The Epistles of St. Peter and St. Jude Preached and ExplainedLuther, Martin
ReligionChristian
The Epistles of St. Peter and St. Jude Preached and Explained
Luther, Martin
Bible. Jude; Bible. Jude -- Criticism, interpretation, etc.; Bible. Peter; Bible. Peter -- Criticism, interpretation, etc.
_And have fervent love toward one another out of pure hearts._ The
Apostles Peter and Paul distinguish brotherly love, and love in
general, from one another. Brotherhood is, that Christians should
dwell altogether as brethren, and make no distinctions between
themselves. For since we all have a common Christ, one baptism, one
faith, one treasure, I am no better than thou; that which thou hast,
I have also, and I am just as rich as thou. The treasure is the same,
except that I may have it in a better shape than thou, since I may
have it lying in gold, but thou in a poor garment. Therefore as we
have the grace of Christ and all spiritual blessings in common, so
should we also hold body and life, property and honor, in common,
that one should be of service to another in all things.
Here he speaks plainly: _in unfeigned brotherly love_. The Apostles
love to make use of the word, but have clearly perceived that were we
called Christians and brethren universally one with another, it would
be false, a feigned or imagined thing, and would be only hypocrisy.
We have many brotherhoods set up in the world, but they are vain
deceptions and corruptions, which the devil has devised and brought
into the world, which are only antagonist to the true faith and to
genuine brotherly love. Christ is mine as well as St. Bernard's;
thine as well as St. Francis'; if one therefore should come to you
and say, I shall go to heaven if I belong to this or that
brotherhood, then tell him that he is deceived; for Christ cannot
suffer, and will not allow any other than the common brotherhood,
which we all have one with another; yet you come here, you fool, and
will set up one of your own. This I will readily permit, that they be
set up, not to help the soul, but as some one's endowment, and thus
serve as a fund from which they who need shall be helped.
Thus we all of us, as Christians, have attained a brotherhood in
baptism, whereof no saint possesses more than I or you. For just as
costly as that one was purchased, at the same price was I also
purchased. God has devoted as much toward me as to the greatest
saint, except that _he_ may have employed the treasure better, and
may have a stronger faith than I.
But love is greater than brotherhood, for it extends even to our
enemies, and especially to those who are not worthy of love. For as
faith performs its work where it sees nothing, so also should love
see nothing, and there especially exercise its office where there
appears nothing lovely, but only disaffection and hostility. Where
there is nothing that pleases me I should the more seek to be
pleased. And this spirit should go forth fervently, says St. Peter,
from the whole heart, just as God loved us when we were not worthy of
love.--Now follows further:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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