for us to serve the ,egyptians1 than that we should die in the wilderness40 7,ex4 #ad3aa1 #ab47 ,but the ,holy ,ghost was in ,moses and made intercession for him with unutterable groanings1 sighings unto the ,lord3 8,o ,lord1 at ,thy commandment have ,i led forth this people4 ,so help me now40 ,the ,spirit intercedes for us not in many words or long prayers1 but with groanings1 with little sounds like 8,abba40 ,small as this word is1 it says ever so much4 ,it says3 8,my ,father1 ,i am in great trouble and you seem so far away4 ,but ,i know ,i am your child1 because you are my ,father for ,christ's sake4 ,i am loved by you because of the ,beloved40 ,this one little word 8,abba0 surpasses the eloquence of a ,demosthenes and a ,cicero4 ,i have spent much time on this verse in order to combat the cruel teaching of the ,roman church1 that a person ought to be kept in a state of uncertainty concerning his status with ,god4 ,the monasteries recruit the youth on the plea that their 8holy0 orders will assuredly recruit them for heaven4 ,but once inside the monastery the recruits are told to doubt the promises of ,god4 ,in support of their error the papists quote the saying of ,solomon3 8,the righteous1 and the wise1 and their works1 are in the hand of ,god3 no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them40 7,eccles4 #i3a47 ,they take this hatred to mean the wrath of ,god to come4 ,others take it to mean ,god's present anger4 ,none of them seem to understand this passage from ,solomon4 ,on every page the ,scriptures urge us to believe that ,god is merciful1 loving1 and patient2 that ,he is faithful and true1 and that ,he keeps ,his promises4 ,all the promises of ,god were fulfilled in the gift of ,his only-begotten ,son1 that 8whosoever believeth in him should not perish1 but have everlasting life40 ,the ,gospel is reassurance for sinners4 ,yet this one saying from ,solomon1 misinterpreted at that1 is made to count for more than all the many promises of all the ,scriptures4 ,if our opponents are so uncertain about their status with ,god1 and even go so far as to say that the conscience ought to be kept in a state of doubt1 why is it that they persecute us as vile heretics8 ,when it comes to persecuting us they do not seem to be in doubt and uncertainty one minute4 ,let us not fail to thank ,god for delivering us from the doctrine of doubt4 ,the ,gospel commands us to look away from our own good works to the promises of ,god in ,christ1 the ,mediator4 ,the pope commands us to look away from the promises of ,god in ,christ to our own merit4 ,no wonder they are the eternal prey of doubt and despair4 ,we depend upon ,god for salvation4 ,no wonder that our doctrine is certified1 because it does not rest in our own strength1 our own conscience1 our own feelings1 our own person1 our own works4 ,it is built on a better foundation4 ,it is built on the promises and truth of ,god4 ,besides1 the passage from ,solomon does not treat of the hatred and love of ,god towards men4 ,it merely rebukes the ingratitude of men4 ,the more deserving a person is1 the less he is appreciated4 ,often those who should be his best friends1 are his worst enemies4 ,those who least deserve the praise of the world1 get most4 ,david was a holy man and a good king4 ,nevertheless he was chased from his own country4 ,the prophets1 ,christ1 the apostles1 were slain4 ,solomon in this passage does not speak of the love and hatred of ,god1 but of love and hatred among men4 ,as though ,solomon wanted to say3 8,there are many good and wise men whom ,god uses for the advancement of mankind4 ,seldom1 if ever1 are their efforts crowned with gratitude4 ,they are usually repaid with hatred and ingratitude40 ,we are being treated that way4 ,we thought we would find favor with men for bringing them the ,gospel of peace1 life1 and eternal salvation4 ,instead of favor1 we found fury4 ,at first1 yes1 many were delighted with our doctrine and received it gladly4 ,we counted them as our friends and brethren1 and were happy to think that they would help us in sowing the seed of the ,gospel4 ,but they revealed themselves as false brethren and deadly enemies of the ,gospel4 ,if you experience the ingratitude of men1 don't let it get you down4 ,say with ,christ3 8,they hated me without cause40 ,and1 8,for my love they are my adversaries2 but ,i give myself unto prayer40 7,ps4 #aji3d47 ,let us never doubt the mercy of ,god in ,christ ,jesus1 but make up our minds that ,god is pleased with us1 that ,he looks after us1 and that we have the ,holy ,spirit who prays for us4 ,,verse #g4 ,wherefore thou art no more a servant1 but a son4 ,this sentence clinches ,paul's argument4 ,he says3 8,with the ,holy ,spirit in our hearts crying1 #8,abba1 ,father1' there can be no doubt that ,god has adopted us for ,his children and that our subjection to the ,law has come to an end40 ,we are now the free children of ,god4 ,we may now say to the ,law3 8,mister ,law1 you have lost your throne to ,christ4 ,i am free now and a son of ,god4 ,you cannot curse me any more40 ,do not permit the ,law to lie in your conscience4 ,your conscience belongs to ,christ4 ,let ,christ be in it and not the ,law4 ,as the children of ,god we are the heirs of ,his eternal heaven4 ,what a wonderful gift heaven is1 man's heart cannot conceive1 much less describe4 ,until we enter upon our heavenly inheritance we are only to have our little faith to go by4 ,to man's reason our faith looks rather forlorn4 ,but because our faith rests on the promises of the infinite ,god1 ,his promises are also infinite1 so much so that nothing can accuse or condemn us4 ,,verse #g4 ,and if a son1 then an heir of ,god through ,christ4 ,a son is an heir1 not by virtue of high accomplishments1 but by virtue of his birth4 ,he is a mere recipient4 ,his birth makes him an heir1 not his labors4 ,in exactly the same way we obtain the eternal gifts of righteousness1 resurrection1 and everlasting life4 ,we obtain them not as agents1 but as beneficiaries4 ,we are the children and heirs of ,god through faith in ,christ4 ,we have ,christ to thank for everything4 ,we are not the heirs of some rich and mighty man1 but heirs of ,god1 the almighty ,creator of all things4 ,if a person could fully appreciate what it means to be a son and heir of ,god1 he would rate the might and wealth of nations small change in comparison with his heavenly inheritance4 ,what is the world to him who has heaven8 ,no wonder ,paul greatly desired to depart and to be with ,christ4 ,nothing would be more welcome to us than early death1 knowing that it would spell the end of all our miseries and the beginning of all our happiness4 ,yes1 if a person could perfectly believe this he would not long remain alive4 ,the anticipation of his joy would kill him4 ,but the law of the members strives against the law of the mind1 and makes perfect joy and faith impossible4 ,we need the continued help and comfort of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,we need ,his prayers4 ,paul himself cried out3 8,o wretched man that ,i am6 ,who shall deliver me from the body of this death80 ,the body of this death spoiled the joy of his spirit4 ,he did not always entertain the sweet and glad expectation of his heavenly inheritance4 ,he often felt miserable4 ,this goes to show how hard it is to believe4 ,faith is feeble1 because the flesh wars against the spirit4 ,if we could have perfect faith1 our loathing for this life in the world would be complete4 ,we would not be so careful about this life4 ,we would not be so attached to the world and the things of the world4 ,we would not feel so good when we have them2 we would not feel so bad when we lose them4 ,we would be far more humble and patient and kind4 ,but our faith is weak1 because our spirit is weak4 ,in this life we can have only the first-fruits of the ,spirit1 as ,paul says4 ,,verse #g4 ,through ,christ4 ,the ,apostle always has ,christ on the tip of his tongue4 ,he foresaw that nothing would be less known in the world some day than the ,gospel of ,christ4 ,therefore he talks of ,christ continually4 ,as often as he speaks of righteousness1 grace1 the promise1 the adoption1 and the inheritance of heaven1 he adds the words1 8,in ,christ10 or 8,through ,christ10 to show that these blessings are not to be had by the ,law1 or the deeds of the ,law1 much less by our own exertions1 or by the observance of human traditions1 but only by and through and in ,christ4 ,,verses #h and #i4 ,howbeit then1 when ye knew not ,god1 ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods4 ,but now1 after that ye have known ,god1 or rather are known of ,god1 how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements1 whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage8 ,this concludes ,paul's discourse on justification4 ,from now to the end of the ,epistle the ,apostle writes mostly of ,christian conduct4 ,but before he follows up his doctrinal discourse with practical precepts he once more reproves the ,galatians4 ,he is deeply displeased with them for relinquishing their divine doctrine4 ,he tells them3 8,you have taken on teachers who intend to recommit you to the ,law4 ,by my doctrine ,i called you out of the darkness of ignorance into the wonderful light of the knowledge of ,god4 ,i led you out of bondage into the freedom of the sons of ,god1 not by the prescription of laws1 but by the gift of heavenly and eternal blessings through ,christ ,jesus4 ,how could you so soon forsake the light and return to darkness8 ,how could you so quickly stray from grace into the ,law1 from freedom into bondage80 ,the example of the ,galatians1 of ,anabaptists1 and other sectarians in our day bears testimony to the ease with which faith may be lost4 ,we take great pains in setting forth the doctrine of faith by preaching and by writing4 ,we are careful to apply the ,gospel and the ,law in their proper turn4 ,yet we make little headway because the devil seduces people into misbelief by taking ,christ out of their sight and focusing their eyes upon the ,law4 ,but why does ,paul accuse the ,galatians of reverting to the weak and beggarly elements of the ,law when they never had the ,law8 ,why does he not say to them3 8,at one time you ,galatians did not know ,god4 ,you then served idols that were no gods4 ,but now that you have come to know the true ,god1 why do you go back to the worship of idols80 ,paul seems to identify their defection from the ,gospel to the ,law with their former idolatry4 ,indeed he does4 ,whoever gives up the article of justification does not know the true ,god4 ,it is one and the same thing whether a person reverts to the ,law or to the worship of idols4 ,when the article of justification is lost1 nothing remains except error1 hypocrisy1 godlessness1 and idolatry4 ,god will and can be known in no other way than in and through ,christ according to the statement of ,john #a3ah1 8,the only begotten ,son1 which is in the bosom of the ,father1 he hath declared him40 ,christ is the only means whereby we can know ,god and ,his will4 ,in ,christ we perceive that ,god is not a cruel judge1 but a most loving and merciful ,father who to bless and to save us 8spared not his own ,son1 but gave him up for us all40 ,this is truly to know ,god4 ,those who do not know ,god in ,christ arrive at this erroneous conclusion3 8,i will serve ,god in such and such a way4 ,i will join this or that order4 ,i will be active in this or that charitable endeavor4 ,god will sanction my good intentions and reward me with everlasting life4 ,for is ,he not a merciful and generous ,father who gives good things even to the unworthy and ungrateful8 ,how much more will ,he grant unto me everlasting life as a due payment in return for my many good deeds and merits40 ,this is the religion of reason4 ,this is the natural religion of the world4 8,the natural man receiveth not the things of the ,spirit of ,god40 7,i ,cor4 #b3ad47 8,there is none that understandeth1 there is none that seeketh after ,god40 7,romans #c3aa47 ,hence1 there is really no difference between a ,jew1 a ,mohammedan1 and any other old or new heretic4 ,there may be a difference of persons1 places1 rites1 religions1 ceremonies1 but as far as their fundamental beliefs are concerned they are all alike4 ,is it therefore not extreme folly for ,rome and the ,mohammedans to fight each other about religion8 ,how about the monks8 ,why should one monk want to be accounted more holy than another monk because of some silly ceremony1 when all the time their basic beliefs are asnmuch alike as one egg is like the other8 ,they all imagine1 if we do this or that work1 ,god will have mercy on us2 if not1 ,god will be angry4 ,god never promised to save anybody for his religious observance of ceremonies and ordinances4 ,those who rely upon such things do serve a god1 but it is their own invention of a god1 and not the true ,god4 ,the true ,god has this to say3 ,no religion pleases ,me whereby the ,father is not glorified through ,his ,son ,jesus4 ,all who give their faith to this ,son of ,mine1 to them ,i am ,god and ,father4 ,i accept1 justify1 and save them4 ,all others abide under ,my curse because they worship creatures instead of ,me4 ,without the doctrine of justification there can be only ignorance of ,god4 ,those who refuse to be justified by ,christ are idolaters4 ,they remain under the ,law1 sin1 death1 and the power of the devil4 ,everything they do is wrong4 ,nowadays there are many such idolaters who want to be counted among the true confessors of the ,gospel4 ,they may even teach that men are delivered from their sins by the death of ,christ4 ,but because they attach more importance to charity than to faith in ,christ they dishonor ,him and pervert ,his ,word4 ,they do not serve the true ,god1 but an idol of their own invention4 ,the true ,god has never yet smiled upon a person for his charity or virtues1 but only for the sake of ,christ's merits4 ,the objection is frequently raised that the ,bible commands that we should love ,god with all our heart4 ,true enough4 ,but because ,god commands it1 it does not follow that we do it4 ,if we could love ,god with all our heart we should undoubtedly be justified by our obedience1 for it is written1 8,which if a man do1 he shall live in them40 7,lev4 #ah3e47 ,but now comes the ,gospel and says3 8,because you do not do these things1 you cannot live in them40 ,the words1 8,thou shalt love the ,lord1 thy ,god10 require perfect obedience1 perfect fear1 perfect trust1 and perfect love4 ,but where are the people who can render perfection8 ,hence1 this commandment1 instead of justifying men1 only accuses and condemns them4 8,christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth0 7,romans #aj3a47 ,how may these two contradictory statements of the ,apostle1 8,ye knew not ,god10 and 8,ye worshipped ,god10 be reconciled8 ,i answer3 ,by nature all men know that there is a ,god1 8because that which may be known of ,god is manifest in them1 for ,god hath showed it unto them4 ,for the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen40 7,romans #a3ai1 #bj47 ,furthermore1 the different religions to be found among all nations at all times bear witness to the fact that all men have a certain intuitive knowledge of ,god4 ,if all men know ,god how can ,paul say that the ,galatians did not know ,god prior to the hearing of the ,gospel8 ,i answer3 ,there is a twofold knowledge of ,god1 general and particular4 ,all men have the general and instinctive recognition that there is a ,god who created heaven and earth1 who is just and holy1 and who punishes the wicked4 ,how ,god feels about us1 what ,his intentions are1 what ,he will do for us1 or how ,he will save us1 that men cannot know instinctively4 ,it must be revealed to them4 ,i may know a person by sight1 and still not know him1 because ,i do not know how he feels about me4 ,men know instinctively that there is a ,god4 ,but what ,his will is toward them1 they do not know4 ,it is written3 8,there is none that understandeth ,god40 7,romans #c3aa47 ,again1 8,no man hath seen ,god40 7,john #a3ah47 ,now1 what good does it do you if you know that there is a ,god1 if you do not know how ,he feels about you1 or what ,he wants of you8 ,people have done a good deal of guessing4 ,the ,jew imagines he is doing the will of ,god if he concentrates on the ,law of ,moses4 ,the ,mohammedan thinks his ,koran is the will of ,god4 ,the monk fancies he is doing the will of ,god if he performs his vows4 ,but they deceive themselves and become 8vain in their imaginations10 as ,paul says1 ,romans #a3ba4 ,instead of worshipping the true ,god1 they worship the vain imaginations of their foolish hearts4 ,what ,paul means by saying to the ,galatians1 8,when ye knew not ,god10 is simply this3 8,there was a time when you did not know the will of ,god in ,christ1 but you worshipped gods of your own invention1 thinking that you had to perform this or that labor40 ,whether you understand the 8elements of the world0 to mean the ,law of ,moses1 or the religions of the heathen nations1 it makes no difference4 ,those who lapse from the ,gospel to the ,law are no better off than those who lapse from grace into idolatry4 ,without ,christ all religion is idolatry4 ,without ,christ men will entertain false ideas about ,god1 call their ideas what you like1 the laws of ,moses1 the ordinances of the ,pope1 the ,koran of the ,mohammedans1 or what have you4 ,,verse #i4 ,but now1 after that ye have known ,god4 8,is it not amazing10 cries ,paul1 8that you ,galatians who knew ,god intimately by the hearing of the ,gospel1 should all of a sudden revert from the true knowledge of ,his will in which ,i thought you were confirmed1 to the weak and beggarly elements of the ,law which can only enslave you again80 ,,verse #i4 ,or rather are known of ,god4 ,the ,apostle turns the foregoing sentence around4 ,he fears the ,galatians have lost ,god altogether4 8,alas10 he cries1 8have you come to this1 that you no longer know ,god8 ,what else am ,i to think8 ,nevertheless1 ,god knows you40 ,our knowledge of ,god is rather passive than active4 ,god knows us better than we know ,god4 8,ye are known of ,god0 means that ,god brings ,his ,gospel to our attention1 and endows us with faith and the ,holy ,spirit4 ,even in these words the ,apostle denies the possibility of our knowing ,god by the performance of the ,law4 8,no man knoweth who the ,father is1 but the ,son1 and he to whom the ,son will reveal him40 7,luke #aj3bb47 8,by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many2 for he shall bear their iniquities40 7,isaiah #ec3aa47 ,the ,apostle frankly expresses his surprise to the ,galatians that they who had known ,god intimately through the ,gospel1 should so easily be persuaded by the false apostles to return to the weak and beggarly elements of the ,law4 ,i would not be surprised to see my church perverted by some fanatic through one or two sermons4 ,we are no better than the apostles who had to witness the subversion of the churches which they had planted with their own hands4 ,nevertheless1 ,christ will reign to the end of the world1 and that miraculously1 as ,he did during the ,dark ,ages4 ,paul seems to think rather ill of the ,law4 ,he calls it the elements of the world1 the weak and beggarly elements of the world4 ,was it not irreverent for him to speak that way about the holy ,law of ,god8 ,the ,law ought to prepare the way of ,christ into the hearts of men4 ,that is the true purpose and function of the ,law4 ,but if the ,law presumes to usurp the place and function of the ,gospel1 it is no longer the holy ,law of ,god1 but a pseudo-,gospel4 ,if you care to amplify this matter you may add the observation that the ,law is a weak and beggarly element because it makes people weak and beggarly4 ,the ,law has no power and affluence to make men strong and rich before ,god4 ,to seek to be justified by the ,law amounts to the same thing as if a person who is already weak and feeble should try to find strength in weakness1 or as if a person with the dropsy should seek a cure by exposing himself to the pestilence1 or as if a leper should go to a leper1 and a beggar to a beggar to find health and wealth4 ,those who seek to be justified by the ,law grow weaker and more destitute right along4 ,they are weak and bankrupt to begin with4 ,they are by nature the children of wrath4 ,yet for salvation they grasp at the straw of the ,law4 ,the ,law can only aggravate their weakness and poverty4 ,the ,law makes them ten times weaker and poorer than they were before4 ,i and many others have experienced the truth of this4 ,i have known monks who zealously labored to please ,god for salvation1 but the more they labored the more impatient1 miserable1 uncertain1 and fearful they became4 ,what else can you expect8 ,you cannot grow strong through weakness and rich through poverty4 ,people who prefer the ,law to the ,gospel are like ,aesop's dog who let go of the meat to snatch at the shadow of the water4 ,there is no satisfaction in the ,law4 ,what satisfaction can there be in collecting laws with which to torment oneself and others8 ,one law breeds ten more until their number is legion4 ,who would have thought it possible that the ,galatians1 taught as they were by that efficient apostle and teacher1 ,paul1 could so quickly be led astray by the false apostles8 ,to fall away from the ,gospel is an easy matter because few people appreciate what an excellent treasure the knowledge of ,christ really is4 ,people are not sufficiently exercised in their faith by afflictions4 ,they do not wrestle against sin4 ,they live in security without conflict4 ,because they have never been tried in the furnace of affliction they are not properly equipped with the armor of ,god and know not how to use the sword of the ,spirit4 ,as long as they are being shepherded by faithful pastors1 all is well4 ,but when their faithful shepherds are gone and wolves disguised as sheep break into the fold1 back they go to the weak and beggarly elements of the ,law4 ,whoever goes back to the ,law loses the knowledge of the truth1 fails in the recognition of his sinfulness1 does not know ,god1 nor the devil1 nor himself1 and does not understand the meaning and purpose of the ,law4 ,without the knowledge of ,christ a man will always argue that the ,law is necessary for salvation1 that it will strengthen the weak and enrich the poor4 ,wherever this opinion holds sway the promises of ,god are denied1 ,christ is demoted1 hypocrisy and idolatry are established4 ,,verse #i4 ,whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage4 ,the ,apostle pointedly asks the ,galatians whether they desire to be in bondage again to the ,law4 ,the ,law is weak and poor1 the sinner is weak and poor--two feeble beggars trying to help each other4 ,they cannot do it4 ,they only wear each other out4 ,but through ,christ a weak and poor sinner is revived and enriched unto eternal life4 ,,verse #aj4 ,ye observe days1 and months1 and times1 and years4 ,the ,apostle ,paul knew what the false apostles were teaching the ,galatians3 ,the observance of days1 and months1 and times1 and years4 ,the ,jews had been obliged to keep holy the ,sabbath ,day1 the new moons1 the feast of the passover1 the feast of tabernacles1 and other feasts4 ,the false apostles constrained the ,galatians to observe these ,jewish feasts under threat of damnation4 ,paul hastens to tell the ,galatians that they were exchanging their ,christian liberty for the weak and beggarly elements of the world4 ,,verse #aa4 ,i am afraid of you1 lest ,i have bestowed upon you labor in vain4 ,it grieves the ,apostle to think that he might have preached the ,gospel to the ,galatians in vain4 ,but this statement expresses more than grief4 ,behind his apparent disappointment at their failure lurks the sharp reprimand that they had forsaken ,christ and that they were proving themselves to be obstinate unbelievers4 ,but he does not openly condemn them for fear that oversharp criticism might alienate them altogether4 ,he therefore changes the tone of his voice and speaks kindly to them4 ,,verse #ab4 ,be as ,i am2 for ,i am as ye are4 ,up to this point ,paul has been occupied with the doctrinal aspect of the apostasy of the ,galatians4 ,he did not conceal his disappointment at their lack of stability4 ,he had rebuked them4 ,he had called them fools1 crucifiers of ,christ1 etc4 ,now that the more important part of his ,epistle has been finished1 he realizes that he has handled the ,galatians too roughly4 ,anxious lest he should do more harm than good1 he is careful to let them see that his criticism proceeds from affection and a true apostolic concern for their welfare4 ,he is eager to mitigate his sharp words with gentle sentiments in order to win them again4 ,like ,paul1 all pastors and ministers ought to have much sympathy for their poor straying sheep1 and instruct them in the spirit of meekness4 ,they cannot be straightened out in any other way4 ,oversharp criticism provokes anger and despair1 but no repentance4 ,and here let us note1 by the way1 that true doctrine always produces concord4 ,when men embrace errors1 the tie of ,christian love is broken4 ,at the beginning of the ,reformation we were honored as the true ministers of ,christ4 ,suddenly certain false brethren began to hate us4 ,we had given them no offense1 no occasion to hate us4 ,they knew then as they know now that ours is the singular desire to publish the ,gospel of ,christ everywhere4 ,what changed their attitude toward us8 ,false doctrine4 ,seduced into error by the false apostles1 the ,galatians refused to acknowledge ,st4 ,paul as their pastor4 ,the name and doctrine of ,paul became obnoxious to them4 ,i fear this ,epistle recalled very few from their error4 ,paul knew that the false apostles would misconstrue his censure of the ,galatians to their own advantage and say3 8,so this is your ,paul whom you praise so much4 ,what sweet names he is calling you in his letter4 ,when he was with you he acted like a father1 but now he acts like a dictator40 ,paul knew what to expect of the false apostles and therefore he is worried4 ,he does not know what to say4 ,it is hard for a man to defend his cause at a distance1 especially when he has reason to think that he personally has fallen into disfavor4 ,,verse #ab4 ,be as ,i am2 for ,i am as ye are4 ,in beseeching the ,galatians to be as he is1 ,paul expresses the hope that they might hold the same affection for him that he holds for them4 8,perhaps ,i have been a little hard with you4 ,forgive it4 ,do not judge my heart according to my words40 ,we request the same consideration for ourselves4 ,our way of writing is incisive and straightforward4 ,but there is no bitterness in our heart4 ,we seek the honor of ,christ and the welfare of men4 ,we do not hate the ,pope as to wish him ill4 ,we do not desire the death of our false brethren4 ,we desire that they may turn from their evil ways to ,christ and be saved with us4 ,a teacher chastises the pupil to reform him4 ,the rod hurts1 but correction is necessary4 ,a father punishes his son because he loves his son4 ,if he did not love the lad he would not punish him but let him have his own way in everything until he comes to harm4 ,paul beseeches the ,galatians to look upon his correction as a sign that he really cared for them4 8,now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous1 but grievous2 nevertheless1 afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby40 7,heb4 #ab3aa47 ,although ,paul seeks to soften the effect of his reproachful words1 he does not take them back4 ,when a physician administers a bitter potion to a patient1 he does it to cure the patient4 ,the fact that the medicine is bitter is no fault of the physician4 ,the malady calls for a bitter medicine4 ,paul wants the ,galatians to judge his words according to the situation that made them necessary4 ,,verse #ab4 ,brethren1 ,i beseech you444,ye have not injured me at all4 ,would you call it beseeching the ,galatians to call them 8bewitched10 8disobedient10 8crucifiers of ,christ08 ,the ,apostle calls it an earnest beseeching4 ,and so it is4 ,when a father corrects his son it means as if he were saying1 8,my son1 ,i beseech you1 be a good boy40 ,,verse #ab4 ,ye have not injured me at all4 8,i am not angry with you10 says ,paul4 8,why should ,i be angry with you1 since you have done me no injury at all80 ,to this the ,galatians reply3 8,why1 then1 do you say that we are perverted1 that we have forsaken the true doctrine1 that we are foolish1 bewitched1 etc41 if you are not angry8 ,we must have offended you somehow40 ,paul answers3 8,you ,galatians have not injured me4 ,you have injured yourselves4 ,i chide you not because ,i wish you ill4 ,i have no reason to wish you ill4 ,god is my witness1 you have done me no wrong4 ,on the contrary1 you have been very good to me4 ,the reason ,i write to you is because ,i love you40 ,the bitter potion must be sweetened with honey and sugar to make it palatable4 ,when parents have punished their children they give them apples1 pears1 and other good things to show them that they mean well4 ,,verses #ac1 #ad4 ,ye know how through infirmity of the flesh ,i preached the gospel unto you at the first4 ,and my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not1 nor rejected2 but received me as an angel of ,god1 even as ,christ ,jesus4 8,you ,galatians were very good to me4 ,when ,i began to preach the ,gospel to you in the infirmity of my flesh and in great temptation you were not at all offended4 ,on the contrary1 you were so loving1 so kind1 so friendly towards me1 you received me like an angel1 like ,jesus ,himself40 ,indeed1 the ,galatians are to be commended for receiving the ,gospel from a man as unimposing and afflicted all around as ,paul was4 ,wherever he preached the ,gospel1 ,jews and ,gentiles raved against him4 ,all the influential and religious people of his day denounced him4 ,but the ,galatians did not mind it4 ,that was greatly to their honor4 ,and ,paul does not neglect to praise them for it4 ,this praise ,paul bestows on none of the other churches to which he wrote4 ,st4 ,jerome and others of the ancient fathers allege this infirmity of ,paul's to have been some physical defect1 or concupiscence4 ,jerome and the other diagnosticians lived at a time when the ,church enjoyed peace and prosperity1 when the bishops increased in wealth and standing1 when pastors and bishops no longer sat over the ,word of ,god4 ,no wonder they failed to understand ,paul4 ,when ,paul speaks of the infirmity of his flesh he does not mean some physical defect or carnal lust1 but the sufferings and afflictions which he endured in his body4 ,what these infirmities were he himself explains in ,,ii ,corinthians #ab3i1 #aj3 8,most gladly therefore will ,i rather glory in my infirmities1 that the power of ,christ may rest upon me4 ,therefore ,i take pleasure in infirmities1 in reproaches1 in necessities1 in persecutions1 in distresses for ,christ's sake3 for when ,i am weak1 then am ,i strong40 ,and in the eleventh chapter of the same ,epistle the ,apostle writes3 8,in labors more abundant1 in stripes above measure1 in prisons more frequent1 in deaths oft4 ,of the ,jews five times received ,i forty stripes save one4 ,thrice was ,i beaten with rods1 once was ,i stoned1 thrice ,i suffered shipwreck10 etc4 7,,ii ,cor4 #aa3bc-be47 ,by the infirmity of his flesh ,paul meant these afflictions and not some chronic disease4 ,he reminds the ,galatians how he was always in peril at the hands of the ,jews1 ,gentiles1 and false brethren1 how he suffered hunger and want4 ,now1 the afflictions of the believers always offend people4 ,paul knew it and therefore has high praise for the ,galatians because they overlooked his afflictions and received him like an angel4 ,christ forewarned the faithful against the offense of the ,cross1 saying3 8,blessed is he1 whosoever shall not be offended in me40 7,matt4 #aa3f47 ,surely it is no easy thing to confess ,him ,lord of all and ,savior of the world who was a reproach of men1 and despised of the people1 and the laughing stock of the world4 7,ps4 #bb3g47 ,i say1 to value this poor ,christ1 so spitefully scorned1 spit upon1 scourged1 and crucified1 more than the riches of the richest1 the strength of the strongest1 the wisdom of the wisest1 is something4 ,it is worth being called blessed4 ,paul not only had outward afflictions but also inner1 spiritual afflictions4 ,he refers to these in ,,ii ,corinthians #g3f1 8,without were fightings1 within were fears40 ,in his letter to the ,philippians ,paul makes mention of the restoration of ,epaphroditus as a special act of mercy on the part of ,god1 8lest ,i should have sorrow upon sorrow40 ,considering the many afflictions of ,paul1 we are not surprised to hear him loudly praising the ,galatians for not being offended at him as others were4 ,the world thinks us mad because we go about to comfort1 to help1 to save others while we ourselves are in distress4 ,people tell us3 8,physician1 heal thyself40 7,luke #d3bc47 ,the ,apostle tells the ,galatians that he will keep their kindness in perpetual remembrance4 ,indirectly1 he also reminds them how much they had loved him before the invasion of the false apostles1 and gives them a hint that they should return to their first love for him4 ,,verse #ae4 ,where is then the blessedness ye spake of8 8,how much happier you used to be4 ,and how you ,galatians used to tell me that you were blessed4 ,and how much did ,i not praise and commend you formerly40 ,paul reminds them of former and better times in an effort to mitigate his sharp reproaches1 lest the false apostles should slander him and misconstrue his letter to his disadvantage and to their own advantage4 ,such snakes in the grass are equal to anything4 ,they will pervert words spoken from a sincere heart and twist them to mean just the opposite of what they were intended to convey4 ,they are like spiders that suck venom out of sweet and fragrant flowers4 ,the poison is not in the flowers1 but it is the nature of the spider to turn what is good and wholesome into poison4 ,,verse #ae4 ,for ,i bear you record1 that1 if it had been possible1 ye would have plucked out your own eyes1 and have given them to me4 ,the ,apostle continues his praise of the ,galatians4 8,you did not only treat me very courteously4 ,if it had been necessary you would have plucked out your eyes and sacrificed your lives for me40 ,and in very fact the ,galatians sacrificed their lives for ,paul4 ,by receiving and maintaining ,paul they called upon their own heads the hatred and malice of all the ,jews and ,gentiles4 ,nowadays the name of ,luther carries the same stigma4 ,whoever praises ,luther is a worse sinner than an idolater1 perjurer1 or thief4 ,,verse #af4 ,am ,i therefore become your enemy1 because ,i tell you the truth8 ,paul's reason for praising the ,galatians is to avoid giving them the impression as if he were their enemy because he had reprimanded them4 ,a true friend will admonish his erring brother1 and if the erring brother has any sense at all he will thank his friend4 ,in the world truth produces hatred4 ,whoever speaks the truth is counted an enemy4 ,but among friends it is not so1 much less among ,christians4 ,the ,apostle wants his ,galatians to know that just because he had told them the truth they are not to think that he dislikes them4 8,i told you the truth because ,i love you40 ,,verse #ag4 ,they zealously affect you1 but not well4 ,paul takes the false apostles to task for their flattery4 ,satan's satellites softsoap the people4 ,paul calls it 8by good words and fair speeches to deceive the hearts of the simple40 7,romans #af3ah47 ,they tell me that by my stubbornness in this doctrine of the ,sacrament ,i am destroying the harmony of the church4 ,they say it would be better if we would make some slight concession rather than cause such commotion and controversy in the ,church regarding an article which is not even one of the fundamental doctrines4 ,my reply is1 cursed be any love or harmony which demands for its preservation that we place the ,word of ,god in jeopardy6 ,,verse #ag4 ,yea1 they would exclude you1 that ye might affect them4 8,do you ,galatians know why the false apostles are so zealous about you8 ,they expect you to reciprocate4 ,and that would leave me out4 ,if their zeal were right they would not mind your loving me4 ,but they hate my doctrine and want to stamp it out4 ,in order to bring this to pass they go about to alienate your hearts from me and to make me obnoxious to you40 ,in this way ,paul brings the false apostles into suspicion4 ,he questions their motives4 ,he maintains that their zeal is mere pretense to deceive the ,galatians4 ,our ,savior ,christ also warned us1 saying3 8,beware of false prophets1 which come to you in sheep's clothing40 7,matt4 #g3ae47 ,paul was considerably disturbed by the commissions and changes that followed in the wake of his preaching4 ,he was accused of being 8a pestilent fellow1 a mover of sedition among all the ,jews throughout the world40 7,acts #bd3e47 ,in ,philippi the townspeople cried that he troubled their city and taught customs which were not lawful for them to receive4 7,acts #af3bj1 #ba47 ,all troubles1 calamities1 famines1 wars were laid to the charge of the ,gospel of the apostles4 ,however1 the apostles were not deterred by such calumnies from preaching the ,gospel4 ,they knew that they 8ought to obey ,god rather than men10 and that it was better for the world to be upset than to be ignorant of ,christ4 ,do you think for a moment that these reactions did not worry the apostles8 ,they were not made of iron4 ,they foresaw the revolutionary character of the ,gospel4 ,they also foresaw the dissensions that would creep into the ,church4 ,it was bad news for ,paul when he heard that the ,corinthians were denying the resurrection of the dead1 that the churches he had planted were experiencing all kinds of difficulties1 and that the ,gospel was being supplanted by false doctrines4 ,but ,paul also knew that the ,gospel was not to blame4 ,he did not resign his office because he knew that the ,gospel he preached was the power of ,god unto salvation to every one that believes4 ,the same criticism which was leveled at the apostles is leveled at us4 ,the doctrine of the ,gospel1 we are told1 is the cause of all the present unrest in the world4 ,there is no wrong that is not laid to our charge4 ,but why8 ,we do not spread wicked lies4 ,we preach the glad tidings of ,christ4 ,our opponents will bear us out when we say that we never fail to urge respect for the constituted authorities1 because that is the will of ,god4 ,all of these vilifications cannot discourage us4 ,we know that there is nothing the devil hates worse than the ,gospel4 ,it is one of his little tricks to blame the ,gospel for every evil in the world4 ,formerly1 when the traditions of the fathers were taught in the ,church1 the devil was not excited as he is now4 ,it goes to show that our doctrine is of ,god1 else 8behemoth would lie under shady trees1 in the covert of the reed1 and fens40 ,the fact that he is again walking about as a roaring lion to stir up riots and disorders is a sure sign that he has begun to feel the effect of our preaching4 ,,verse #ah4 ,but it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing1 and not only when ,i am present with you4 8,when ,i was present with you1 you loved me1 although ,i preached the ,gospel to you in the infirmity of my flesh4 ,the fact that ,i am now absent from you ought not to change your attitude towards me4 ,although ,i am absent in the flesh1 ,i am with you in spirit and in my doctrine which you ought to retain by all means because through it you received the ,holy ,spirit40 ,,verse #ai4 ,my little children1 of whom ,i travail in birth again until ,christ be formed in you4 ,with every single word the ,apostle seeks to regain the confidence of the ,galatians4 ,he now calls them lovingly his little children4 ,he adds the simile3 8,of whom ,i travail in birth again40 ,as parents reproduce their physical characteristics in their children1 so the apostles reproduced their faith in the hearts of the hearers1 until ,christ was formed in them4 ,a person has the form of ,christ when he believes in ,christ to the exclusion of everything else4 ,this faith in ,christ is engendered by the ,gospel as the ,apostle declares in ,i ,corinthians #d3ae3 8,in ,christ ,jesus ,i have begotten you through the ,gospel02 and in ,,ii ,corinthians #c3c1 8,ye are the epistle of ,christ ministered by us1 written not with ink1 but with the ,spirit of the living ,god40 ,the ,word of ,god falling from the lips of the apostle or minister enters into the heart of the hearer4 ,the ,holy ,ghost impregnates the ,word so that it brings forth the fruit of faith4 ,in this manner every ,christian pastor is a spiritual father who forms ,christ in the hearts of his hearers4 ,at the same time ,paul indicts the false apostles4 ,he says3 8,i have begotten you ,galatians through the ,gospel1 giving you the form of ,christ4 ,but these false apostles are giving you a new form1 the form of ,moses40 ,note the ,apostle does not say1 8,of whom ,i travail in birth again until ,i be formed in you10 but 8until ,christ be formed in you40 ,the false apostles had torn the form of ,christ out of the hearts of the ,galatians and substituted their own form4 ,paul endeavors to reform them1 or rather reform ,christ in them4 ,,verse #bj4 ,i desire to be present with you now1 and to change my voice4 ,a common saying has it that a letter is a dead messenger4 ,something is lacking in all writing4 ,you can never be sure how the written page will affect the reader1 because his mood1 his circumstances1 his affections are so changeable4 ,it is different with the spoken word4 ,if it is harsh and ill-timed it can always be remodeled4 ,no wonder the ,apostle expresses the wish that he could speak to the ,galatians in person4 ,he could change his voice according to their attitude4 ,if he saw that they were repentant he could soften the tone of his voice4 ,if he saw that they were stubborn he could speak to them more earnestly4 ,this way he did not know how to deal with them by letter4 ,if his ,epistle is too severe it will do more damage than good4 ,if it is too gentle1 it will not correct conditions4 ,but if he could be with them in person he could change his voice as the occasion demanded4 ,,verse #bj4 ,for ,i stand in doubt of you4 8,i do not know how to take you4 ,i do not know how to approach you by letter40 ,in order to make sure that he leaves no stone unturned in his effort to recall them to the ,gospel of ,christ1 he chides1 entreats1 praises1 and blames the ,galatians1 trying every way to hit the right note and tone of voice4 ,,verse #ba4 ,tell me1 ye that desire to be under the law1 do ye not hear the law8 ,here ,paul would have closed his ,epistle because he did not know what else to say4 ,he wishes he could see the ,galatians in person and straighten out their difficulties4 ,but he is not sure whether the ,galatians have fully understood the difference between the ,gospel and the ,law4 ,to make sure1 he introduces another illustration4 ,he knows people like illustrations and stories4 ,he knows that ,christ ,himself made ample use of parables4 ,paul is an expert at allegories4 ,they are dangerous things4 ,unless a person has a thorough knowledge of ,christian doctrine he had better leave allegories alone4 ,the allegory which ,paul is about to bring is taken from the ,book of ,genesis which he calls the ,law4 ,true1 that book contains no mention of the ,law4 ,paul simply follows the custom of the ,jews who included the first book of ,moses in the collective term1 8,law40 ,jesus even included the ,psalms4 ,,verses #bb1 #bc4 ,for it is written1 that ,abraham had two sons1 the one by a bondmaid1 the other by a freewoman4 ,but he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh2 but he of the freewoman was by promise4 ,this is ,paul's allegory4 ,abraham had two sons3 ,ishmael by ,hagar1 and ,isaac by ,sarah4 ,they were both the true sons of ,abraham1 with this difference1 that ,ishmael was born after the flesh1 i4e41 without the commandment and promise of ,god1 while ,isaac was born according to the promise4 ,with the permission of ,sarah1 ,abraham took ,hagar1 ,sarah's bondwoman1 to wife4 ,sarah knew that ,god had promised to make her husband ,abraham the father of a nation1 and she hoped that she would be the mother of this promised nation4 ,but with the passage of the years her hope died out4 ,in order that the promise of ,god should not be annulled by her barrenness this holy woman resigned her right and honor to her maid4 ,this was no easy thing for her to do4 ,she abased herself4 ,she thought3 8,god is no liar4 ,what ,he has promised ,he will perform4 ,but perhaps ,god does not want me to be the mother of ,abraham's posterity4 ,perhaps ,he prefers ,hagar for the honor40 ,ishmael was thus born without a special word or promise of ,god1 at the mere request of ,sarah4 ,god did not command ,abraham to take ,hagar1 nor did ,god promise to bless the coalition4 ,it is evident that ,ishmael was the son of ,abraham after the flesh1 and not after the promise4 ,in the ninth chapter of the ,epistle to the ,romans ,st4 ,paul advances the same argument which he amplifies into an allegory in writing to the ,galatians4 ,there he argues that all the children of ,abraham are not the children of ,god4 ,for ,abraham had two kinds of children1 children born of the promise1 like ,isaac1 and other children born without the promise1 as ,ishmael4 ,with this argument ,paul squelched the proud ,jews who gloried that they were the children of ,god because they were the seed and the children of ,abraham4 ,paul makes it clear enough that it takes more than an ,abrahamic pedigree to be a child of ,god4 ,to be a child of ,god requires faith in ,christ4 ,,verse #bd4 ,which things are an allegory4 ,allegories are not very convincing1 but like pictures they visualize a matter4 ,if ,paul had not brought in advance indisputable arguments for the righteousness of faith over against the righteousness of works this allegory would do little good4 ,having first fortified his case with invincible arguments1 he can afford to inject this allegory to add impressiveness and beauty to his presentation4 ,,verses #bd1 #be4 ,for these are the two covenants2 the one from the mount ,sinai1 which gendereth to bondage1 which is ,agar4 ,for this ,agar is mount ,sinai in ,arabia4 ,in this allegory ,abraham represents ,god4 ,abraham had two sons1 born respectively of ,hagar and ,sarah4 ,the two women represent the two ,testaments4 ,the ,old ,testament is ,mount ,sinai1 the bondwoman1 ,hagar4 ,the ,arabians call ,mount ,sinai ,agar4 ,it may be that the similarity of these two names gave ,paul his idea for this allegory4 ,as ,hagar bore ,abraham a son who was not an heir but a servant1 so ,sinai1 the ,law1 the allegorical ,hagar1 bore ,god a carnal and servile people of the ,law without promise4 ,the ,law has a promise but it is a conditional promise1 depending upon whether people fulfill the ,law4 ,the ,jews regarded the conditional promises of the ,law as if they were unconditional4 ,when the prophets foretold the destruction of ,jerusalem1 the ,jews stoned them as blasphemers of ,god4 ,they never gave it any thought that there was a condition attached to the ,law which reads3 8,if you keep the commandments it shall be well with thee40 ,,verse #be4 ,and answereth to ,jerusalem which now is1 and is in bondage with her children4 ,a little while ago ,paul called ,mount ,sinai1 ,hagar4 ,he would now gladly make ,jerusalem the ,sarah of the ,new ,testament1 but he cannot4 ,the earthly ,jerusalem is not ,sarah1 but a part of ,hagar4 ,hagar lives there in the home of the ,law1 the ,temple1 the priesthood1 the ceremonies1 and whatever else was ordained in the ,law at ,mount ,sinai4 ,i would have been tempted to call ,jerusalem1 ,sarah1 or the ,new ,testament4 ,i would have been pleased with this turn of the allegory4 ,it goes to show that not everybody has the gift of allegory4 ,would you not think it perfectly proper to call ,sinai ,hagar and ,jerusalem ,sarah8 ,true1 ,paul does call ,sarah ,jerusalem4 ,but he has the spiritual and heavenly ,jerusalem in mind1 not the earthly ,jerusalem4 ,sarah represents that spiritual ,jerusalem where there is no ,law but only the promise1 and where the inhabitants are free4 ,to show that the ,law has been quite abolished1 the earthly ,jerusalem was completely destroyed with all her ornaments1 temples1 and ceremonies4 ,,verse #bf4 ,but ,jerusalem which is above is free1 which is the mother of us all4 ,the earthly ,jerusalem with its ordinances and laws represents ,hagar and her offspring4 ,they are slaves to the ,law1 sin and death4 ,but the heavenly ,jerusalem is ,sarah1 the free woman4 ,this heavenly ,jerusalem is the ,church1 that is to say the number of all believers throughout the world1 having one and the same ,gospel1 one and the same faith in ,christ1 one and the same ,holy ,ghost1 and the same sacraments4 ,do not mistake this one word 8above0 to refer to the triumphant ,church in heaven1 but to the militant ,church on earth4 ,in ,philippians #c3bj1 the ,apostle uses the phrase3 8,our conversation is in heaven10 not locally in heaven1 but in spirit4 ,when a believer accepts the heavenly gifts of the ,gospel he is in heaven4 ,so also in ,ephesians #a3c1 8,who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in ,christ40 ,jerusalem here means the universal ,christian ,church on earth4 ,sarah1 the ,church1 as the bride of ,christ bears free children who are not subject to the ,law4 ,,verse #bg4 ,for it is written1 ,rejoice1 thou barren that bearest not2 break forth and cry1 thou that travailest not3 for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband4 ,paul quotes the allegorical prophecy of ,isaiah to the effect that the mother of many children must die desolately1 while the barren woman shall have an abundance of children4 7,isaiah #ed3a47 ,he applies this prophecy to ,hagar and ,sarah1 to the ,law and the ,gospel4 ,the ,law as the husband of the fruitful woman procreates many children4 ,for men of all ages have had the idea that they are right when they follow after the ,law and outwardly perform its requirements4 ,although the ,law has many children1 they are not free4 ,they are slaves4 ,as servants they cannot have a share in the inheritance1 but are driven from the house as ,ishmael was cast out of the house of ,abraham4 ,in fact the servants of the ,law are even now barred from the kingdom of light and liberty1 for 8he that believeth not1 is condemned already40 7,john #c3ah47 ,as the servants of the ,law they remain under the curse of the ,law1 under sin and death1 under the power of the devil1 and under the wrath and judgment of ,god4 ,on the other hand1 ,sarah1 the free ,church1 seems barren4 ,the ,gospel of the ,cross which the ,church proclaims does not have the appeal that the ,law has for men1 and therefore it does not find many adherents4 ,the ,church does not look prosperous4 ,unbelievers have always predicted the death of the ,church4 ,the ,jews were quite certain that the ,church would not long endure4 ,they said to ,paul3 8,as concerning this sect1 we know that everywhere it is spoken against40 7,acts #bh3bb47 ,no matter how barren and forsaken1 how weak and desolate the ,church may seem1 she alone is really fruitful before ,god4 ,by the ,gospel she procreates an infinite number of children that are free heirs of everlasting life4 ,the ,law1 8the old husband10 is really dead4 ,but not all people know it1 or want to know it4 ,they labor and bear the burden and the heat of the day1 and bring forth many children1 children that are bastards like themselves1 children born to be put out of the house like ,ishmael to perish forever4 ,accursed be that doctrine1 life1 and religion which endeavors to obtain righteousness before ,god by the ,law and its creeds4 ,the scholastics think that the judicial and ceremonial laws of ,moses were abolished by the coming of ,christ1 but not the moral law4 ,they are blind4 ,when ,paul declares that we are delivered from the curse of the ,law he means the whole ,law1 particularly the moral law which more than the other laws accuses1 curses1 and condemns the conscience4 ,the ,ten ,commandments have no right to condemn that conscience in which ,jesus dwells1 for ,jesus has taken from the ,ten ,commandments the right and power to curse us4 ,not as if the conscience is now insensitive to the terrors of the ,law1 but the ,law cannot drive the conscience to despair4 8,there is now no condemnation to them which are in ,christ ,jesus40 7,romans #h3a47 8,if the ,son shall make you free1 ye shall be free indeed40 7,john #h3cf47 ,you will complain3 8,but ,i am not doing anything40 ,that is right4 ,you cannot do a thing to be delivered from the tyranny of the ,law4 ,but listen to the glad tidings which the ,holy ,ghost brings to you in the words of the prophet3 8,rejoice1 thou barren40 ,as ,christ is greater than the ,law1 so much more excellent is the righteousness of ,christ than the righteousness of the ,law4 ,in one more respect the ,law has been abolished4 ,the civil laws of ,moses do not concern us1 and should not be put back in force4 ,that does not mean that we are exempt from obedience to the civil laws under which we live4 ,on the contrary1 the ,gospel commands ,christians to obey government 8not only for wrath1 but also for conscience sake40 7,romans #ac3e47 ,neither do the ordinances of ,moses or those of the ,pope concern us4 ,but because life cannot go on without some ordinances1 the ,gospel permits regulations to be made in the ,church in regard to special days1 times1 places1 etc41 in order that the people may know upon what day1 at what hour1 and in what place to assemble for the ,word of ,god4 ,such directions are desirable that 8all things be done decently and in order40 7,i ,cor4 #ad3dj47 ,these directions may be changed or omitted altogether1 as long as no offense is given to the weak4 ,paul1 however1 refers particularly to the abolition of the moral law4 ,if faith alone in ,christ justifies1 then the whole ,law is abolished without exception4 ,and this the ,apostle proves by the testimony of ,isaiah1 who bids the barren to rejoice because she will have many children1 whereas she that has a husband and many children will be forsaken4 ,isaiah calls the ,church barren because her children are born without effort by the ,word of faith through the ,spirit of ,god4 ,it is a matter of birth1 not of exertion4 ,the believer too works1 but not in an effort to become a son and an heir of ,god4 ,he is that before he goes to work4 ,he is born a son and an heir4 ,he works for the glory of ,god and the welfare of his fellowmen4 ,,verse #bh4 ,now we1 brethren1 as ,isaac was1 are the children of promise4 ,the ,jews claimed to be the children of ,god because they were the children of ,abraham4 ,jesus answered them1 ,john #h3ci1 #dj1 8,if ye were ,abraham's children1 ye would do the works of ,abraham4 ,but now ye seek to kill me1 a man that hath told you the truth40 ,and in verse #db3 8,if ,god were your ,father1 ye would love me40 ,in other words3 8,you are not the children of ,god4 ,if you were1 you would know and love me4 ,brothers born and living together in the same house recognize each other4 ,you do not recognize me4 ,you are of your father1 the devil40 ,we are not like these ,jews1 the children of the bondwoman1 the ,law1 who were cast out of the house by ,jesus4 ,we are children of the promise like ,isaac1 born of grace and faith unto an everlasting inheritance4 ,,verse #bi4 ,but as that he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the ,spirit1 even so it is now4 ,this is a cheering thought4 ,we who are born of the ,gospel1 and live in ,christ1 and rejoice in our inheritance1 have ,ishmael for our enemy4 ,the children of the ,law will always persecute the children of the ,gospel4 ,this is our daily experience4 ,our opponents tell us that everything was at peace before the ,gospel was revived by us4 ,since then the whole world has been upset4 ,people blame us and the ,gospel for everything1 for the disobedience of subjects to their rulers1 for wars1 plagues1 and famines1 for revolutions1 and every other evil that can be imagined4 ,no wonder our opponents think they are doing ,god a favor by hating and persecuting us4 ,ishmael will persecute ,isaac4 ,we invite our opponents to tell us what good things attended the preaching of the ,gospel by the apostles4 ,did not the destruction of ,jerusalem follow on the heels of the ,gospel8 ,and how about the overthrow of the ,roman ,empire8 ,did not the whole world seethe with unrest as the ,gospel was preached in the whole world8 ,we do not say that the ,gospel instigated these upheavals4 ,the iniquity of man did it4 ,our opponents blame our doctrine for the present turmoil4 ,but ours is a doctrine of grace and peace4 ,it does not stir up trouble4 ,trouble starts when the people1 the nations and their rulers of the earth rage and take counsel together against the ,lord1 and against ,his anointed4 7,psalm #b47 ,but all their counsels shall be brought to naught4 8,he that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh3 the ,lord shall have them in derision40 7,psalm #b3d47 ,let them cry out against us as much as they like4 ,we know that they are the cause of all their own troubles4 ,as long as we preach ,christ and confess ,him to be our ,savior1 we must be content to be called vicious trouble makers4 8,these that have turned the world upside down are come hither also2 and these all do contrary to the decrees of ,caesar10 so said the ,jews of ,paul and ,silas4 7,acts #ag3f1 #g47 ,of ,paul they said3 8,we have found this man a pestilent fellow1 and a mover of sedition among all the ,jews throughout the world1 and a ringleader of the sect of the ,nazarenes40 ,the ,gentiles uttered similar complaints3 8,these men do exceedingly trouble our city40 ,this man ,luther is also accused of being a pestilent fellow who troubles the papacy and the ,roman empire4 ,if ,i would keep silent1 all would be well1 and the ,pope would no more persecute me4 ,the moment ,i open my mouth the ,pope begins to fume and to rage4 ,it seems we must choose between ,christ and the ,pope4 ,let the ,pope perish4 ,christ foresaw the reaction of the world to the ,gospel4 ,he said3 8,i am come to send fire on the earth1 and what will ,i1 if it be already kindled80 7,luke #ab3di47 ,do not take the statement of our opponents seriously1 that no good can come of the preaching of the ,gospel4 ,what do they know8 ,they would not recognize the fruits of the ,gospel if they saw them4 ,at any rate1 our opponents cannot accuse us of adultery1 murder1 theft1 and such crimes4 ,the worst they can say about us is that we have the ,gospel4 ,what is wrong with the ,gospel8 ,we teach that ,christ1 the ,son of ,god1 has redeemed us from sin and everlasting death4 ,this is not our doctrine4 ,it belongs to ,christ4 ,if there is anything wrong with it1 it is not our fault4 ,if they want to condemn ,christ for being our ,savior and ,redeemer1 that is their lookout4 ,we are mere onlookers1 watching to see who will win the victory1 ,christ or ,his opponents4 ,on one occasion ,jesus remarked3 8,if ye were of the world1 the world would love his own1 but because ye are not of the world1 but ,i have chosen you out of the world1 therefore the world hateth you40 7,john #ae3ai47 ,in other words3 8,i am the cause of all your troubles4 ,i am the one for whose sake you are killed4 ,if you did not confess my name1 the world would not hate you4 ,the servant is not greater than his lord4 ,if they have persecuted me1 they will also persecute you40 ,christ takes all the blame4 ,he says3 8,you have not incurred the hatred and persecutions of the world4 ,i have4 ,but be of good cheer2 ,i have overcome the world40 ,,verse #cj4 ,nevertheless what saith the ,scripture8 ,cast out the bondwoman and her son3 for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the free woman4 ,sarah's demand that the bondwoman and her son be cast out of the house was undoubtedly a blow to ,abraham4 ,he felt sorry for his son ,ishmael4 ,the ,scripture explicitly states ,abraham's grief in the words3 8,and the thing was very grievous in ,abraham's sight1 because of his son40 7,gen4 #ba3aa47 ,but ,god approved ,sarah's action and said to ,abraham3 8,let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad1 and because of thy bondwoman2 in all that ,sarah hath said unto thee1 hearken unto her voice2 for in ,isaac shall thy seed be called40 7,gen4 #ba3ab47 ,the ,holy ,ghost contemptuously calls the admirers of the ,law the children of the bondwoman4 8,if you do not know your mother1 ,i will tell you what kind of a woman she is4 ,she is a slave4 ,and you are slaves4 ,you are slaves of the ,law and therefore slaves of sin1 death1 and everlasting damnation4 ,you are not fit to be heirs4 ,you are put out of the house40 ,this is the sentence which ,god pronounces upon the ,ishmaelites1 the papists1 and all others who trust in their own merits1 and persecute the ,church of ,christ4 ,because they are slaves and persecutors of the children of the free woman1 they shall be cast out of the house of ,god forever4 ,they shall have no inheritance with the children of the promise4 ,this sentence stands forever4 ,this sentence affects not only those popes1 cardinals bishops1 and monks who were notoriously wicked and made their bellies their ,gods4 ,it strikes1 also1 those who lived in all sincerity to please ,god and to merit the forgiveness of their sins through a life of self-denial4 ,even these will be cast out1 because they are children of the bondwoman4 ,our opponents do not defend their own moral delinquency4 ,the better ones deplore and abhor it4 ,but they defend and uphold their doctrine of works which is of the devil4 ,our quarrel is not with those who live in manifest sins4 ,our quarrel is with those among them who think they live like angels1 claiming that they do not only perform the ,ten ,commandments of ,god1 but also the sayings of ,christ1 and many good works that ,god does not expect of them4 ,we quarrel with them because they refuse to have ,jesus' merit count alone for righteousness4 ,st4 ,bernard was one of the best of the medieval saints4 ,he lived a chaste and holy life4 ,but when it came to dying he did not trust in his chaste life for salvation4 ,he prayed3 8,i have lived a wicked life4 ,but ,thou1 ,lord ,jesus1 hast a heaven to give unto me4 ,first1 because ,thou art the ,son of ,god4 ,secondly1 because ,thou hast purchased heaven for me by ,thy suffering and death4 ,thou givest heaven to me1 not because ,i earned it1 but because ,thou hast earned it for me40 ,if any of the ,romanists are saved it is because they forget their good deeds and merits and feel like ,paul3 8,not having mine own righteousness which is of the law1 but that which is through the faith of ,christ40 7,phil4 #c3i47 ,,verse #ca4 ,so then1 brethren1 we are not children of the bondwoman1 but of the free4 ,with this sentence the ,apostle ,paul concludes his allegory of the barren ,church4 ,this sentence forms a clear rejection of the righteousness of the ,law and a confirmation of the doctrine of justification4 ,in the next chapter ,paul lays special stress upon the freedom which the children of the free woman enjoy4 ,he treats of ,christian liberty1 the knowledge of which is very necessary4 ,the liberty which ,christ purchased for us is a bulwark to us in our battle against spiritual tyranny4 ,therefore we must carefully study this doctrine of ,christian liberty1 not only for the confirmation of the doctrine of justification1 but also for the comfort and encouragement of those who are weak in faith4 ,,chapter #e ,,in this chapter the ,apostle ,paul presents the doctrine of ,christian liberty in a final effort to persuade the ,galatians to give up the nefarious doctrine of the false apostles4 ,to accomplish his purpose he adduces threats and promises1 trying in every way possible to keep them in the liberty which ,christ purchased for them4 ,,verse #a4 ,stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith ,christ hath made us free4 8,be steadfast1 not careless4 ,lie not down and sleep1 but stand up4 ,be watchful4 ,hold fast the liberty wherewith ,christ hath made you free40 ,those who loll cannot keep this liberty4 ,satan hates the light of the ,gospel4 ,when it begins to shine a little he fights against it with might and main4 ,what liberty does ,paul mean8 ,not civil liberty 7for which we have the government to thank71 but the liberty which ,christ has procured for us4 ,at one time the emperor was compelled to grant to the bishop of ,rome certain immunities and privileges4 ,this is civil liberty4 ,that liberty exempts the clergy from certain public charges4 ,then there is also another kind of 8liberty10 when people obey neither the laws of ,god nor the laws of men1 but do as they please4 ,this carnal liberty the people want in our day4 ,we are not now speaking of this liberty4 ,neither are we speaking of civil liberty4 ,paul is speaking of a far better liberty1 the liberty 8wherewith ,christ hath made us free10 not from material bonds1 not from the ,babylonian captivity1 not from the tyranny of the ,turks1 but from the eternal wrath of ,god4 ,where is this liberty8 ,in the conscience4 ,our conscience is free and quiet because it no longer has to fear the wrath of ,god4 ,this is real liberty1 compared with which every other kind of liberty is not worth mentioning4 ,who can adequately express the boon that comes to a person when he has the heart-assurance that ,god will nevermore be angry with him1 but will forever be merciful to him for ,christ's sake8 ,this is indeed a marvelous liberty1 to have the sovereign ,god for our ,friend and ,father who will defend1 maintain1 and save us in this life and in the life to come4 ,as an outgrowth of this liberty1 we are at the same time free from the ,law1 sin1 death1 the power of the devil1 hell1 etc4 ,since the wrath of ,god has been assuaged by ,christ no ,law1 sin1 or death may now accuse and condemn us4 ,these foes of ours will continue to frighten us1 but not too much4 ,the worth of our ,christian liberty cannot be exaggerated4 ,our conscience must be trained to fall back on the freedom purchased for us by ,christ4 ,though the fears of the ,law1 the terrors of sin1 the horror of death assail us occasionally1 we know that these feelings shall not endure1 because the prophet quotes ,god as saying3 8,in a little wrath ,i hid my face from thee for a moment3 but with everlasting kindness will ,i have mercy on thee40 7,isa4 #ed3h47 ,we shall appreciate this liberty all the more when we bear in mind that it was ,jesus ,christ1 the ,son of ,god1 who purchased it with ,his own blood4 ,hence1 ,christ's liberty is given us not by the ,law1 or for our own righteousness1 but freely for ,christ's sake4 ,in the eighth chapter of the ,gospel of ,st4 ,john1 ,jesus declares3 8,if the ,son shall make you free1 ye shall be free indeed40 ,he only stands between us and the evils which trouble and afflict us and which ,he has overcome for us4 ,reason cannot properly evaluate this gift4 ,who can fully appreciate the blessing of the forgiveness of sins and of everlasting life8 ,our opponents claim that they also possess this liberty4 ,but they do not4 ,when they are put to the test all their self-confidence slips from them4 ,what else can they expect when they trust in works and not in the ,word of ,god8 ,our liberty is founded on ,christ ,himself1 who sits at the right hand of ,god and intercedes for us4 ,therefore our liberty is sure and valid as long as we believe in ,christ4 ,as long as we cling to ,him with a steadfast faith we possess ,his priceless gifts4 ,but if we are careless and indifferent we shall lose them4 ,it is not without good reason that ,paul urges us to watch and to stand fast4 ,he knew that the devil delights in taking this liberty away from us4 ,,verse #a4 ,and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage4 ,because reason prefers the righteousness of the ,law to the righteousness of faith1 ,paul calls the ,law a yoke1 a yoke of bondage4 ,peter also calls it a yoke4 8,why tempt ye ,god1 to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear80 7,acts #ae3aj47 ,in this passage ,paul again disparages the pernicious notion that the ,law is able to make men righteous before ,god1 a notion deeply rooted in man's reason4 ,all mankind is so wrapped up in this idea that it is hard to drag it out of people4 ,paul compares those who seek to be justified by the ,law to oxen that are hitched to the yoke4 ,like oxen that toil in the yoke all day1 and in the evening are turned out to graze along the dusty road1 and at last are marked for slaughter when they no longer can draw the burden1 so those who seek to be justified by the ,law are 8entangled with the yoke of bondage10 and when they have grown old and broken-down in the service of the ,law they have earned for their perpetual reward ,god's wrath and everlasting torment4 ,we are not now treating of an unimportant matter4 ,it is a matter that involves everlasting liberty or everlasting slavery4 ,for as a liberation from ,god's wrath through the kind office of ,christ is not a passing boon1 but a permanent blessing1 so also the yoke of the ,law is not a temporary but an everlasting affliction4 ,rightly are the doers of the ,law called devil's martyrs4 ,they take more pains to earn hell than the martyrs of ,christ to obtain heaven4 ,theirs is a double misfortune4 ,first they torture themselves on earth with self-inflicted penances and finally when they die they gain the reward of eternal damnation4 ,,verse #b4 ,behold1 ,i ,paul say unto you1 that if ye be circumcised1 ,christ shall profit you nothing4 ,paul is incensed at the thought of the tyranny of the ,law4 ,his antagonism to the ,law is a personal matter with him4 8,behold1 ,i1 ,paul10 he says1 8,i who have received the ,gospel not from men1 but by the revelation of ,jesus ,christ3 ,i who have been commissioned from above to preach the ,gospel to you3 ,i ,paul say to you1 ,if you submit to circumcision ,christ will profit you nothing40 ,paul emphatically declares that for the ,galatians to be circumcised would mean for them to lose the benefits of ,christ's suffering and death4 ,this passage may well serve as a criterion for all the religions4 ,to teach that besides faith in ,christ other devices like works1 or the observance of rules1 traditions1 or ceremonies are necessary for the attainment of righteousness and everlasting life1 is to make ,christ and ,his salvation of no benefit to anybody4 ,this passage is an indictment of the whole papacy4 ,all priests1 monks1 and nuns--and ,i am now speaking of the best of them--who repose their hope for salvation in their own works1 and not in ,christ1 whom they imagine to be an angry judge1 hear this sentence pronounced against them that ,christ shall profit them nothing4 ,if one can earn the forgiveness of sins and everlasting life through one's own efforts to what purpose was ,christ born8 ,what was the purpose of ,his suffering and death1 ,his resurrection1 ,his victory over sin1 death1 and the devil1 if men may overcome these evils by their own endeavor8 ,tongue cannot express1 nor heart conceive what a terrible thing it is to make ,christ worthless4 ,the person who is not moved by these considerations to leave the ,law and the confidence in his own righteousness for the liberty in ,christ1 has a heart that is harder than stone and iron4 ,paul does not condemn circumcision in itself4 ,circumcision is not injurious to the person who does not ascribe any particular importance to it4 ,neither are works injurious provided a person does not attach any saving value to them4 ,the ,apostle does not say that works are objectionable1 but to build one's hopes for righteousness on works is disastrous1 for that makes ,christ good for nothing4 ,let us bear this in mind when the devil accuses our conscience4 ,when that dragon accuses us of having done no good at all1 but only evil1 say to him3 8,you trouble me with the remembrance of my past sins2 you remind me that ,i have done no good4 ,but this does not bother me1 because if ,i were to trust in my own good deeds1 or despair because ,i have done no good deeds1 ,christ would profit me neither way4 ,i am not going to make him unprofitable to me4 ,this ,i would do1 if ,i should presume to purchase for myself the favor of ,god and everlasting life by my good deeds1 or if ,i should despair of my salvation because of my sins40 ,,verse #c4 ,for ,i testify again to every man that is circumcised1 that he is a debtor to do the whole law4 ,the first fault with circumcision is that it makes ,christ unprofitable4 ,the second fault is that it obligates those who are circumcised to observe the whole ,law4 ,paul is so very much in earnest about this matter that he confirms it with an oath4 8,i testify10 he says1 8,i swear by the living ,god40 ,paul's statement may be explained negatively to mean3 8,i testify to every man who is being circumcised that he cannot perform the ,law in any point4 ,in the very act of circumcision he is not being circumcised1 and in the very act of fulfilling the ,law he fulfills it not40 ,this seems to be the simple meaning of ,paul's statement4 ,later on in the sixth chapter he explicitly states1 8,they themselves which are circumcised keep not the law4 ,the fact that you are circumcised does not mean you are righteous and free from the ,law4 ,the truth is that by circumcision you have become debtors and servants of the ,law4 ,the more you endeavor to perform the ,law1 the more you will become tangled up in the yoke of the ,law40 ,the truth of this ,i have experienced in myself and in others4 ,i have seen many work themselves down to the bones in their hungry effort to obtain peace of conscience4 ,but the harder they tried the more they worried4 ,especially in the presence of death they were so uneasy that ,i have seen murderers die with better grace and courage4 ,this holds true also in regard to the church regulations4 ,when ,i was a monk ,i tried ever so hard to live up to the strict rules of my order4 ,i used to make a list of my sins1 and ,i was always on the way to confession1 and whatever penances were enjoined upon me ,i performed religiously4 ,in spite of it all1 my conscience was always in a fever of doubt4 ,the more ,i sought to help my poor stricken conscience the worse it got4 ,the more ,i paid attention to the regulations the more ,i transgressed them4 ,hence those that seek to be justified by the ,law are much further away from the righteousness of life than the publicans1 sinners1 and harlots4 ,they know better than to trust in their own works4 ,they know that they cannot ever hope to obtain forgiveness by their sins4 ,paul's statement in this verse may be taken to mean that those who submit to circumcision are thereby submitting to the whole ,law4 ,to obey ,moses in one point requires obedience to him in all points4 ,it does no good to say that only circumcision is necessary1 and not the rest of ,moses' laws4 ,the same reasons that obligate a person to accept circumcision also obligate a person to accept the whole ,law4 ,thus to acknowledge the ,law is tantamount to declaring that ,christ is not yet come4 ,and if ,christ is not yet come1 then all the ,jewish ceremonies and laws concerning meats1 places1 and times are still in force1 and ,christ must be awaited as one who is still to come4 ,the whole ,scripture1 however1 testifies that ,christ has come1 that by ,his death ,he has abolished the ,law1 and that ,he has fulfilled all things which the prophets have foretold about ,him4 ,some would like to subjugate us to certain parts of the ,mosaic ,law4 ,but this is not to be permitted under any circumstances4 ,if we permit ,moses to rule over us in one thing1 we must obey him in all things4 ,,verse #d4 ,christ is become of no effect unto you1 whosoever of you are justified by the law2 ye are fallen from grace4 ,paul in this verse discloses that he is not speaking so much of circumcision as the trust which men repose in the outward act4 ,we can hear him say3 8,i do not condemn the ,law in itself2 what ,i condemn is that men seek to be justified by the ,law1 as if ,christ were still to come1 or as if ,he alone were unable to justify sinners4 ,it is this that ,i condemn1 because it makes ,christ of no effect4 ,it makes you void of ,christ so that ,christ is not in you1 nor can you be partakers of the knowledge1 the spirit1 the fellowship1 the liberty1 the life1 or the achievements of ,christ4 ,you are completely separated from ,him1 so much so that ,he has nothing to do with you any more1 or for that matter you with ,him40 ,can anything worse be said against the ,law8 ,if you think ,christ and the ,law can dwell together in your heart1 you may be sure that ,christ dwells not in your heart4 ,for if ,christ is in your heart ,he neither condemns you1 nor does ,he ever bid you to trust in your own good works4 ,if you know ,christ at all1 you know that good works do not serve unto righteousness1 nor evil works unto condemnation4 ,i do not want to withhold from good works their due praise1 nor do ,i wish to encourage evil works4 ,but when it comes to justification1 ,i say1 we must concentrate upon ,christ alone1 or else we make ,him non-effective4 ,you must choose between ,christ and the righteousness of the ,law4 ,if you choose ,christ you are righteous before ,god4 ,if you stick to the ,law1 ,christ is of no use to you4 ,,verse #d4 ,ye are fallen from grace4 ,that means you are no longer in the kingdom or condition of grace4 ,when a person on board ship falls into the sea and is drowned it makes no difference from which end or side of the ship he falls into the water4 ,those who fall from grace perish no matter how they go about it4 ,those who seek to be justified by the ,law are fallen from grace and are in grave danger of eternal death4 ,if this holds true in the case of those who seek to be justified by the moral ,law1 what will become of those1 ,i should like to know1 who endeavor to be justified by their own regulations and vows8 ,they will fall to the very bottom of hell4 8,oh1 no10 they say1 8we will fly straight into heaven4 ,if you live according to the rules of ,saint ,francis1 ,saint ,dominick1 ,saint ,benedict1 you will obtain the peace and mercy of ,god4 ,if you perform the vows of chastity1 obedience1 etc41 you will be rewarded with everlasting life40 ,let these playthings of the devil go to the place where they came from and listen to what ,paul has to say in this verse in accordance with ,christ's own teaching3 8,he that believeth in the ,son of ,god1 hath everlasting life2 but he that believeth not in the ,son shall not see life1 but the wrath of ,god abideth in him40 ,the words1 8,ye are fallen from grace10 must not be taken lightly4 ,they are important4 ,to fall from grace means to lose the atonement1 the forgiveness of sins1 the righteousness1 liberty1 and life which ,jesus has merited for us by ,his death and resurrection4 ,to lose the grace of ,god means to gain the wrath and judgment of ,god1 death1 the bondage of the devil1 and everlasting condemnation4 ,,verse #e4 ,for we through the ,spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith4 ,paul concludes the whole matter with the above statement4 8,you want to be justified by the ,law1 by circumcision1 and by works4 ,we cannot see it4 ,to be justified by such means would make ,christ of no value to us4 ,we would be obliged to perform the whole law4 ,we rather through the ,spirit wait for the hope of righteousness40 ,the ,apostle is not satisfied to say 8justified by faith40 ,he adds hope to faith4 ,holy ,writ speaks of hope in two ways3 as the object of the emotion1 and hope as the emotion itself4 ,in the first chapter of the ,epistle to the ,colossians we have an instance of its first use3 8,for the hope which is laid up for you in heaven10 i4e41 the thing hoped for4 ,in the sense of emotion we quote the passage from the eighth chapter of the ,epistle to the ,romans3 8,for we are saved by hope40 ,as ,paul uses the term 8hope0 here in writing to the ,galatians1 we may take it in either of its two meanings4 ,we may understand ,paul to say1 8,we wait in spirit1 through faith1 for the righteousness that we hope for1 which in due time will be revealed to us40 ,or we may understand ,paul to say3 8,we wait in ,spirit1 by faith for righteousness with great hope and desire40 ,true1 we are righteous1 but our righteousness is not yet revealed2 as long as we live here sin stays with us1 not to forget the law in our members striving against the law of our mind4 ,when sin rages in our body and we through the ,spirit wrestle against it1 then we have cause for hope4 ,we are not yet perfectly righteous4 ,perfect righteousness is still to be attained4 ,hence we hope for it4 ,this is sweet comfort for us4 ,and we are to make use of it in comforting the afflicted4 ,we are to say to them3 8,brother1 you would like to feel ,god's favor as you feel your sin4 ,but you are asking too much4 ,your righteousness rests on something much better than feelings4 ,wait and hope until it will be revealed to you in the ,lord's own time4 ,don't go by your feelings1 but go by the doctrine of faith1 which pledges ,christ to you40 ,the question occurs to us1 ,what difference is there between faith and hope8 ,we find it difficult to see any difference4 ,faith and hope are so closely linked that they cannot be separated4 ,still there is a difference between them4 ,first1 hope and faith differ in regard to their sources4 ,faith originates in the understanding1 while hope rises in the will4 ,secondly1 they differ in regard to their functions4 ,faith says what is to be done4 ,faith teaches1 describes1 directs4 ,hope exhorts the mind to be strong and courageous4 ,thirdly1 they differ in regard to their objectives4 ,faith concentrates on the truth4 ,hope looks to the goodness of ,god4 ,fourthly1 they differ in sequence4 ,faith is the beginning of life before tribulation4 7,hebrews #aa47 ,hope comes later and is born of tribulation4 7,romans #e47 ,fifthly1 they differ in regard to their effects4 ,faith is a judge4 ,it judges errors4 ,hope is a soldier4 ,it fights against tribulations1 the ,cross1 despondency1 despair1 and waits for better things to come in the midst of evil4 ,without hope faith cannot endure4 ,on the other hand1 hope without faith is blind rashness and arrogance because it lacks knowledge4 ,before anything else a ,christian must have the insight of faith1 so that the intellect may know its directions in the day of trouble and the heart may hope for better things4 ,by faith we begin1 by hope we continue4 ,this passage contains excellent doctrine and much comfort4 ,it declares that we are justified not by works1 sacrifices1 or ceremonies1 but by ,christ alone4 ,the world may judge certain things to be ever so good2 without ,christ they are all wrong4 ,circumcision and the law and good works are carnal4 8,we10 says ,paul1 8are above such things4 ,we possess ,christ by faith and in the midst of our afflictions we hopefully wait for the consummation of our righteousness40 ,you may say1 8,the trouble is ,i don't feel as if ,i am righteous40 ,you must not feel1 but believe4 ,unless you believe that you are righteous1 you do ,christ a great wrong1 for ,he has cleansed you by the washing of regeneration1 ,he died for you so that through ,him you may obtain righteousness and everlasting life4 ,,verse #f4 ,for in ,jesus ,christ neither circumcision availeth any thing1 nor uncircumcision1 but faith which worketh by love4 ,faith must of course be sincere4 ,it must be a faith that performs good works through love4 ,if faith lacks love it is not true faith4 ,thus the ,apostle bars the way of hypocrites to the kingdom of ,christ on all sides4 ,he declares on the one hand1 8,in ,christ ,jesus circumcision availeth nothing10 i4e41 works avail nothing1 but faith alone1 and that without any merit whatever1 avails before ,god4 ,on the other hand1 the ,apostle declares that without fruits faith serves no purpose4 ,to think1 8,if faith justifies without works1 let us work nothing10 is to despise the grace of ,god4 ,idle faith is not justifying faith4 ,in this terse manner ,paul presents the whole life of a ,christian4 ,inwardly it consists in faith towards ,god1 outwardly in love towards our fellow-men4 ,,verse #g4 ,ye did run well2 who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth8 ,this is plain speaking4 ,paul asserts that he teaches the same truth now which he has always taught1 and that the ,galatians ran well as long as they obeyed the truth4 ,but now1 misled by the false apostles1 they no longer run4 ,he compares the ,christian life to a race4 ,when everything runs along smoothly the ,hebrews spoke of it as a race4 8,ye did run well10 means that everything went along smoothly and happily with the ,galatians4 ,they lived a ,christian life and were on the right way to everlasting life4 ,the words1 8,ye did run well10 are encouraging indeed4 ,often our lives seem to creep rather than to run4 ,but if we abide in the true doctrine and walk in the spirit1 we have nothing to worry about4 ,god judges our lives differently4 ,what may seem to us a life slow in ,christian development may seem to ,god a life of rapid progression in grace4 ,,verse #g4 ,who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth8 ,the ,galatians were hindered in the ,christian life when they turned from faith and grace to the ,law4 ,covertly the ,apostle blames the false apostles for impeding the ,christian progress of the ,galatians4 ,the false apostles persuaded the ,galatians to believe that they were in error and that they had made little or no progress under the influence of ,paul4 ,under the baneful influence of the false apostles the ,galatians thought they were well off and advancing rapidly in ,christian knowledge and living4 ,,verse #h4 ,this persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you4 ,paul explains how those who had been deceived by false teachers may be restored to spiritual health4 ,the false apostles were amiable fellows4 ,apparently they surpassed ,paul in learning and godliness4 ,the ,galatians were easily deceived by outward appearances4 ,they supposed they were being taught by ,christ ,himself4 ,paul proved to them that their new doctrine was not of ,christ1 but of the devil4 ,in this way he succeeded in regaining many4 ,we also are able to win back many from the errors into which they were seduced by showing that their beliefs are imaginary1 wicked1 and contrary to the ,word of ,god4 ,the devil is a cunning persuader4 ,he knows how to enlarge the smallest sin into a mountain until we think we have committed the worst crime ever committed on earth4 ,such stricken consciences must be comforted and set straight as ,paul corrected the ,galatians by showing them that their opinion is not of ,christ because it runs counter to the ,gospel1 which describes ,christ as a meek and merciful ,savior4 ,satan will circumvent the ,gospel and explain ,christ in this his own diabolical way3 8,indeed ,christ is meek1 gentle1 and merciful1 but only to those who are holy and righteous4 ,if you are a sinner you stand no chance4 ,did not ,christ say that unbelievers are already damned8 ,and did not ,christ perform many good deeds1 and suffer many evils patiently1 bidding us to follow ,his example8 ,you do not mean to say that your life is in accord with ,christ's precepts or example8 ,you are a sinner4 ,you are no good at all40 ,satan is to be answered in this way3 ,the ,scriptures present ,christ in a twofold aspect4 ,first1 as a gift4 8,he of ,god is made unto us wisdom1 and righteousness1 and sanctification and redemption40 7,i ,cor4 #a3cj47 ,hence my many and grievous sins are nullified if ,i believe in ,him4 ,secondly1 the ,scriptures present ,christ for our example4 ,as an exemplar ,he is to be placed before me only at certain times4 ,in times of joy and gladness that ,i may have ,him as a mirror to reflect upon my shortcomings4 ,but in the day of trouble ,i will have ,christ only as a gift4 ,i will not listen to anything else1 except that ,christ died for my sins4 ,to those that are cast down on account of their sins ,christ must be introduced as a ,savior and ,gift1 and not as an example4 ,but to sinners who live in a false assurance1 ,christ must be introduced as an example4 ,the hard sayings of ,scripture and the awful judgments of ,god upon sin must be impressed upon them4 ,defy ,satan in times of despair4 ,say3 8,o cursed ,satan1 you choose a nice time to talk to me about doing and working when you know very well that ,i am in trouble over my sins4 ,i will not listen to you4 ,i will listen to ,christ1 who says that ,he came into the world to save sinners4 ,this is the true ,christ and there is none other4 ,i can find plenty of examples for a holy life in ,abraham1 ,isaiah1 ,john the ,baptist1 ,paul1 and other saints4 ,but they cannot forgive my sins4 ,they cannot save me4 ,they cannot procure for me everlasting life4 ,therefore ,i will not have you for my teacher1 ,o ,satan40 ,,verse #i4 ,a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump4 ,paul's concern for them meant nothing to some of the ,galatians4 ,many had disowned him as their teacher and gone over to the false apostles4 ,no doubt the false apostles took every occasion to defame ,paul as a stubborn and contemptuous fellow who thought nothing of disrupting the unity of the churches for no other reason than his selfish pride and jealousy4 ,others of the ,galatians perhaps saw no harm in deviating a trifle from the doctrine of justification and faith4 ,when they noticed that ,paul made so much ado about a matter that seemed of no particular importance to them they raised their eyebrows and thought within themselves3 8,what if we did deviate a little from the doctrine of ,paul8 ,what if we are a little to blame8 ,he ought to overlook the whole matter1 and not make such an issue out of it1 lest the unity of the churches be disturbed40 ,to this ,paul replies3 8,a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump40 ,our opponents record the same complaints about us4 ,they put us down as contentious1 ill-tempered faultfinders4 ,but these are the crafty passes of the devil1 with which he seeks to overthrow our faith4 ,we answer with ,paul3 8,a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump40 ,small faults grow into big faults4 ,to tolerate a trifling error inevitably leads to crass heresy4 ,the doctrine of the ,bible is not ours to take or to allow liberties with4 ,we have no right to change even a tittle of it4 ,when it comes to life we are ready to do1 to suffer1 to forgive anything our opponents demand as long as faith and doctrine remain pure and uncorrupt4 ,the ,apostle ,james says1 8,for whosoever shall keep the whole law and yet offend in one point1 he is guilty of all40 ,this passage supports us over against our critics who claim that we disregard all charity to the great injury of the churches4 ,we protest we desire nothing more than peace with all men4 ,if they would only permit us to keep our doctrine of faith6 ,the pure doctrine takes precedence before charity1 apostles1 or an angel from heaven4 ,let others praise charity and concord to the skies2 we magnify the authority of the ,word and faith4 ,charity may be neglected at times without peril1 but not the ,word and faith4 ,charity suffers all things1 it gives in4 ,faith suffers nothing2 it never yields4 ,charity is often deceived but is never put out because it has nothing to lose2 it continues to do well even to the ungrateful4 ,when it comes to faith and salvation in the midst of lies and errors that parade as truth and deceive many1 charity has no voice or vote4 ,let us not be influenced by the popular cry for charity and unity4 ,if we do not love ,god and ,his ,word what difference does it make if we love anything at all8 ,paul1 therefore1 admonishes both teachers and hearers not to esteem lightly the doctrine of faith as if it were a toy with which to amuse oneself in idle hours4 ,,verse #aj4 l have confidence in you through the ,lord4 8,i have taught1 admonished1 and reproved you enough4 ,i hope the best for you40 ,the question occurs to us whether ,paul did well to trust the ,galatians4 ,does not ,holy ,writ forbid us to trust in men8 ,faith trusts in ,god and is never wrong4 ,charity trusts in men and is often wrong4 ,this charitable trust in man is necessary to life4 ,without it life would be impossible in the world4 ,what kind of life would ours be if nobody could trust anybody else8 ,true ,christians are more ready to believe in men than the children of this world4 ,such charitable confidence is the fruit of the ,spirit4 ,paul had such trust in the ,galatians although they had forsaken his doctrine4 ,he trusts them 8through the ,lord10 insofar as they were in ,christ and ,christ in them4 ,once they had forsaken ,christ altogether1 the ,apostle will trust the ,galatians no longer4 ,,verse #aj4 ,that ye will be none otherwise minded4 8,not minded otherwise than ,i have taught you4 ,in other words1 ,i have confidence that you will accept no doctrine that is contrary to the one you have learned from me40 ,,verse #aj4 ,but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment1 whosoever he be4 ,paul assumes the role of a judge and condemns the false apostles as troublers of the ,galatians4 ,he wants to frighten the ,galatians with his severe judgments of the false apostles into avoiding false doctrine like a contagious disease4 ,we can hear him say to the ,galatians3 8,why do you give these pestilent fellows a hearing in the first place8 ,they only trouble you4 ,the doctrine they bring causes your conscience only trouble40 ,the clause1 8whosoever he be10 seems to indicate that the false apostles in outward appearance at least were very good and devout men4 ,it may be that among them was some outstanding disciple of the apostles1 a man of fame and authority4 ,the ,apostle must have been faced by this very situation1 otherwise his vehemence would have been uncalled for4 ,no doubt many of the ,galatians were taken back with the vehemency of the ,apostle4 ,they perhaps thought3 why should he be so stubborn in such small matters8 ,why is he so quick to pronounce damnation upon his brethren in the ministry8 ,i cannot say it often enough1 that we must carefully differentiate between doctrine and life4 ,doctrine is a piece of heaven1 life is a piece of earth4 ,life is sin1 error1 uncleanness1 misery1 and charity must forbear1 believe1 hope1 and suffer all things4 ,forgiveness of sins must be continuous so that sin and error may not be defended and sustained4 ,but with doctrine there must be no error1 no need of pardon4 ,there can be no comparison between doctrine and life4 ,the least little point of doctrine is of greater importance than heaven and earth4 ,therefore we cannot allow the least jot of doctrine to be corrupted4 ,we may overlook the offenses and errors of life1 for we daily sin much4 ,even the saints sin1 as they themselves confess in the ,lord's ,prayer and in the ,creed4 ,but our doctrine1 ,god be praised1 is pure1 because all the articles of our faith are grounded on the ,holy ,scriptures4 ,,verse #aa4 ,and ,i1 brethren1 if ,i yet preach circumcision1 why do ,i yet suffer persecution8 then is the offense of the cross ceased4 ,in his great desire to recall the ,galatians1 ,paul draws himself into the argument4 ,he says3 8,because ,i refuse to recognize circumcision as a factor in our salvation1 ,i have brought upon myself the hatred and persecution of my whole nation4 ,if ,i were to acknowledge circumcision the ,jews would cease to persecute me2 in fact they would love and praise me4 ,but because ,i preach the ,gospel of ,christ and the righteousness of faith ,i must suffer persecution4 ,the false apostles know how to avoid the ,cross and the deadly hatred of the ,jewish nation4 ,they preach circumcision and thus retain the favor of the ,jews4 ,if they had their way they would ignore all differences in doctrine and preserve unity at all cost4 ,but their unionistic dreams cannot be realized without loss to the pure doctrine of the ,cross4 ,it would be too bad if the offense of the ,cross were to cease40 ,to the ,corinthians he expressed the same conviction3 8,christ sent me444to preach the gospel3 not with wisdom of words1 lest the cross of ,christ should be made of none effect40 7,i ,cor4 #a3ag47 ,here someone may be tempted to call the ,christians crazy4 ,deliberately to court danger by preaching and confessing the truth1 and thus to bring upon ourselves the hatred and enmity of the whole world1 is this not madness8 ,but ,paul does not mind the enmity of the world4 ,it made him all the bolder to confess ,christ4 ,the enmity of the world in his estimation augurs well for the success and growth of the ,church1 which fares best in times of persecution4 ,when the offense of the ,cross ceases1 when the rage of the enemies of the ,cross abates1 when everything is quiet1 it is a sign that the devil is the door-keeper of the ,church and that the pure doctrine of ,god's ,word has been lost4 ,saint ,bernard observed that the ,church is in best shape when ,satan assaults it on every side by trickery and violence2 and in worst shape when it is at peace4 ,in support of his statement he quotes the passage from the song of ,hezekiah3 8,behold1 for peace ,i had great bitterness40 ,paul looks with suspicion upon any doctrine that does not provoke antagonism4 ,persecution always follows on the heels of the ,word of ,god as the ,psalmist experienced4 8,i believe1 therefore have ,i spoken3 ,i was greatly afflicted40 7,ps4 #aaf3aj47 ,the ,christians are accused and slandered without mercy4 ,murderers and thieves receive better treatment than ,christians4 ,the world regards true ,christians as the worst offenders1 for whom no punishment can be too severe4 ,the world hates the ,christians with amazing brutality1 and without compunction commits them to the most shameful death1 congratulating itself that it has rendered ,god and the cause of peace a distinct service by ridding the world of the undesired presence of these ,christians4 ,we are not to let such treatment cause us to falter in our adherence to ,christ4 ,as long as we experience such persecutions we know all is well with the ,gospel4 ,jesus held out the same comfort to ,his disciples in the fifth chapter of ,st4 ,matthew4 8,blessed are ye1 when men shall revile you and persecute you1 and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely1 for my sake4 ,rejoice1 and be exceeding glad2 for great is your reward in heaven40 ,the ,church must not come short of this joy4 ,i would not want to be at peace with the pope1 the bishops1 the princes1 and the sectarians1 unless they consent to our doctrine4 ,unity with them would be an unmistakable sign that we have lost the true doctrine4 ,briefly1 as long as the ,church proclaims the doctrine she must suffer persecution1 because the ,gospel declares the mercy and glory of ,god4 ,this in turn stirs up the devil1 because the ,gospel shows him up for what he is1 the devil1 and not ,god4 ,therefore as long as the ,gospel holds sway persecution plays the accompaniment1 or else there is something the matter with the devil4 ,when he is hit you will know it by the havoc he raises everywhere4 ,so do not be surprised or offended when hell breaks loose4 ,look upon it as a happy indication that all is well with the ,gospel of the ,cross4 ,god forbid that the offense of the ,cross should ever be removed4 ,this would be the case if we were to preach what the prince of this world and his followers would be only too glad to hear1 the righteousness of works4 ,you would never know the devil could be so gentle1 the world so sweet1 the ,pope so gracious1 and the princes so charming4 ,but because we seek the advantage and honor of ,christ1 they persecute us all around4 ,,verse #ab4 ,i would they were even cut off which trouble you4 ,it hardly seems befitting an apostle1 not only to denounce the false apostles as troublers of the ,church1 and to consign them to the devil1 but also to wish that they were utterly cut off--what else would you call it but plain cursing8 ,paul1 ,i suppose1 is alluding to the rite of circumcision4 ,as if he were saying to the ,galatians3 8,the false apostles compel you to cut off the foreskin of your flesh4 ,well1 ,i wish they themselves were utterly cut off by the roots40 ,we had better answer at once the question1 whether it is right for ,christians to curse4 ,certainly not always1 nor for every little cause4 ,but when things have come to such a pass that ,god and ,his ,word are openly blasphemed1 then we must say3 8,blessed be ,god and ,his ,word1 and cursed be everything that is contrary to ,god and ,his ,word1 even though it should be an apostle1 or an angel from heaven40 ,this goes to show again how much importance ,paul attached to the least points of ,christian doctrine1 that he dared to curse the false apostles1 evidently men of great popularity and influence4 ,what right1 then1 have we to make little of doctrine8 ,no matter how nonessential a point of doctrine may seem1 if slighted it may prove the gradual disintegration of the truths of our salvation4 ,let us do everything to advance the glory and authority of ,god's ,word4 ,every tittle of it is greater than heaven and earth4 ,christian charity and unity have nothing to do with the ,word of ,god4 ,we are bold to curse and condemn all men who in the least point corrupt the ,word of ,god1 8for a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump40 ,paul does right to curse these troublers of the ,galatians1 wishing that they were cut off and rooted out of the ,church of ,god and that their doctrine might perish forever4 ,such cursing is the gift of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,thus ,peter cursed ,simon the sorcerer1 8,thy money perish with thee40 ,many instances of this holy cursing are recorded in the sacred ,scriptures1 especially in the ,psalms1 e4g41 8,let death seize upon them1 and let them go down quick into hell40 7,ps4 #ee3ae47 ,,the ,,doctrine ,,of ,,good ,,works ,now come all kinds of admonitions and precepts4 ,it was the custom of the apostles that after they had taught faith and instructed the conscience they followed it up with admonitions unto good works1 that the believers might manifest the duties of love toward each other4 ,in order to avoid the appearance as if ,christianity militated against good works or opposed civil government1 the ,apostle also urges us to give ourselves unto good works1 to lead an honest life1 and to keep faith and love with one another4 ,this will give the lie to the accusations of the world that we ,christians are the enemies of decency and of public peace4 ,the fact is we ,christians know better what constitutes a truly good work than all the philosophers and legislators of the world because we link believing with doing4 ,,verse #ac4 ,for1 brethren1 ye have been called unto liberty2 only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh1 but by love serve one another4 ,in other words3 8,you have gained liberty through ,christ1 i4e41 ,you are above all laws as far as conscience is concerned4 ,you are saved4 ,christ is your liberty and life4 ,therefore law1 sin1 and death may not hurt you or drive you to despair4 ,this is the constitution of your priceless liberty4 ,now take care that you do not use your wonderful liberty for an occasion of the flesh40 ,satan likes to turn this liberty which ,christ has gotten for us into licentiousness4 ,already the ,apostle ,jude complained in his day3 8,there are certain men crept in unawares444turning the grace of our ,god into lasciviousness40 7,jude #d47 ,the flesh reasons3 8,if we are without the law1 we may as well indulge ourselves4 ,why do good1 why give alms1 why suffer evil when there is no law to force us to do so80 ,this attitude is common enough4 ,people talk about ,christian liberty and then go and cater to the desires of covetousness1 pleasure1 pride1 envy1 and other vices4 ,nobody wants to fulfill his duties4 ,nobody wants to help out a brother in distress4 ,this sort of thing makes me so impatient at times that ,i wish the swine who trampled precious pearls under foot were back once again under the tyranny of the ,pope4 ,you cannot wake up the people of ,gomorrah with the gospel of peace4 ,even we creatures of the world do not perform our duties as zealously in the light of the ,gospel as we did before in the darkness of ignorance1 because the surer we are of the liberty purchased for us by ,christ1 the more we neglect the ,word1 prayer1 well-doing1 and suffering4 ,if ,satan were not continually molesting us with trials1 with the persecution of our enemies1 and the ingratitude of our brethren1 we would become so careless and indifferent to all good works that in time we would lose our faith in ,christ1 resign the ministry of the ,word1 and look for an easier life4 ,many of our ministers are beginning to do that very thing4 ,they complain about the ministry1 they maintain they cannot live on their salaries1 they whimper about the miserable treatment they receive at the hand of those whom they delivered from the servitude of the law by the preaching of the ,gospel4 ,these ministers desert our poor and maligned ,christ1 involve themselves in the affairs of the world1 seek advantages for themselves and not for ,christ4 ,with what results they shall presently find out4 ,since the devil lies in ambush for those in particular who hate the world1 and seeks to deprive us of our liberty of the spirit or to brutalize it into the liberty of the flesh1 we plead with our brethren after the manner of ,paul1 that they may never use this liberty of the spirit purchased for us by ,christ as an excuse for carnal living1 or as ,peter expresses it1 ,i ,peter #b3af1 8for a cloak of maliciousness40 ,in order that ,christians may not abuse their liberty the ,apostle encumbers them with the rule of mutual love that they should serve each other in love4 ,let everybody perform the duties of his station and vocation diligently and help his neighbor to the limit of his capacity4 ,christians are glad to hear and obey this teaching of love4 ,when others hear about this ,christian liberty of ours they at once infer1 8,if ,i am free1 ,i may do what ,i like4 ,if salvation is not a matter of doing why should we do anything for the poor80 ,in this crude manner they turn the liberty of the spirit into wantonness and licentiousness4 ,we want them to know1 however1 that if they use their lives and possessions after their own pleasure1 if they do not help the poor1 if they cheat their fellow-men in business and snatch and scrape by hook and by crook everything they can lay their hands on1 we want to tell them that they are not free1 no matter how much they think they are1 but they are the dirty slaves of the devil1 and are seven times worse than they ever were as the slaves of the ,pope4 ,as for us1 we are obliged to preach the ,gospel which offers to all men liberty from the ,law1 sin1 death1 and ,god's wrath4 ,we have no right to conceal or revoke this liberty proclaimed by the ,gospel4 ,and so we cannot do anything with the swine who dive headlong into the filth of licentiousness4 ,we do what we can1 we diligently admonish them to love and to help their fellow-men4 ,if our admonitions bear no fruit1 we leave them to ,god1 who will in ,his own good time take care of these disrespecters of ,his goodness4 ,in the meanwhile we comfort ourselves with the thought that our labors are not lost upon the true believers4 ,they appreciate this spiritual liberty and stand ready to serve others in love and1 though their number is small1 the satisfaction they give us far outweighs the discouragement which we receive at the hands of the large number of those who misuse this liberty4 ,paul cannot possibly be misunderstood for he says3 8,brethren1 ye have been called unto liberty40 ,in order that nobody might mistake the liberty of which he speaks for the liberty of the flesh1 the ,apostle adds the explanatory note1 8only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh1 but by love serve one another40 ,paul now explains at the hand of the ,ten ,commandments what it means to serve one another in love4 ,,verse #ad4 ,for all the law is fulfilled in one word1 even in this1 thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself4 ,it is customary with ,paul to lay the doctrinal foundation first and then to build on it the gold1 silver1 and gems of good deeds4 ,now there is no other foundation than ,jesus ,christ4 ,upon this foundation the ,apostle erects the structure of good works which he defines in this one sentence3 8,thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself40 ,in adding such precepts of love the ,apostle embarrasses the false apostles very much1 as if he were saying to the ,galatians3 8,i have described to you what spiritual life is4 ,now ,i will also teach you what truly good works are4 ,i am doing this in order that you may understand that the silly ceremonies of which the false apostles make so much are far inferior to the works of ,christian love40 ,this is the hall-mark of all false teachers1 that they not only pervert the pure doctrine but also fail in doing good4 ,their foundation vitiated1 they can only build wood1 hay1 and stubble4 ,oddly enough1 the false apostles who were such earnest champions of good works never required the work of charity1 such as ,christian love and the practical charity of a helpful tongue1 hand1 and heart4 ,their only requirement was that circumcision1 days1 months1 years1 and times should be observed4 ,they could not think of any other good works4 ,the ,apostle exhorts all ,christians to practice good works after they have embraced the pure doctrine of faith1 because even though they have been justified they still have the old flesh to refrain them from doing good4 ,therefore it becomes necessary that sincere preachers cultivate the doctrine of good works as diligently as the doctrine of faith1 for ,satan is a deadly enemy of both4 ,nevertheless faith must come first because without faith it is impossible to know what a ,god-pleasing deed is4 ,let nobody think that he knows all about this commandment1 8,thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself40 ,it sounds short and easy1 but show me the man who can teach1 learn1 and do this commandment perfectly4 ,none of us heed1 or urge1 or practice this commandment properly4 ,though the conscience hurts when we fail to fulfill this commandment in every respect we are not overwhelmed by our failure to bear our neighbor sincere and brotherly love4 ,the words1 8for all the law is fulfilled in one word10 entail a criticism of the ,galatians4 8,you are so taken up by your superstitions and ceremonies that serve no good purpose1 that you neglect the most important thing1 love40 ,st4 ,jerome says3 8,we wear our bodies out with watching1 fasting1 and labor and neglect charity1 the queen of all good works40 ,look at the monks1 who meticulously fast1 watch1 etc4 ,to skip the least requirement of their order would be a crime of the first magnitude4 ,at the same time they blithely ignored the duties of charity and hated each other to death4 ,that is no sin1 they think4 ,the ,old ,testament is replete with examples that indicate how much ,god prizes charity4 ,when ,david and his companions had no food with which to still their hunger they ate the showbread which lay-people were forbidden to eat4 ,christ's disciples broke the ,sabbath law when they plucked the ears of corn4 ,christ himself broke the ,sabbath 7as the ,jews claimed7 by healing the sick on the ,sabbath4 ,these incidents indicate that love ought to be given consideration above all laws and ceremonies4 ,,verse #ad4 ,for all the ,law is fulfilled in one word4 ,we can imagine the ,apostle saying to the ,galatians3 8,why do you get so worked up over ceremonies1 meats1 days1 places1 and such things8 ,leave off this foolishness and listen to me4 ,the whole ,law is comprehended in this one sentence1 #8,thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself4' ,god is not particularly interested in ceremonies1 nor has ,he any use for them4 ,the one thing ,he requires of you is that you believe in ,christ whom ,he hath sent4 ,if in addition to faith1 which comes first as the most acceptable service unto ,god1 you want to add laws1 then you want to know that all laws are comprehended in this short commandment1 #8,thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself4'0 ,paul knows how to explain the law of ,god4 ,he condenses all the laws of ,moses into one brief sentence4 ,reason takes offense at the brevity with which ,paul treats the ,law4 ,therefore reason looks down upon the doctrine of faith and its truly good works4 ,to serve one another in love1 i4e41 to instruct the erring1 to comfort the afflicted1 to raise the fallen1 to help one's neighbor in every possible way1 to bear with his infirmities1 to endure hardships1 toil1 ingratitude in the ,church and in the world1 and on the other hand to obey government1 to honor one's parents1 to be patient at home with a nagging wife and an unruly family1 these things are not at all regarded as good works4 ,the fact is1 they are such excellent works that the world cannot possibly estimate them at their true value4 ,it is tersely spoken3 8,love thy neighbour as thyself40 ,but what more needs to be said8 ,you cannot find a better or nearer example than your own4 ,if you want to know how you ought to love your neighbor1 ask yourself how much you love yourself4 ,if you were to get into trouble or danger1 you would be glad to have the love and help of all men4 ,you do not need any book of instructions to teach you how to love your neighbor4 ,all you have to do is to look into your own heart1 and it will tell you how you ought to love your neighbor as yourself4 ,my neighbor is every person1 especially those who need my help1 as ,christ explained in the tenth chapter of ,luke4 ,even if a person has done me some wrong1 or has hurt me in any way1 he is still a human being with flesh and blood4 ,as long as a person remains a human being1 so long is he to be an object of our love4 ,paul therefore urges his ,galatians and1 incidentally1 all believers to serve each other in love4 8,you ,galatians do not have to accept circumcision4 ,if you are so anxious to do good works1 ,i will tell you in one word how you can fulfill all laws4 #8,by love serve one another4' ,you will never lack people to whom you may do good4 ,the world is full of people who need your help40 ,,verse #ae4 ,but if ye bite and devour one another take heed that ye be not consumed one of another4 ,when faith in ,christ is overthrown peace and unity come to an end in the church4 ,diverse opinions and dissensions about doctrine and life spring up1 and one member bites and devours the other1 i4e41 they condemn each other until they are consumed4 ,to this the ,scriptures and the experience of all times bear witness4 ,the many sects at present have come into being because one sect condemns the other4 ,when the unity of the spirit has been lost there can be no agreement in doctrine or life4 ,new errors must appear without measure and without end4 ,for the avoidance of discord ,paul lays down the principle3 8,let every person do his duty in the station of life into which ,god has called him4 ,no person is to vaunt himself above others or find fault with the efforts of others while lauding his own4 ,let everybody serve in love40 ,it is not an easy matter to teach faith without works1 and still to require works4 ,unless the ministers of ,christ are wise in handling the mysteries of ,god and rightly divide the word1 faith and good works may easily be confused4 ,both the doctrine of faith and the doctrine of good works must be diligently taught1 and yet in such a way that both the doctrines stay within their ,god-given sphere4 ,if we only teach works1 as our opponents do1 we shall lose the faith4 ,if we only teach faith people will come to think that good works are superfluous4 ,,verse #af4 ,this ,i say then1 ,walk in the ,spirit1 and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh4 8,i have not forgotten what ,i told you about faith in the first part of my letter4 ,because ,i exhort you to mutual love you are not to think that ,i have gone back on my teaching of justification by faith alone4 ,i am still of the same opinion4 ,to remove every possibility for misunderstanding ,i have added this explanatory note3 #8,walk in the ,spirit1 and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh4'0 ,with this verse ,paul explains how he wants this sentence to be understood3 8,by love serve one another4 ,when ,i bid you to love one another1 this is what ,i mean and require1 #8,walk in the ,spirit4' ,i know very well you will not fulfill the ,law1 because you are sinners as long as you live4 ,nevertheless1 you should endeavor to walk in the spirit10 i4e41 fight against the flesh and follow the lead of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,it is quite apparent that ,paul had not forgotten the doctrine of justification1 for in bidding the ,galatians to walk in the ,spirit he at the same time denies that good works can justify4 8,when ,i speak of the fulfilling of the ,law ,i do not mean to say that you are justified by the ,law4 ,all ,i mean to say is that you should take the ,spirit for your guide and resist the flesh4 ,that is the most you shall ever be able to do4 ,obey the ,spirit and fight against the flesh40 ,,verse #af4 ,and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh4 ,the lust of the flesh is not altogether extinct in us4 ,it rises up again and again and wrestles with the ,spirit4 ,no flesh1 not even that of the true believer1 is so completely under the influence of the ,spirit that it will not bite or devour1 or at least neglect1 the commandment of love4 ,at the slightest provocation it flares up1 demands to be revenged1 and hates a neighbor like an enemy1 or at least does not love him as much as he ought to be loved4 ,therefore the ,apostle establishes this rule of love for the believers4 ,serve one another in love4 ,bear the infirmities of your brother4 ,forgive one another4 ,without such bearing and forbearing1 giving and forgiving1 there can be no unity because to give and to take offense are unavoidably human4 ,whenever you are angry with your brother for any cause1 repress your violent emotions through the ,spirit4 ,bear with his weakness and love him4 ,he does not cease to be your neighbor or brother because he offended you4 ,on the contrary1 he now more than ever before requires your loving attention4 ,the scholastics take the lust of the flesh to mean carnal lust4 ,true1 believers too are tempted with carnal lust4 ,even the married are not immune to carnal lusts4 ,men set little value upon that which they have and covet what they have not1 as the poet says3 8,the things most forbidden we always desire1 ,and things most denied we seek to acquire40 ,i do not deny that the lust of the flesh includes carnal lust4 ,but it takes in more4 ,it takes in all the corrupt desires with which the believers are more or less infected1 as pride1 hatred1 covetousness1 impatience4 ,later on ,paul enumerates among the works of the flesh even idolatry and heresy4 ,the apostle's meaning is clear4 8,i want you to love one another4 ,but you do not do it4 ,in fact you cannot do it1 because of your flesh4 ,hence we cannot be justified by deeds of love4 ,do not for a moment think that ,i am reversing myself on my stand concerning faith4 ,faith and hope must continue4 ,by faith we are justified1 by hope we endure to the end4 ,in addition we serve each other in love because true faith is not idle4 ,our love1 however1 is faulty4 ,in bidding you to walk in the ,spirit ,i indicate to you that our love is not sufficient to justify us4 ,neither do ,i demand that you should get rid of the flesh1 but that you should control and subdue it40 ,,verse #ag4 ,for the flesh lusteth against the ,spirit and the ,spirit against the flesh4 ,when ,paul declares that 8the flesh lusteth against the ,spirit1 and the ,spirit against the flesh10 he means to say that we are not to think1 speak or do the things to which the flesh incites us4 8,i know10 he says1 8that the flesh courts sin4 ,the thing for you to do is to resist the flesh by the ,spirit4 ,but if you abandon the leadership of the ,spirit for that of the flesh1 you are going to fulfill the lust of the flesh and die in your sins40 ,,verse #ag4 ,and these are contrary the one to the other2 so that ye cannot do the things that ye would4 ,these two leaders1 the flesh and the ,spirit1 are bitter opponents4 ,of this opposition the ,apostle writes in the seventh chapter of the ,epistle to the ,romans3 8,i see another law in my members1 warring against the law of my mind1 and bringing me into the captivity to the law of sin which is in my members4 ,o wretched man that ,i am6 who shall deliver me from the body of this death80 ,the scholastics are at a loss to understand this confession of ,paul and feel obliged to save his honor4 ,that the chosen vessel of ,christ should have had the law of sin in his members seems to them incredible and absurd4 ,they circumvent the plain-spoken statement of the ,apostle by saying that he was speaking for the wicked4 ,but the wicked never complain of inner conflicts1 or of the captivity of sin4 ,sin has its unrestricted way with them4 ,this is ,paul's very own complaint and the identical complaint of all believers4 ,paul never denied that he felt the lust of the flesh4 ,it is likely that at times he felt even the stirrings of carnal lust1 but there is no doubt that he quickly suppressed them4 ,and if at any time he felt angry or impatient1 he resisted these feelings by the ,spirit4 ,we are not going to stand by idly and see such a comforting statement as this explained away4 ,the scholastics1 monks1 and others of their ilk fought only against carnal lust and were proud of a victory which they never obtained4 ,in the meanwhile they harbored within their breasts pride1 hatred1 disdain1 self-trust1 contempt of the ,word of ,god1 disloyalty1 blasphemy1 and other lusts of the flesh4 ,against these sins they never fought because they never took them for sins4 ,christ alone can supply us with perfect righteousness4 ,therefore we must always believe and always hope in ,christ4 8,whosoever believeth shall not be ashamed40 7,rom4 #i3cc47 ,do not despair if you feel the flesh battling against the ,spirit or if you cannot make it behave4 ,for you to follow the guidance of the ,spirit in all things without interference on the part of the flesh is impossible4 ,you are doing all you can if you resist the flesh and do not fulfill its demands4 ,when ,i was a monk ,i thought ,i was lost forever whenever ,i felt an evil emotion1 carnal lust1 wrath1 hatred1 or envy4 ,i tried to quiet my conscience in many ways1 but it did not work1 because lust would always come back and give me no rest4 ,i told myself3 8,you have permitted this and that sin1 envy1 impatience1 and the like4 ,your joining this holy order has been in vain1 and all your good works are good for nothing40 ,if at that time ,i had understood this passage1 8,the flesh lusteth against the ,spirit1 and the ,spirit against the flesh10 ,i could have spared myself many a day of self-torment4 ,i would have said to myself3 8,martin1 you will never be without sin1 for you have flesh4 ,despair not1 but resist the flesh40 ,i remember how ,doctor ,staupitz used to say to me3 8,i have promised ,god a thousand times that ,i would become a better man1 but ,i never kept my promise4 ,from now on ,i am not going to make any more vows4 ,experience has taught me that ,i cannot keep them4 ,unless ,god is merciful to me for ,christ's sake and grants unto me a blessed departure1 ,i shall not be able to stand before ,him40 ,his was a ,god-pleasing despair4 ,no true believer trusts in his own righteousness1 but says with ,david1 8,enter not into judgment with thy servant2 for in thy sight shall no man living be justified40 7,ps4 #adc3b7 ,again1 8,if thou1 ,lord1 shouldest mark iniquities1 ,o ,lord1 who shall stand80 7,ps4 #acj3c47 ,no man is to despair of salvation just because he is aware of the lust of the flesh4 ,let him be aware of it so long as he does not yield to it4 ,the passion of lust1 wrath1 and other vices may shake him1 but they are not to get him down4 ,sin may assail him1 but he is not to welcome it4 ,yes1 the better ,christian a man is1 the more he will experience the heat of the conflict4 ,this explains the many expressions of regret in the ,psalms and in the entire ,bible4 ,everybody is to determine his peculiar weakness and guard against it4 ,watch and wrestle in spirit against your weakness4 ,even if you cannot completely overcome it1 at least you ought to fight against it4 ,according to this description a saint is not one who is made of wood and never feels any lusts or desires of the flesh4 ,a true saint confesses his righteousness and prays that his sins may be forgiven4 ,the whole ,church prays for the forgiveness of sins and confesses that it believes in the forgiveness of sins4 ,if our antagonists would read the ,scriptures they would soon discover that they cannot judge rightly of anything1 either of sin or of holiness4 ,,verse #ah4 ,but if ye be led of the ,spirit1 ye are not under the law4 ,here someone may object3 8,how come we are not under the law8 ,you yourself say1 ,paul1 that we have the flesh which wars against the ,spirit1 and brings us into subjection40 ,but ,paul says not to let it trouble us4 ,as long as we are led by the ,spirit1 and are willing to obey the ,spirit who resists the flesh1 we are not under the ,law4 ,true believers are not under the ,law4 ,the ,law cannot condemn them although they feel sin and confess it4 ,great then is the power of the ,spirit4 ,led by the ,spirit1 the ,law cannot condemn the believer though he commits real sin4 ,for ,christ in whom we believe is our righteousness4 ,he is without sin1 and the ,law cannot accuse ,him4 ,as long as we cling to ,him we are led by the ,spirit and are free from the ,law4 ,even as he teaches good works1 the ,apostle does not lose sight of the doctrine of justification1 but shows at every turn that it is impossible for us to be justified by works4 ,the words1 8,if ye be led of the ,spirit1 ye are not under the law10 are replete with comfort4 ,it happens at times that anger1 hatred1 impatience1 carnal desire1 fear1 sorrow1 or some other lust of the flesh so overwhelms a man that he cannot shake them off1 though he try ever so hard4 ,what should he do8 ,should he despair8 ,god forbid4 ,let him say to himself3 8,my flesh seems to be on a warpath against the ,spirit again4 ,go to it1 flesh1 and rage all you want to4 ,but you are not going to have your way4 ,i follow the leading of the ,spirit40 ,when the flesh begins to cut up the only remedy is to take the sword of the ,spirit1 the word of salvation1 and fight against the flesh4 ,if you set the ,word out of sight1 you are helpless against the flesh4 ,i know this to be a fact4 ,i have been assailed by many violent passions1 but as soon as ,i took hold of some ,scripture passage1 my temptations left me4 ,without the ,word ,i could not have helped myself against the flesh4 ,,verse #ai4 ,now the works of the flesh are manifest1 which are these4 ,paul is saying3 8,that none of you may hide behind the plea of ignorance ,i will enumerate first the works of the flesh1 and then also the works of the ,spirit40 ,there were many hypocrites among the ,galatians1 as there are also among us1 who pretend to be ,christians and talk much about the ,spirit1 but they walk not according to the ,spirit2 rather according to the flesh4 ,paul is out to show them that they are not as holy as they like to have others think they are4 ,every period of life has its own peculiar temptations4 ,not one true believer whom the flesh does not again and again incite to impatience1 anger1 pride4 ,but it is one thing to be tempted by the flesh1 and another thing to yield to the flesh1 to do its bidding without fear or remorse1 and to continue in sin4 ,christians also fall and perform the lusts of the flesh4 ,david fell horribly into adultery4 ,peter also fell grievously when he denied ,christ4 ,however great these sins were1 they were not committed to spite ,god1 but from weakness4 ,when their sins were brought to their attention these men did not obstinately continue in their sin1 but repented4 ,those who sin through weakness are not denied pardon as long as they rise again and cease to sin4 ,there is nothing worse than to continue in sin4 ,if they do not repent1 but obstinately continue to fulfill the desires of the flesh1 it is a sure sign that they are not sincere4 ,no person is free from temptations4 ,some are tempted in one way1 others in another way4 ,one person is more easily tempted to bitterness and sorrow of spirit1 blasphemy1 distrust1 and despair4 ,another is more easily tempted to carnal lust1 anger1 envy1 covetousness4 ,but no matter to which sins we are disposed1 we are to walk in the ,spirit and resist the flesh4 ,those who are ,christ's own crucify their flesh4 ,some of the old saints labored so hard to attain perfection that they lost the capacity to feel anything4 ,when ,i was a monk ,i often wished ,i could see a saint4 ,i pictured him as living in the wilderness1 abstaining from meat and drink and living on roots and herbs and cold water4 ,this weird conception of those awesome saints ,i had gained out of the books of the scholastics and church fathers4 ,but we know now from the ,scriptures who the true saints are4 ,not those who live a single life1 or make a fetish of days1 meats1 clothes1 and such things4 ,the true saints are those who believe that they are justified by the death of ,christ4 ,whenever ,paul writes to the ,christians here and there he calls them the holy children and heirs of ,god4 ,all who believe in ,christ1 whether male or female1 bond or free1 are saints2 not in view of their own works1 but in view of the merits of ,god which they appropriate by faith4 ,their holiness is a gift and not their own personal achievement4 ,ministers of the ,gospel1 public officials1 parents1 children1 masters1 servants1 etc41 are true saints when they take ,christ for their wisdom1 righteousness1 sanctification1 and redemption1 and when they fulfill the duties of their several vocations according to the standard of ,god's ,word and repress the lust and desires of the flesh by the ,spirit4 ,not everybody can resist temptations with equal facility4 ,imperfections are bound to show up4 ,but this does not prevent them from being holy4 ,their unintentional lapses are forgiven if they pull themselves together by faith in ,christ4 ,god forbid that we should sit in hasty judgment on those who are weak in faith and life1 as long as they love the ,word of ,god and make use of the supper of the ,lord4 ,i thank ,god that ,he has permitted me to see 7what as a monk ,i so earnestly desired to see7 not one but many saints1 whole multitudes of true saints4 ,not the kind of saints the papists admire1 but the kind of saints ,christ wants4 ,i am sure ,i am one of ,christ's true saints4 ,i am baptized4 ,i believe that ,christ my ,lord has redeemed me from all my sins1 and invested me with ,his own eternal righteousness and holiness4 ,to hide in caves and dens1 to have a bony body1 to wear the hair long in the mistaken idea that such departures from normalcy will obtain some special regard in heaven is not the holy life4 ,a holy life is to be baptized and to believe in ,christ1 and to subdue the flesh with the ,spirit4 ,to feel the lusts of the flesh is not without profit to us4 ,it prevents us from being vain and from being puffed up with the wicked opinion of our own work-righteousness4 ,the monks were so inflated with the opinion of their own righteousness1 they thought they had so much holiness that they could afford to sell some of it to others1 although their own hearts convinced them of unholiness4 ,the ,christian feels the unholy condition of his heart1 and it makes him feel so low that he cannot trust in his good works4 ,he therefore goes to ,christ to find perfect righteousness4 ,this keeps a ,christian humble4 ,,verses #ai1 #bj4 ,now the works of the flesh are manifest1 which are these3 adultery1 fornication1 uncleanness1 lasciviousness1 idolatry1 witchcraft444 ,paul does not enumerate all the works of the flesh1 but only certain ones4 ,first1 he mentions various kinds of carnal lusts1 as adultery1 fornication1 wantonness1 etc4 ,but carnal lust is not the only work of the flesh1 and so he counts among the works of the flesh also idolatry1 witchcraft1 hatred1 and the like4 ,these terms are so familiar that they do not require lengthy explanations4 ,,idolatry ,the best religion1 the most fervent devotion without ,christ is plain idolatry4 ,it has been considered a holy act when the monks in their cells meditate upon ,god and ,his works1 and in a religious frenzy kneel down to pray and to weep for joy4 ,yet ,paul calls it simply idolatry4 ,every religion which worships ,god in ignorance or neglect of ,his ,word and will is idolatry4 ,they may think about ,god1 ,christ1 and heavenly things1 but they do it after their own fashion and not after the ,word of ,god4 ,they have an idea that their clothing1 their mode of living1 and their conduct are holy and pleasing to ,christ4 ,they not only expect to pacify ,christ by the strictness of their life1 but also expect to be rewarded by ,him for their good deeds4 ,hence their best 8spiritual0 thoughts are wicked thoughts4 ,any worship of ,god1 any religion without ,christ is idolatry4 ,in ,christ alone is ,god well pleased4 ,i have said before that the works of the flesh are manifest4 ,but idolatry puts on such a good front and acts so spiritual that the sham of it is recognized only by true believers4 ,,witchcraft ,this sin was very common before the light of the ,gospel appeared4 ,when ,i was a child there were many witches and sorcerers around who 8bewitched0 cattle1 and people1 particularly children1 and did much harm4 ,but now that the ,gospel is here you do not hear so much about it because the ,gospel drives the devil away4 ,now he bewitches people in a worse way with spiritual sorcery4 ,witchcraft is a brand of idolatry4 ,as witches used to bewitch cattle and men1 so idolaters1 i4e41 all the self-righteous1 go around to bewitch ,god and to make ,him out as one who justifies men not by grace through faith in ,christ but by the works of men's own choosing4 ,they bewitch and deceive themselves4 ,if they continue in their wicked thoughts of ,god they will die in their idolatry4 ,,sects ,under sects ,paul here understands heresies4 ,heresies have always been found in the church4 ,what unity of faith can exist among all the different monks and the different orders8 ,none whatever4 ,there is no unity of spirit1 no agreement of minds1 but great dissension in the papacy4 ,there is no conformity in doctrine1 faith1 and life4 ,on the other hand1 among evangelical ,christians the ,word1 faith1 religion1 sacraments1 service1 ,christ1 ,god1 heart1 and mind are common to all4 ,this unity is not disturbed by outward differences of station or of occupation4 ,,drunkenness1 ,,gluttony ,paul does not say that eating and drinking are works of the flesh1 but intemperance in eating and drinking1 which is a common vice nowadays1 is a work of the flesh4 ,those who are given to excess are to know that they are not spiritual but carnal4 ,sentence is pronounced upon them that they shall not inherit the kingdom of heaven4 ,paul desires that ,christians avoid drunkenness and gluttony1 that they live temperate and sober lives1 in order that the body may not grow soft and sensual4 ,,verse #ba4 ,of the which ,i tell you before1 as ,i have also told you in the past1 that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of ,god4 ,this is a hard saying1 but very necessary for those false ,christians and hypocrites who speak much about the ,gospel1 about faith1 and the ,spirit1 yet live after the flesh4 ,but this hard sentence is directed chiefly at the heretics who are large with their own self-importance1 that they may be frightened into taking up the fight of the ,spirit against the flesh4 ,,verses #bb1 #bc4 ,but the fruit of the ,spirit is love1 joy1 peace1 longsuffering1 gentleness1 goodness1 faith1 meekness1 temperance4 ,the ,apostle does not speak of the works of the ,spirit as he spoke of the works of the flesh1 but he attaches to these ,christian virtues a better name4 ,he calls them the fruits of the ,spirit4 ,,love ,it would have been enough to mention only the single fruit of love1 for love embraces all the fruits of the ,spirit4 ,in ,i ,corinthians #ac1 ,paul attributes to love all the fruits of the ,spirit3 8,charity suffereth long1 and is kind10 etc4 ,here he lets love stand by itself among other fruits of the ,spirit to remind the ,christians to love one another1 8in honor preferring one another10 to esteem others more than themselves because they have ,christ and the ,holy ,ghost within them4 ,,joy ,joy means sweet thoughts of ,christ1 melodious hymns and psalms1 praises and thanksgiving1 with which ,christians instruct1 inspire1 and refresh themselves4 ,god does not like doubt and dejection4 ,he hates dreary doctrine1 gloomy and melancholy thought4 ,god likes cheerful hearts4 ,he did not send ,his ,son to fill us with sadness1 but to gladden our hearts4 ,for this reason the prophets1 apostles1 and ,christ ,himself urge1 yes1 command us to rejoice and be glad4 8,rejoice greatly1 ,o daughter of ,zion2 shout1 ,o daughter of ,jerusalem2 behold1 thy king cometh unto thee40 7,zech4 #i3i47 ,in the ,psalms we are repeatedly told to be 8joyful in the ,lord40 ,paul says3 8,rejoice in the ,lord always40 ,christ says3 8,rejoice1 for your names are written in heaven40 ,,peace ,peace towards ,god and men4 ,christians are to be peaceful and quiet4 ,not argumentative1 not hateful1 but thoughtful and patient4 ,there can be no peace without longsuffering1 and therefore ,paul lists this virtue next4 ,,longsuffering ,longsuffering is that quality which enables a person to bear adversity1 injury1 reproach1 and makes them patient to wait for the improvement of those who have done him wrong4 ,when the devil finds that he cannot overcome certain persons by force he tries to overcome them in the long run4 ,he knows that we are weak and cannot stand anything long4 ,therefore he repeats his temptation time and again until he succeeds4 ,to withstand his continued assaults we must be longsuffering and patiently wait for the devil to get tired of his game4 ,,gentleness ,gentleness in conduct and life4 ,true followers of the ,gospel must not be sharp and bitter1 but gentle1 mild1 courteous1 and soft-spoken1 which should encourage others to seek their company4 ,gentleness can overlook other people's faults and cover them up4 ,gentleness is always glad to give in to others4 ,gentleness can get along with forward and difficult persons1 according to the old pagan saying3 8,you must know the manners of your friends1 but you must not hate them40 ,such a gentle person was our ,savior ,jesus ,christ1 as the ,gospel portrays ,him4 ,of ,peter it is recorded that he wept whenever he remembered the sweet gentleness of ,christ in ,his daily contact with people4 ,gentleness is an excellent virtue and very useful in every walk of life4 ,,goodness ,a person is good when he is willing to help others in their need4 ,,faith ,in listing faith among the fruits of the ,spirit1 ,paul obviously does not mean faith in ,christ1 but faith in men4 ,such faith is not suspicious of people but believes the best4 ,naturally the possessor of such faith will be deceived1 but he lets it pass4 ,he is ready to believe all men1 but he will not trust all men4 ,where this virtue is lacking men are suspicious1 forward1 and wayward and will believe nothing nor yield to anybody4 ,no matter how well a person says or does anything1 they will find fault with it1 and if you do not humor them you can never please them4 ,it is quite impossible to get along with them4 ,such faith in people therefore1 is quite necessary4 ,what kind of life would this be if one person could not believe another person8 ,,meekness ,a person is meek when he is not quick to get angry4 ,many things occur in daily life to provoke a person's anger1 but the ,christian gets over his anger by meekness4 ,,temperance ,christians are to lead sober and chaste lives4 ,they should not be adulterers1 fornicators1 or sensualists4 ,they should not be quarrelers or drunkards4 ,in the first and second chapters of the ,epistle to ,titus1 the ,apostle admonishes bishops1 young women1 and married folks to be chaste and pure4 ,,verse #bc4 ,against such there is no law4 ,there is a law1 of course1 but it does not apply to those who bear these fruits of the ,spirit4 ,the ,law is not given for the righteous man4 ,a true ,christian conducts himself in such a way that he does not need any law to warn or to restrain him4 ,he obeys the ,law without compulsion4 ,the ,law does not concern him4 ,as far as he is concerned there would not have to be any ,law4 ,,verse #bd4 ,and they that are ,christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts4 ,true believers are no hypocrites4 ,they crucify the flesh with its evil desires and lusts4 ,inasmuch as they have not altogether put off the sinful flesh they are inclined to sin4 ,they do not fear or love ,god as they should4 ,they are likely to be provoked to anger1 to envy1 to impatience1 to carnal lust1 and other emotions4 ,but they will not do the things to which the flesh incites them4 ,they crucify the flesh with its evil desires and lusts by fasting and exercise and1 above all1 by a walk in the ,spirit4 ,to resist the flesh in this manner is to nail it to the ,cross4 ,although the flesh is still alive it cannot very well act upon its desires because it is bound and nailed to the ,cross4 ,,verse #be4 ,if we live in the ,spirit1 let us also walk in the ,spirit4 ,a little while ago the ,apostle had condemned those who are envious and start heresies and schisms4 ,as if he had forgotten that he had already berated them1 the ,apostle once more reproves those who provoke and envy others4 ,was not one reference to them sufficient8 ,he repeats his admonition in order to emphasize the viciousness of pride that had caused all the trouble in the churches of ,galatia1 and has always caused the ,church of ,christ no end of difficulties4 ,in his ,epistle to ,titus the ,apostle states that a vainglorious man should not be ordained as a minister1 for pride1 as ,st4 ,augustine points out1 is the mother of all heresies4 ,now vainglory has always been a common poison in the world4 ,there is no village too small to contain someone who wants to be considered wiser or better than the rest4 ,those who have been bitten by pride usually stand upon the reputation for learning and wisdom4 ,vainglory is not nearly so bad in a private person or even in an official as it is in a minister4 ,when the poison of vainglory gets into the ,church you have no idea what havoc it can cause4 ,you may argue about knowledge1 art1 money1 countries1 and the like without doing particular harm4 ,but you cannot quarrel about salvation or damnation1 about eternal life and eternal death without grave damage to the ,church4 ,no wonder ,paul exhorts all ministers of the ,word to guard against this poison4 ,he writes3 8,if we live in the ,spirit40 ,where the ,spirit is1 men gain new attitudes4 ,where formerly they were vainglorious1 spiteful and envious1 they now become humble1 gentle and patient4 ,such men seek not their own glory1 but the glory of ,god4 ,they do not provoke each other to wrath or envy1 but prefer others to themselves4 ,as dangerous to the ,church as this abominable pride is1 yet there is nothing more common4 ,the trouble with the ministers of ,satan is that they look upon the ministry as a stepping-stone to fame and glory1 and right there you have the seed for all sorts of dissensions4 ,because ,paul knew that the vainglory of the false ,apostles had caused the churches of ,galatia endless trouble1 he makes it his business to suppress this abominable vice4 ,in his absence the false apostles went to work in ,galatia4 ,they pretended that they had been on intimate terms with the apostles1 while ,paul had never seen ,christ in person or had much contact with the rest of the apostles4 ,because of this they delivered him1 rejected his doctrine1 and boosted their own4 ,in this way they troubled the ,galatians and caused quarrels among them until they provoked and envied each other2 which goes to show that neither the false apostles nor the ,galatians walked after the ,spirit1 but after the flesh4 ,the ,gospel is not there for us to aggrandize ourselves4 ,the ,gospel is to aggrandize ,christ and the mercy of ,god4 ,it holds out to men eternal gifts that are not gifts of our own manufacture4 ,what right have we to receive praise and glory for gifts that are not of our own making8 ,no wonder that ,god in ,his special grace subjects the ministers of the ,gospel to all kinds of afflictions1 otherwise they could not cope with this ugly beast called vainglory4 ,if no persecution1 no cross1 or reproach trailed the doctrine of the ,gospel1 but only praise and reputation1 the ministers of the ,gospel would choke with pride4 ,paul had the ,spirit of ,christ4 ,nevertheless there was given unto him the messenger of ,satan to buffet him in order that he should not come to exalt himself1 because of the grandeur of his revelations4 ,st4 ,augustine's opinion is well taken3 8,if a minister of the ,gospel is praised1 he is in danger2 if he is despised1 he is also in danger40 ,the ministers of the ,gospel should be men who are not too easily affected by praise or criticism1 but simply speak out the benefit and the glory of ,christ and seek the salvation of souls4 ,whenever you are being praised1 remember it is not you who is being praised but ,christ1 to whom all praise belongs4 ,when you preach the ,word of ,god in its purity and also live accordingly1 it is not your own doing1 but ,god's doing4 ,and when people praise you1 they really mean to praise ,god in you4 ,when you understand this--and you should because 8what hast thou that thou didst not receive80--you will not flatter yourself on the one hand and on the other hand you will not carry yourself with the thought of resigning from the ministry when you are insulted1 reproached1 or persecuted4 ,it is really kind of ,god to send so much infamy1 reproach1 hatred1 and cursing our way to keep us from getting proud of the gifts of ,god in us4 ,we need a millstone around our neck to keep us humble4 ,there are a few on our side who love and revere us for the ministry of the ,word1 but for every one of these there are a hundred on the other side who hate and persecute us4 ,the ,lord is our glory4 ,such gifts as we possess we acknowledge to be the gifts of ,god1 given to us for the good of the ,church of ,christ4 ,therefore we are not proud because of them4 ,we know that more is required of them to whom much is given1 than of such to whom little is given4 ,we also know that ,god is no respecter of persons4 ,a plain factory hand who does his work faithfully pleases ,god just as much as a minister of the ,word4 ,,verse #bf4 ,let us not be desirous of vain glory4 ,to desire vainglory is to desire lies1 because when one person praises another he tells lies4 ,what is there in anybody to praise8 ,but it is different when the ministry is praised4 ,we should not only desire people to praise the ministry of the ,gospel but also do our utmost to make the ministry worthy of praise because this will make the ministry more effective4 ,paul warns the ,romans not to bring ,christianity into disrepute4 8,let not then your good be evil spoken of40 7,rom4 #ad3af47 ,he also begged the ,corinthians to 8give no offense in anything1 that the ministry be not blamed40 7,i ,cor4 #f3c47 ,when people praise our ministry they are not praising our persons1 but ,god4 ,,verse #bf4 ,provoking one another1 envying one another4 ,such is the ill effect of vainglory4 ,those who teach errors provoke others4 ,when others disapprove and reject the doctrine the teachers of errors get angry in turn1 and then you have strife and trouble4 ,the sectarians hate us furiously because we will not approve their errors4 ,we did not attack them directly4 ,we merely called attention to certain abuses in the ,church4 ,they did not like it and became sore at us1 because it hurt their pride4 ,they wish to be the lone rulers of the church4 ,,chapter #f ,,verse #a4 ,brethren1 if a man be overtaken in a fault ye which are spiritual1 restore such an one in the spirit of meekness4 ,,if we carefully weigh the words of the ,apostle we perceive that he does not speak of doctrinal faults and errors1 but of much lesser faults by which a person is overtaken through the weakness of his flesh4 ,this explains why the ,apostle chooses the softer term 8fault40 ,to minimize the offense still more1 as if he meant to excuse it altogether and to take the whole blame away from the person who has committed the fault1 he speaks of him as having been 8overtaken10 seduced by the devil and of the flesh4 ,as if he meant to say1 8,what is more human than for a human being to fall1 to be deceived and to err80 ,this comforting sentence at one time saved my life4 ,because ,satan always assails both the purity of doctrine which he endeavors to take away by schisms and the purity of life which he spoils with his continual temptations to sin1 ,paul explains how the fallen should be treated4 ,those who are strong are to raise up the fallen in the spirit of meekness4 ,this ought to be borne in mind particularly by the ministers of the ,word in order that they may not forget the parental attitude which ,paul here requires of those who have the keeping of souls4 ,pastors and ministers must1 of course1 rebuke the fallen1 but when they see that the fallen are sorry they are to comfort them by excusing the fault as well as they can4 ,as unyielding as the ,holy ,spirit is in the matter of maintaining and defending the doctrine of faith1 so mild and merciful is ,he toward men for their sins as long as sinners repent4 ,the ,pope's synagogue teaches the exact opposite of what the ,apostle commands4 ,the clerics are tyrants and butchers of men's conscience4 ,every small offense is closely scrutinized4 ,to justify the cruel inquisitiveness they quote the statement of ,pope ,gregory3 8,it is the property of good lives to be afraid of a fault where there is no fault40 8,our censors must be feared1 even if they are unjust and wrong40 ,on these pronouncements the papists base their doctrine of excommunication4 ,rather than terrify and condemn men's consciences1 they ought to raise them up and comfort them with the truth4 ,let the ministers of the ,gospel learn from ,paul how to deal with those who have sinned4 8,brethren10 he says1 8if any man be overtaken with a fault1 do not aggravate his grief1 do not scold him1 do not condemn him1 but lift him up and gently restore his faith4 ,if you see a brother despondent over a sin he has committed1 run up to him1 reach out your hand to him1 comfort him with the ,gospel and embrace him like a mother4 ,when you meet a willful sinner who does not care1 go after him and rebuke him sharply40 ,but this is not the treatment for one who has been overtaken by a sin and is sorry4 ,he must be dealt with in the spirit of meekness and not in the spirit of severity4 ,a repentant sinner is not to be given gall and vinegar to drink4 ,,verse #a4 ,considering thyself1 lest thou also be tempted4 ,this consideration is very much needed to put a stop to the severity of some pastors who show the fallen no mercy4 ,st4 ,augustine says3 8,there is no sin which one person has committed1 that another person may not commit it also40 ,we stand in slippery places4 ,if we become overbearing and neglect our duty1 it is easy enough to fall into sin4 ,in the book entitled 8,the ,lives of ,our ,fathers10 one of the ,fathers is reported to have said when informed that a brother had fallen into adultery3 8,he fell yesterday2 ,i may fall today40 ,paul therefore warns the pastors not to be too rigorous and unmerciful towards offenders1 but to show them every affection1 always remembering3 8,this man fell into sin2 ,i may fall into worse sin4 ,if those who are always so eager to condemn others would investigate themselves they would find that the sins of others are motes in comparison to their own40 8,wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall40 7,i ,cor4 #aj3ab47 ,if ,david who was a hero of faith and did so many great things for the ,lord1 could fall so badly that in spite of his advanced age he was overcome by youthful lust after he had withstood so many different temptations with which the ,lord had tested his faith1 who are we to think that we are more stable8 ,these object lessons of ,god should convince us that of all things ,god hates pride4 ,,verse #b4 ,bear ye one another's burdens1 and so fulfill the law of ,christ4 ,the ,law of ,christ is the ,law of love4 ,christ gave us no other law than this law of mutual love3 8,a new commandment ,i give unto you1 ,that ye love one another40 ,to love means to bear another's burdens4 ,christians must have strong shoulders to bear the burdens of their fellow ,christians4 ,faithful pastors recognize many errors and offenses in the church1 which they oversee4 ,in civil affairs an official has to overlook much if he is fit to rule4 ,if we can overlook our own shortcomings and wrong-doings1 we ought to overlook the shortcomings of others in accordance with the words1 8,bear ye one another's burdens40 ,those who fail to do so expose their lack of understanding of the law of ,christ4 ,love1 according to ,paul1 8believeth all things1 hopeth all things1 endureth all things40 ,this commandment is not meant for those who deny ,christ2 neither is it meant for those who continue to live in sin4 ,only those who are willing to hear the ,word of ,god and then inadvertently fall into sin to their own great sorrow and regret1 carry the burdens which the ,apostle encourages us to bear4 ,let us not be hard on them4 ,if ,christ did not punish them1 what right have we to do it8 ,,verse #c4 ,for if a man think himself to be something1 when he is nothing1 he deceiveth himself4 ,again the ,apostle takes the authors of sects to task for being hard-hearted tyrants4 ,they despise the weak and demand that everything be just so4 ,nothing suits them except what they do4 ,unless you eulogize whatever they say or do1 unless you adapt yourself to their slightest whim1 they become angry with you4 ,they are that way because1 as ,st4 ,paul says1 they 8think themselves to be something10 they think they know all about the ,scriptures4 ,paul has their number when he calls them zeros4 ,they deceive themselves with their self-suggested wisdom and holiness4 ,they have no understanding of ,christ or the law of ,christ4 ,by insisting that everything be perfect they not only fail to bear the burdens of the weak1 they actually offend the weak by their severity4 ,people begin to hate and shun them and refuse to accept counsel or comfort from them4 ,paul describes these stiff and ungracious saints accurately when he says of them1 8,they think themselves to be something40 ,bloated by their own silly ideas and schemes they entertain a pretty fair opinion of themselves1 when in reality they amount to nothing4 ,,verse #d4 ,but let every man prove his own work1 and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone1 and not in another4 ,in this verse the ,apostle continues his attack upon the vainglorious sectarians4 ,although this passage may be applied to any work1 the ,apostle has in mind particularly the work of the ministry4 ,the trouble with these seekers after glory is that they never stop to consider whether their ministry is straightforward and faithful4 ,all they think about is whether people will like and praise them4 ,theirs is a threefold sin4 ,first1 they are greedy of praise4 ,secondly1 they are very sly and wily in suggesting that the ministry of other pastors is not what it should be4 ,by way of contrast they hope to rise in the estimation of the people4 ,thirdly1 once they have established a reputation for themselves they become so chesty that they stop short of nothing4 ,when they have won the praise of men1 pride leads them on to belittle the work of other men and to applaud their own4 ,in this artful manner they hoodwink the people who rather enjoy to see their former pastors taken down a few notches by such upstarts4 8,let a minister be faithful in his office10 is the apostolic injunction4 8,let him not seek his own glory or look for praise4 ,let him desire to do good work and to preach the ,gospel in all its purity4 ,whether an ungrateful world appreciates his efforts is to give him no concern because1 after all1 he is in the ministry not for his own glory but for the glory of ,christ40 ,a faithful minister cares little what people think of him1 as long as his conscience approves of him4 ,the approval of his own good conscience is the best praise a minister can have4 ,to know that we have taught the ,word of ,god and administered the sacraments rightly is to have a glory that cannot be taken away4 ,the glory which the sectarians seek is quite unstable1 because it rests in the whim of people4 ,if ,paul had had to depend on this kind of glory for his ministry he would have despaired when he saw the many offenses and evils following in the wake of his preaching4 ,if we had to feel that the success of our ministry depended upon our popularity with men we would die1 because we are not popular4 ,on the contrary1 we are hated by the whole world with rare bitterness4 ,nobody praises us4 ,everybody finds fault with us4 ,but we can glory in the ,lord and attend to our work cheerfully4 ,who cares whether our efforts please or displease the devil8 ,who cares whether the world praises or hates us8 ,we go ahead 8by honour and dishonour1 by evil report and good report40 7,,ii ,cor4 #f3h47 ,the ,gospel entails persecution4 ,the ,gospel is that kind of a doctrine4 ,furthermore1 the disciples of the ,gospel are not all dependable4 ,many embrace the ,gospel today and tomorrow discard it4 ,to preach the ,gospel for praise is bad business especially when people stop praising you4 ,find your praise in the testimony of a good conscience4 ,this passage may also be applied to other work besides the ministry4 ,when an official1 a servant1 a teacher minds his business and performs his duty faithfully without concerning himself about matters that are not in his line he may rejoice in himself4 ,the best commendation of any work is to know that one has done the work that ,god has given him well and that ,god is pleased with his effort4 ,,verse #e4 ,every man shall bear his own burden4 ,that means3 ,for anybody to covet praise is foolish because the praise of men will be of no help to you in the hour of death4 ,before the judgment throne of ,christ everybody will have to bear his own burden4 ,as it is the praise of men stops when we die4 ,before the eternal ,judge it is not praise that counts but your own conscience4 ,true1 the consciousness of work well done cannot quiet the conscience4 ,but it is well to have the testimony of a good conscience in the last judgment that we have performed our duty faithfully in accordance with ,god's will4 ,for the suppression of pride we need the strength of prayer4 ,what man even if he is a ,christian is not delighted with his own praise8 ,only the ,holy ,spirit can preserve us from the misfortune of pride4 ,,verse #f4 ,let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things4 ,now the ,apostle also addresses the hearers of the ,word requesting them to bestow 8all good things0 upon those who have taught them the ,gospel4 ,i have often wondered why all the apostles reiterated this request with such embarrassing frequency4 ,in the papacy ,i saw the people give generously for the erection and maintenance of luxurious church buildings and for the sustenance of men appointed to the idolatrous service of ,rome4 ,i saw bishops and priests grow rich until they possessed the choicest real estate4 ,i thought then that ,paul's admonitions were overdone4 ,i thought he should have requested the people to curtail their contributions4 ,i saw how the generosity of the people of the ,church was encouraging covetousness on the part of the clergy4 ,i know better now4 ,as often as ,i read the admonitions of the ,apostle to the effect that the churches should support their pastors and raise funds for the relief of impoverished ,christians ,i am half ashamed to think that the great ,apostle ,paul had to touch upon this subject so frequently4 ,in writing to the ,corinthians he needed two chapters to impress this matter upon them4 ,i would not want to discredit ,wittenberg as ,paul discredited the ,corinthians by urging them at such length to contribute to the relief of the poor4 ,it seems to be a by-product of the ,gospel that nobody wants to contribute to the maintenance of the ,gospel ministry4 ,when the doctrine of the devil is preached people are prodigal in their willing support of those who deceive them4 ,we have come to understand why it is so necessary to repeat the admonition of this verse4 ,when ,satan cannot suppress the preaching of the ,gospel by force he tries to accomplish his purpose by striking the ministers of the ,gospel with poverty4 ,he curtails their income to such an extent that they are forced out of the ministry because they cannot live by the ,gospel4 ,without ministers to proclaim the ,word of ,god the people go wild like savage beasts4 ,paul's admonition that the hearers of the ,gospel share all good things with their pastors and teachers is certainly in order4 ,to the ,corinthians he wrote3 8,if we have sown unto you spiritual things is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things80 7,i ,cor4 #i3aa47 ,in the old days when the ,pope reigned supreme everybody paid plenty for masses4 ,the begging friars brought in their share4 ,commercial priests counted the daily offerings4 ,from these extortions our countrymen are now delivered by the ,gospel4 ,you would think they would be grateful for their emancipation and give generously for the support of the ministry of the ,gospel and the relief of impoverished ,christians4 ,instead1 they rob ,christ4 ,when the members of a ,christian congregation permit their pastor to struggle along in penury1 they are worse than heathen4 ,before very long they are going to suffer for their ingratitude4 ,they will lose their temporal and spiritual possessions4 ,this sin merits the severest punishment4 ,the reason why the churches of ,galatia1 ,corinth1 and other places were troubled by false apostles was this1 that they had so little regard for their faithful ministers4 ,you cannot refuse to give a penny who gives you all good things1 even life eternal1 and turn around and give the devil1 the giver of all evil and death eternal1 pieces of gold1 and not be punished for it4 ,the words 8in all good things03 are not to be understood to mean that people are to give all they have to their ministers1 but that they should support them liberally and give them enough to live well4 ,,verse #g4 ,be not deceived2 ,god is not mocked4 ,the ,apostle is so worked up over this matter that he is not content with a mere admonition4 ,he utters the threatening words1 8,god is not mocked40 ,our countrymen think it good sport to despise the ministry4 ,they like to treat the ministers like servants and slaves4 8,be not deceived10 warns the ,apostle1 8,god is not mocked40 ,god will not be mocked in ,his ministers4 ,christ said3 8,he that despiseth you1 despiseth me40 7,luke #aj3af47 ,to ,samuel ,god said3 8,they have not rejected thee1 but they have rejected me40 7,i ,sam4 #h3g47 ,be careful1 you scoffers4 ,god may postpone ,his punishment for a time1 but ,he will find you out in time1 and punish you for despising ,his servants4 ,you cannot laugh at ,god4 ,maybe the people are little impressed by the threats of ,god1 but in the hour of their death they shall know whom they have mocked4 ,god is not ever going to let ,his ministers starve4 ,when the rich suffer the pangs of hunger ,god will feed ,his own servants4 8,in the days of famine they shall be satisfied40 7,ps4 #cg3ai47 ,,verse #g4 ,for whatever a man soweth1 that shall he also reap4 ,these passages are all meant to benefit us ministers4 ,i must say ,i do not find much pleasure in explaining these verses4 ,i am made to appear as if ,i am speaking for my own benefit4 ,if a minister preaches on money he is likely to be accused of covetousness4 ,still people must be told these things that they may know their duty over against their pastors4 ,our ,savior says3 8,eating and drinking such things as they give2 for the laborer is worthy of his hire40 7,luke #aj3g47 ,and ,paul says elsewhere3 8,do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple8 and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar8 ,even so hath the ,lord ordained1 that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel40 7,i ,cor4 #i3ac1 #ad47 ,,verse #h4 ,for he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption2 but he that soweth to the ,spirit shall of the ,spirit reap everlasting life4 ,this simile of sowing and reaping also refers to the proper support of ministers4 8,he that soweth to the ,spirit10 i4e41 he that honors the ministers of ,god is doing a spiritual thing and will reap everlasting life4 8,he that soweth to the flesh10 i4e41 he that has nothing left for the ministers of ,god1 but only thinks of himself1 that person will reap of the flesh corruption1 not only in this life but also in the life to come4 ,the ,apostle wants to stir up his readers to be generous to their pastors4 ,that the ministers of the ,church need support any man with common sense can see4 ,though this support is something physical the ,apostle does not hesitate to call it sowing to the ,spirit4 ,when people scrape up everything they can lay their hands on and keep everything for themselves the ,apostle calls it a sowing to the flesh4 ,he pronounces those who sow to the ,spirit blessed for this life and the life to come1 while those who sow to the flesh are accursed now and forever4 ,,verse #i4 ,and let us not be weary in well doing3 for in due season we shall reap1 if we faint not4 ,the ,apostle intends soon to close his ,epistle and therefore repeats once more the general exhortation unto good deeds4 ,he means to say 8,let us do good not only to the ministers of the ,gospel1 but to everybody1 and let us do it without weariness40 ,it is easy enough to do good once or twice1 but to keep on doing good without getting disgusted with the ingratitude of those whom we have benefited1 that is not so easy4 ,therefore the ,apostle does not only admonish us to do good1 but to do good untiringly4 ,for our encouragement he adds the promise3 8,for in due season we shall reap1 if we faint not40 8,wait for the harvest and then you will reap the reward of your sowing to the ,spirit4 ,think of that when you do good and the ingratitude of men will not stop you from doing good40 ,,verse #aj4 ,as we have therefore opportunity1 let us do good unto all men1 especially unto them who are of the household of faith4 ,in this verse the ,apostle summarizes his instructions on the proper support of the ministers and of the poor4 ,he paraphrases the words of ,christ3 8,i must work the works of him that sent me1 while it is day3 the night cometh1 when no man can work40 7,john #i3d47 ,our good deeds are to be directed primarily at those who share the ,christian faith with us1 8the household of faith10 as ,paul calls them1 among whom the ministers rank first as objects of our well doing4 ,,verse #aa4 ,ye see how large a letter ,i have written unto you with mine own hand4 ,with these words the ,apostle intends to draw the ,galatians on4 8,i never10 he says1 8wrote such a long letter with my own hand to any of the other churches40 ,his other epistles he dictated1 and only subscribed his greetings and his signature with his own hand4 ,,verse #ab4 ,as many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh1 they constrain you to be circumcised2 only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of ,christ4 ,paul once more scores the false apostles in an effort to draw the ,galatians away from their false doctrine4 8,the teachers you have now do not seek the glory of ,christ and the salvation of your souls1 but only their own glory4 ,they avoid the ,cross4 ,they do not understand what they teach40 ,these three counts against the false apostles are of so serious a nature that no ,christian could have fellowship with them4 ,but not all the ,galatians obeyed the warning of ,paul4 ,the ,apostle's attack upon the false apostles was not unjustified4 ,neither are our attacks upon the papacy4 ,when we call the ,pope the ,antichrist and his minions an evil brood1 we do not slander them4 ,we merely judge them by the touchstone of ,god's ,word recorded in the first chapter of this ,epistle3 8,though we1 or an angel from heaven1 preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you1 let him be accursed40 ,,verse #ac4 ,for neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law2 but desire to have you circumcised1 that they may glory in your flesh4 ,in other words3 8,i shall tell you what kind of teachers you have now4 ,they avoid the ,cross1 they teach no certain truths4 ,they think they are performing the ,law1 but they are not4 ,they have not the ,holy ,spirit and without ,him nobody can keep the ,law40 ,where the ,holy ,ghost does not dwell in men there dwells an unclean spirit1 a spirit that despises ,god and turns every effort at keeping the ,law into a double sin4 ,mark what the ,apostle is saying3 ,those who are circumcised do not fulfill the ,law4 ,no self-righteous person ever does4 ,to work1 pray1 or suffer apart from ,christ is to work1 pray1 and to suffer in vain1 8for whatsoever is not of faith is sin40 ,it does a person no good to be circumcised1 to fast1 to pray1 or to do anything1 if in his heart he despises ,christ4 8,why do the false apostles insist that you should be circumcised8 ,not for the sake of your righteousness10 although they give that impression1 but 8that they may glory in your flesh40 ,now what sort of an ambition is that8 ,worst of all1 they force circumcision upon you for no other reason than the satisfaction they get out of your submission4 ,,verse #ad4 ,but ,god forbid that ,i should glory1 save in the cross of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 8,god forbid10 says the ,apostle1 8that ,i should glory in anything as dangerous as the false apostles glory in because what they glory in is a poison that destroys many souls1 and ,i wish it were buried in hell4 ,let them glory in the flesh if they wish and let them perish in their glory4 ,as for me ,i glory in the ,cross of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ40 ,he expresses the same sentiment in the fifth chapter of the ,epistle to the ,romans1 where he says3 8,we glory in tribulations02 and in the twelfth chapter of the ,second ,epistle to the ,corinthians3 8,most gladly1 therefore1 will l rather glory in my infirmities40 ,according to these expressions the glory of a ,christian consists in tribulations1 reproaches1 and infirmities4 ,and this is our glory today with the ,pope and the whole world persecuting us and trying to kill us4 ,we know that we suffer these things not because we are thieves and murderers1 but for ,christ's sake whose ,gospel we proclaim4 ,we have no reason to complain4 ,the world1 of course1 looks upon us as unhappy and accursed creatures1 but ,christ for whose sake we suffer pronounces us blessed and bids us to rejoice4 8,blessed are ye10 says ,he1 8when men shall revile you1 and persecute you1 and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely1 for my sake4 ,rejoice1 and be exceeding glad40 7,matt4 #e3aa1 #ab47 ,by the ,cross of ,christ is not to be understood here the two pieces of wood to which ,he was nailed1 but all the afflictions of the believers whose sufferings are ,christ's sufferings4 ,elsewhere ,paul writes3 8,who now rejoice in my sufferings for you1 and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of ,christ in my flesh for his body's sake1 which is the church40 7,col4 #a3bd47 ,it is good for us to know this lest we sink into despair when our opponents persecute us4 ,let us bear the cross for ,christ's sake4 ,it will ease our sufferings and make them light as ,christ says1 ,matthew #aa3cj1 8,my yoke is easy1 and my burden is light40 ,,verse #ad4 ,by whom the world is crucified unto me1 and ,i unto the world4 8,the world is crucified unto me10 means that ,i condemn the world4 8,i am crucified unto the world10 means that the world in turn condemns me4 ,i detest the doctrine1 the self-righteousness1 and the works of the world4 ,the world in turn detests my doctrine and condemns me as a revolutionary heretic4 ,thus the world is crucified unto us and we unto the world4 ,the monks imagined the world was crucified unto them when they entered the monastery4 ,not the world1 but ,christ1 is crucified in the monasteries4 ,in this verse ,paul expresses his hatred of the world4 ,the hatred was mutual4 ,as ,paul1 so we are to despise the world and the devil4 ,with ,christ on our side we can defy him and say3 8,satan1 the more you hurt me1 the more ,i oppose you40 ,,verse #ae4 ,for in ,christ ,jesus neither circumcision availeth anything1 nor uncircumcision1 but a new creature4 ,since circumcision and uncircumcision are contrary matters we would expect the ,apostle to say that one or the other might accomplish some good4 ,but he denies that either of them do any good4 ,both are of no value because in ,christ ,jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avail anything4 ,reason fails to understand this1 8for the natural man receiveth not the things of the ,spirit of ,god40 7,i ,cor4 #b3ad47 ,it therefore seeks righteousness in externals4 ,however1 we learn from the ,word of ,god that there is nothing under the sun that can make us righteous before ,god and a new creature except ,christ ,jesus4 ,a new creature is one in whom the image of ,god has been renewed4 ,such a creature cannot be brought into life by good works1 but by ,christ alone4 ,good works may improve the outward appearance1 but they cannot produce a new creature4 ,a new creature is the work of the ,holy ,ghost1 who imbues our hearts with faith1 love1 and other ,christian virtues1 grants us the strength to subdue the flesh and to reject the righteousness of the world4 ,,verse #af4 ,and as many as walk according to this rule1 peace be on them1 and mercy4 ,this is the rule by which we ought to live1 8that ye put on the new man1 which after ,god is created in righteousness and true holiness40 7,eph4 #d3bd47 ,those who walk after this rule enjoy the favor of ,god1 the forgiveness of their sins1 and peace of conscience4 ,should they ever be overtaken by any sin1 the mercy of ,god supports them4 ,,verse #ag4 ,from henceforth let no man trouble me4 ,the ,apostle speaks these words with a certain amount of indignation4 8,i have preached the ,gospel to you in conformity with the revelation which ,i received from ,jesus ,christ4 ,if you do not care for it1 very well4 ,trouble me no more4 ,trouble me no more40 ,,verse #ag4 ,for ,i bear in my body the marks of the ,lord ,jesus4 8,the marks on my body indicate whose servant ,i am4 ,if ,i was anxious to please men1 if ,i approved of circumcision and good works as factors in our salvation1 if ,i would take delight in your flesh as the false apostles do1 ,i would not have these marks on my body4 ,but because ,i am the servant of ,jesus ,christ and publicly declare that no person can obtain the salvation of his soul outside of ,christ1 ,i must bear the badge of my ,lord4 ,these marks were given to me against my will as decorations from the devil and for no other merit but that ,i made known ,jesus40 ,of the marks of suffering which he bore in his body the ,apostle makes frequent mention in his epistles4 8,i think10 he says1 8that ,god hath set forth us the apostles last1 as it were appointed to death3 for we are made a spectacle unto the world1 and to angels1 and to men40 7,i ,cor4 #d3i47 ,again1 8,unto this present hour we both hunger1 and thirst1 and are naked1 and are buffeted1 and have no certain dwelling-place2 ,and labour1 working with our hands3 being reviled1 we bless2 being persecuted1 we suffer it2 being defamed1 we intreat3 we are made as the filth of the world1 and are the offscouring of all things unto this day40 7,i ,cor4 #d3aa-ac47 ,,verse #ah4 ,brethren1 the grace of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ be with your spirit4 ,amen4 ,this is the ,apostle's farewell4 ,he ends his ,epistle as he began it by wishing the ,galatians the grace of ,god4 ,we can hear him say3 8,i have presented ,christ to you1 ,i have pleaded with you1 ,i have reproved you1 ,i have overlooked nothing that ,i thought might be of benefit to you4 ,all ,i can do now is to pray that our ,lord ,jesus ,christ would bless my ,epistle and grant you the guidance of the ,holy ,ghost40 ,the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 our ,savior1 who gave me the strength and the grace to explain this ,epistle and granted you the grace to hear it1 preserve and strengthen us in faith unto the day of our redemption4 ,to ,him1 the ,father and the ,son and the ,holy ,spirit1 be glory1 world without end4 ,amen4