De vi legis

De vi legis

We said that the Gospel is not the law, but a promise of grace; now it remains for us to teach what the essence of the law and the essence of the Gospel is, in whatever way we can. For this reason, the distinction between the law and the gospel can be understood in some way. And indeed, the Scripture varies from human reason regarding the power of the law. Scripture calls the law the power of wrath, sin, the scepter of the enforcer, lightning, and thunder. Human reason is for correcting faults and teaching how to live. Thus, Cicero calls it concerning the laws. And nothing is celebrated more gloriously in the praises of the laws than that Paul might even seem to go mad when he calls the law the power of sin. Thus the Jews (Joh. When Moses' disciples testify, they don't want to acknowledge Christ. Therefore, let’s discuss the nature of the law in detail by comparing two kinds of people with each other. From the first group are those who understand the law in a carnal way and do not feel that they are required to meet impossible demands; they are blind, unable to see sin, the law, or justice. There are, however, hypocrites and sophists of all ages. Paul calls this kind of righteousness the righteousness that comes from the works of the law, namely, from those who, when they hear the law, begin to act according to their own works, and their hands, feet, and mouth will be directed to the law; but their hearts will not be directed to it; for they would rather be without the law, no matter how holy they may seem to themselves. Still, pleasures, wealth, and honor are appealing. No one can say better what they are than the Spirit of God. At first, they lack faith; that is, their hearts understand nothing of God, and as Scripture says, they do not seek God, which means they do not honor Him, but rather despise Him. Then they turn away, according to the Psalms. That is, when they neither fear God nor believe in Him, they turn aside to their own plans, disregarding God, through which they seek either wealth or something else. They pursue dignities through their own means. Moreover, they try to justify themselves by their own works, and Scripture often points out such workers of iniquity. Hypocrites are described by David in this way: There is no integrity in their speech; their insides are empty, and their throats are like an open pit. In this human condition, there’s nothing that pertains to the law. For they live from a false and carnal understanding of the law, which is why the law cannot accomplish in them what it should; instead, they create for themselves idols, images of masculinity, and shadows of carnal virtues. They are drawn to perform good works out of a certain carnal desire, either from fear of punishment or from a desire for gain, foolishly secure, since they do not see the sickness of their own souls. This kind of pride is incredible, a swelling arrogance, and stubbornness. It is so far from being the case that they satisfy the law that no one is further from the law. This is the kind of Pharisee mentioned in Luke 18, who says: 'I am not like the other people.'^✦ And Isaiah describes the drunkenness of Ephraim, saying, 'We have made a covenant with death, and with the grave we have made an agreement.' And here. They didn't know how to be ashamed. And Matthew. Woe to those who work iniquity. Paul testifies about what he was like before he was converted. I once lived without the law, meaning there was a time when I thought I was fulfilling the law perfectly, when I overcame hypocrisy in my actions, even surpassing all my equals; for the law did not accuse me, did not blame me, and did not condemn me then. And such are all men who attempt to express the law through the powers of nature according to their capacity for reason, while they neither understand the law nor their own powers. And these are the ones who only contemplate the back of Moses and only see his veiled face, as Paul mentions in his later letter to the Corinthians. Where the Jews deny that the evangelical righteousness can be understood, they contemplate Moses with veiled hearts, which means they don't see what the law requires; for we are nothing but sin and a curse, as the law does not reveal. And up to this point, indeed, about those who, through the powers of nature and according to the capacity of human reason, attempt the law, each person can assess what they are like from their own heart. These statements of Paul do not properly apply to them: "The law is the power of wrath, the power of sin, the ministry of death," etc. Even if the law brings condemnation to those who make an idol for themselves from it, they still do nothing but act with an ineffable kind of pride and annoyance of heart. There are those to whom these statements apply: The law is the power of sin, the power of wrath, and so on. God reveals the law and shows the hearts of those whom He terrifies with the sense of their own sin and confounds. These are the things in which God works through the law. The law does nothing in hypocrites, but they refer to a certain shadow of the law as a kind of hypocritical justice. In this, the law truly and properly acts, revealing sin. Because it truly happens, it is done by God, and Scripture calls this work judgment, the wrath of God, the fury of God, the aspect, the face of wrath, etc. Psalm. The judgment of correction will come from His throne, and fire will precede Him and consume His enemies all around. Lightning flashed across the earth, and the earth saw it and trembled. The mountains melted like wax before the Lord, before the Lord all the earth. Psalm. From heaven you made your judgment heard; the earth trembled and was still. And Zachar. Let all flesh be silent before the Lord. Isaiah. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he will kill the wicked. Habakkuk. III: He looked and dissolved the nations, and the mountains of the world were crushed. But what good is it to pile up many things, since this is clearly another part of Scripture? The law and the work of the law are meant to kill and condemn, to reveal the root of our sin, and to confuse us. It doesn't just mortify greed or lust, but the root of all evil, our love of self, the judgment of reason, and whatever good seems to belong to nature. Here it will be revealed how moral virtues are perceived and how the garment of the saints' justice is stained like a menstrual cloth. Since even Moses had to cry out, "Exod." Before you, not even the innocent is innocent. And he will not make the innocent guilty. The one who cleanses will not make the innocent guilty. And David said, Ps. Lord, do not bring me into judgment with your servant. VI. : Lord, don’t hold me accountable in your anger. Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger. Hezekiah: Like a lion, he has crushed all my bones. And this is what John said very sparingly, as he usually does: "The law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ."^✦ Truth stands opposed to hypocrisy, and grace stands against the fury of God. Therefore, since through Jesus Christ grace, which is mercy and favor from God, is born and true justice is in our hearts, it is necessary that the law of hypocrisy be only an authority, as it coerces the unwilling and those raging against God, and wrath, when it condemns us as guilty. Thus Paul writes to the Romans. In the seventh chapter, where he diligently discusses the power of the law, he says: "I did not know sin except through the law; for I would not have known coveting if the law had not said, 'You shall not covet.'"^✦ The same applies here: Through the law comes the knowledge of sin; as if to say, hypocrites are falsely persuaded that righteousness can be prepared by the law, when the law only reveals sin in the heart. Then, taking the opportunity, sin was stirred up in me through the commandment, producing every kind of desire; that is, when I began to feel the burden of the law, it became clear that the law was of no benefit to me, since desire began to rise up even more fiercely against the judgment and will of God. For without the law, sin was dead; that is, if the law hadn't shown me sin in my heart, if the awareness of sin hadn't terrified me, sin would have been dead, and it wouldn't have stirred up. I once lived without the law. There was a time when I thought I was righteous, but I didn't see the law, and therefore I didn't see sin. And there, sin lay dormant and did not openly provoke God. But when the commandment came, sin revived; I, however, died. This is to say, when God showed me my sin through the law, sin was stirred up, and I became confused, terrified, and briefly dead. And then indeed, the purpose of the law became clear. The law was indeed given so that we might live; but since we cannot fulfill it, it becomes a means of death. And what is the reason, then, that the law brings death? The law is spiritual; it demands spiritual things, truth, and faith that glorifies God, and love for God. But I am carnal, unbelieving, ignorant of God, foolish, and self-loving, etc. Nowhere has the Apostle Paul discussed the power and reasoning of the law as thoroughly as in this passage we have proposed, where I see nothing that could be desired. There is no darkness, nothing obstructed, everything is clear and open, so that there can be no doubt about His judgment. If a diligent reader of Scripture wishes, let him add to this the passages that serve as supporting evidence, which are scattered throughout other letters. In L to the heart. The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. For sin would not confuse us or terrify us unless it were revealed to us by the law, and thus sin would not be effective unless it were stirred up and brought to light through the law. So death wouldn't be effective unless it terrified us through the power and actions of sin. In II. The law is discerned from the spirit in this way: Our sufficiency comes from God, who has made us competent ministers of the New Testament, not of the letter, but of the spirit. The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. And what does the letter call, and what does the spirit call? The following will explain it more clearly. But if the ministry of death was so glorious that the Israelites could not gaze at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which is fading away, why will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? The ministry of death is the law, which, by revealing and exposing sin, confounds, terrifies, and kills the conscience. The ministry of the Spirit is the Gospel, which we will later say comforts, lifts up, animates, and gives life to minds that have been made fearful. In the third chapter to the Galatians, after a lengthy discussion, the apostle teaches that justice cannot be achieved solely through the law, adding that this was something that could not be easily dismissed. So what then is the law? So, if it didn't help to achieve righteousness, I ask, what was its purpose? The law was given because of transgressions, as it is said, so that wrongdoing might increase. For knowledge of sin increases sin itself, especially when it rages more fiercely, when it is restrained, and when nature indignantly bears the confusion of itself and becomes angry at divine judgment. This is the essence of the law, as many examples from Scripture also teach us, especially in Exodus. When God was about to give the law, He did so with great majesty. Was the people struck with such wonders, thunder, smoke, lightning, clouds, and the blast of trumpets, and not with terrifying visions? These are the terrifying signs that strike the conscience of all. Is there a voice of the people? Is the voice of a troubled conscience? When they say, "Let not the Lord speak to us, lest we die," Moses, no longer just a minister of the law but now an evangelist, lifts up a people who are so greatly troubled, saying: "Do not be afraid."^✦ God came to test you, so that His terror would be in you and you wouldn’t sin. If the conscience doesn't hear the clear voice of the Gospel as spoken by Moses, how will it endure the terrifying gaze of the Judge? But we will speak later about the comfort of the Gospel. Now the light shone forth from the face of Moses, so that the people's eyes were dazzled. The reason it was necessary for Him to show Himself to the people only with a veiled face was this. For the eyes and minds of humans cannot bear the brilliance of divine light. In summary: the brightness, the faces on the mountain, and the glory in the face of Moses clearly indicate that, when I speak with Paul, it is the glory of God that confounds the human heart. The judgment of God is this knowledge of sin. Let the false attritions and simulated contritions give way, and let the cauterized consciences of hypocrites also yield. God examines the depths of the heart. It is so far from the case that human reason can see its own sin, that even the holy and Spirit-filled must plead for their ignorance. David exclaims, "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want."^✦ Who can understand the weight of sin? And the Psalms. Don't remember my ignorance, and many other things like this. Herein. Seventeen, the heart of man is wicked and inscrutable: I, the Lord, search the heart and test the mind. And you have chastised me, Lord, and I have been instructed, like a wild calf. You have chastised me, Lord, and I have been taught, like a wild calf. Convert me, and I will be converted, for you are my Lord, my God. After you turned me around, I repented, and after you showed me, I struck my thigh; I was confused and ashamed when I bore the disgrace of my youth. And who is it that thinks they have fulfilled the law, when it is commanded that we deny ourselves? In summary, the essence of the law is the work of sin, or, to put it more clearly, the conscience of sin, which Paul calls the record of our transgressions against the doctrines that oppose us. Thus, Paul defines conscience much more elegantly and much more certainly than the Sophists, who I don't know how many practical syllogisms they come up with while they describe the term 'conscience.' What else is the conscience of sin but the judgment of the law, revealing our sin in the heart? For what Paul says is true. For it is written that the law opposes us, as it is stated in the decrees. The purpose of the law is to reveal sin. Moreover, when I name sin, I encompass all kinds of sin: external, internal, hypocrisy, unbelief, our love, contempt or ignorance of God, the very roots of all human actions. And in justifying sinners, this is the first work of God: to reveal our sin, to confuse our conscience, to terrify us, and briefly to condemn us, as the example of Jeremiah indicates, which I cited a little earlier. And Paul says, I have died to the law. And David said. As Luther said in his rebuke: just as the work of God is twofold, namely, proper and foreign, so too is the work of the Gospel twofold. The primary task of the Gospel is to proclaim the true work of God, which is grace, through which the Father of mercies freely gives peace, justice, and truth to all, mitigating His entire wrath. The work of the Gospel is to prepare a perfect people for the Lord, which means to reveal sins and to accuse those who are guilty, even if they think they are righteous. In the broadest sense, the gospel is nothing other than the announcement of a later time. Harnack says this. I, Köstlin a. ) Practici, Sp. The common syllogisms; the entire development is digitized by Google, and it exclaims: I have sinned against the Lord. Regg. XXI: Achab tears the garment, etc. And as Scripture says, he was struck down with a severed head. And in the second chapter of the thirty-third book, it is written about Manasseh that he was distressed: for the word of Scripture must be used. And in the second chapter of the apostolic history: When they heard this, they were pierced to the heart. Here it is enough to remind you that this work of the law is the beginning of repentance, which the Spirit of God often uses to terrify and disturb consciences. For nature, by itself, cannot recognize the ugliness of sin, much less can it hate it. A person driven by animal instincts doesn't perceive the things of God. The flesh desires those things that are of the flesh. These things about the beginning of repentance are discussed by the Sophists in the fourth book of their Sentences, while we are here as if in the vestibule of our work. For the justification of humanity, and thus true baptism, is initiated by the Spirit of God through the law. This statement means that baptism signifies two things: mortification and a sign of confusion, which is brought about by the Spirit of God through the law. And just as from the knowledge of sin, a Christian life is to be begun, so too, from the duty of the law, a Christian doctrine is to be initiated. It's not worth the effort to argue about whether this fear is servile or, as they say, filial. Let's allow this kind of idle debate among unproductive minds. Although many argue about this matter in such a way that it seems clear, they neither understand what it means to be in servitude nor what it means to be a son. It's certain that no one can be touched by the hatred of sin except through the Holy Spirit; likewise, it's certain that those who are terrified flee from the face and presence of God unless they are drawn back, called, and strengthened by the Spirit of God, so that they cry out with Paul in the Acts. Sixteen: Lord, what do you want me to do? The history in Exodus teaches that when the people called to Moses, saying, 'Let not the Lord speak to us, lest we die,' they were terrified of the sight of God.^✦ And David said. Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? There are many abundant testimonies in the Scriptures regarding this matter; it seems to me sufficient to mention these, so that the distinction between the law and the gospel may be more clearly understood. You see, however, how great the difference is between false repentance and true. 'About the power of the Gospel.' Those whose conscience terrifies them in this way will undoubtedly be driven to despair, which is what happens to the damned, unless they are lifted up and restored by the promise of God's grace and mercy, which is rightly called the gospel. Here, if a troubled conscience believes in the promise of grace in Christ, it is revived and brought to life by faith, which examples will marvelously declare. In the book of Genesis, chapter. Sin, repentance, and justification are described in relation to Adam. After Adam and Eve had sinned, they were compelled by the Lord to seek a covering for their nakedness. And now they sought to cover their nakedness — for this is how we hypocrites usually try to heal our consciences through our own satisfactions — they were compelled by the Lord. But that voice was intolerable. Here, nothing can cover sin; no pretext excuses it. A guilty conscience lies there, a guilty soul lies there, with sin placed before its eyes by the voice of God. They flee, and Adam reveals the reason for their flight when he says, "Gen." I heard your voice, Lord, in paradise, and I was afraid because I was naked. Behold, the confession of the conscience. Meanwhile, Adam struggles with misery until he hears the promise of mercy, the voice spoken concerning his wife: "Her seed will crush the head of the serpent."^✦ He was indeed doing something to strengthen their consciences, for the Lord clothed them, which clearly signifies the incarnation of Christ; for this flesh ultimately covers our nakedness and removes the confusion from fearful consciences, especially in which they might fall into the reproaches of those who mock them. Psal. LXVHI. We remember a little before David, so that he might be confounded by the voice of Nathan the prophet. And he would have perished, if he had not immediately heard the gospel: The Lord has taken away your sin; you will not die.^✦ Some think that in the histories of the Old Testament, nothing is required beyond the allegories. But here you see how much wisdom there is in this one example of David, if you consider only the literal meaning. . This is the only thing worth seeing, in which the Spirit of God has abundantly revealed both His wrath and His mercy. What more evangelical voice could be imagined than this: The Lord has taken away your sin. Is this the essence of the Gospel or the proclamation? T. , is sin removed? Add to this, if you want, a collection of the Gospel histories of Luke. A sinful woman washes the Lord's feet with her tears and is comforted by these words: "Your sins are forgiven." And what could be more ordinary than the story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15, who confesses his sins and is lovingly received by his father, embraced and kissed, and so on? The Gospel of Luke, chapter 5. Peter, astonished by the miracle, was struck with awe. “Digitized by Google,” it exclaims. : Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man. Christ comforts and calls back those who are afraid, as he says: "Do not be afraid..." From these examples, I believe it's possible to understand what distinguishes the law from the gospel, what the power of the law is, and what the gospel is. The law terrifies, but the gospel brings comfort. The law is a voice of wrath and death, while the gospel is a voice of peace and life; in summary, it is the voice of the bridegroom and the bride, as the prophet says. And whoever stands upright, believing in God through the voice of the Gospel, is now justified, as I will soon explain more fully. It's not unclear to Christians how much joy this consolation brings. Moreover, those joyful voices of the prophets pertain to this, in which they describe Christ and the Church. And my people will dwell in a beautiful place, in a peaceful land, in secure dwellings, and in rich resting places.^✦ Joy and gladness will be found in her, along with a voice of praise. Hierem. I will reveal to them the plea for peace and truth. And it will be to me a name, and joy, and praise, and exultation among all the nations of the earth. Sophon. I will give to the people a chosen tongue, so that they may all invoke the name of the Lord. You will fill him with joy. And the light has risen for the just and the joyful of heart. So what good is it to gather a lot of things, when the power of both the law and the Gospel is already clear from the promulgation of the law and the coming of Christ? Indeed, how terrifying a spectacle the law is when it is proclaimed, as described in Exodus. And we have just now reviewed. Just as the Lord terrified Israel back then, so too do the consciences of individuals tremble at the voice of the law, and together with Israel they cry out: 'Let not the Lord speak to us, lest we die.' The law demands the impossible, and a guilty conscience is convicted of sin. Thus, fear and confusion weigh on the conscience, so that no remedy appears anywhere unless he who humbled himself lifts it up. There are those who seek consolation through their own strength, efforts, works, and satisfactions. But they don't accomplish any more than Adam did with his own efforts. So there are those who oppose themselves to sin by their own free will and strength. They continually fall more miserably, as the situation itself shows. A deceptive horse won't lead to salvation; it won't be saved by its own abundance of virtue. XXXII. And: Give us help, Lord, because human salvation is in vain. Psalms. Melancthon's Loci. The coming of Christ is described by the Prophet Zechariah: "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!"^✦ Behold, your king comes to you, just and savior; he is poor. First, when he commands us to rejoice, he teaches that the word of this king is something different from the law, and thus expresses the joy of the conscience of one who rejoices when he hears the word of grace. Then there is no turmoil, but everything is calm, so that you may understand that the author of peace is not anger. This is what Zacharias calls the poor, which the Evangelist, as if explaining, made gentle. And Isaiah looks at the same thing in chapter 42: A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not extinguish.^✦ Thus the apostle compares Moses' face with the face of Christ in the later passage to the Corinthians. Moses' face shone with a brightness that terrified others, as we mentioned above. Who, then, can comprehend the majesty of divine judgment? For what is it to you if a prophet also intercedes? Do not enter into judgment with your servant. The disciples, seeing the glory of Christ on the mountain, were filled with a new and wondrous joy, so much so that Peter, unaware of what he was saying, exclaimed: "Lord, it is good for us to be here!" Lord, it is good for us to be here; let us make three tents. This is indeed the vision of God's grace and mercy. Just as the gaze of the serpent was preserved, so those who have fixed their eyes on Christ with the faith of their hearts will be kept safe. Therefore, the apostles called it the most joyful message. For the Greeks also commonly called the good news public proclamations of well-done deeds, as is noted in Isocrates.