V. 3. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. This is a delightful, sweet and genial beginning of his sermon. For he does not come, like Moses or a teacher of law, with alarming and threatening demands; but in the most friendly manner, with enticements and allurements and pleasant [...]
Luther’s Preface I am truly glad that my exposition of the three chapters of St. Matthew, which St. Augustine calls the Lord’s Sermon on the Mount, are about to be published, hoping that by the grace of God it may help to preserve and maintain the true, sure and Christian understanding of this teaching of [...]
“Love suffereth long, and is kind.” Now Paul begins to mention the nature of love, enabling us to perceive where real love and faith are to be found. A haughty teacher does not possess the virtues the apostle enumerates. Lacking these, however many gifts the haughty have received through the Gospel, they are devoid of [...]
First Corinthians 13:1-13 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have [...]
You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. (Gal. 5:4) Here Paul shows that he is not speaking simply about the Law, nor just about the works of circumcision, but of the faith and doctrine, that men have to be justified by it. [...]
Expounded One Evening After Grace at the Dinner Table by Dr. Martin Luther 1536 In this psalm, David, together with every other Christian heart, praises and thanks God for His greatest blessing: namely, for the preaching of His dear Holy Word. Through it we are called, received, and numbered into the host which is God’s [...]
Not that we are sufficient of ourselves, to account anything as from ourselves. As said before, this is spoken in denunciation of the false spirits who believe that by reason of eminent equipment of special creation and election, they are called to come to the rescue of the people, expecting wonders from whatever they say [...]
1. This Gospel praises the fruit of faith, and illustrates its nature and character. Among the fruits of faith are these two: peace and joy, as St. Paul writes to the Galatians, where he mentions in order all kinds of fruit saying: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, [...]
The psalter ought to be a precious and beloved book, if for no other reason than this: it promises Christ’s death and Resurrection so clearly–and pictures His kingdom and the conditions and nature of all Christendom–that it might well be called a little Bible. In it is comprehended most beautifully and briefly everything that is [...]
