5. Here are comprised in a few words the entire history of the Gospel,
and the articles of the Christian faith; but particularly does Peter
deal with the article of the resurrection, the fact that Christ has,
in his own person, completely overcome death and reigns eternal King
and Lord of life. In proof of the truth of this article, the apostle
adduces the fact of Christ's manifesting himself alive to his
disciples, eating and drinking with them and appointing them special
witnesses to these things as men to whom the doctrine had been proven,
had been established by actual sight of the miracles.
6. Third: Peter states the item of chief importance in the article,
the blessing resulting to us. He explains first why Christ suffered
all these things, and how the Gospel was to be published and received;
Christ's motive in it all was not his advantage but our good. Before
we could know the truth and be blessed, it was necessary that the
message be preached. God commanded the apostles, Peter says, to preach
the Gospel in all the world that all men might know it; and thus the
blessing is brought to men through the public office of the ministry.
7. Fourth: Our obligation concerning the message brought to us, and
what it works in ourselves, is indicated in these concluding words of
Peter's sermon:
"To him bear all the prophets witness, that through his name every one
that believeth on him shall receive remission of sins."
8. This verse constitutes the principal theme of the sermon. It is one
of the greatest in the writings of the apostles. It contains the vital
element of the Gospel message, teaching how we may appropriate its
blessing, how obtain what it offers, namely, by faith; faith lays hold
of what is offered us in the Gospel. The message is preached that we
may receive and retain it. Through the Word the blessing is pronounced
our own--it is offered to, or given, us; but by faith we receive it,
make it our own, permit it to work in us.
9. This power and work in us is called by Peter "remission of sins."
This is the blessing, the possession, conferred through the preaching
of the doctrine of Christ, or the articles of faith, particularly the
articles of the resurrection. The meaning of the new message of
comfort, the new declaration of peace, is that Christ, through his
resurrection, has in himself conquered our sin and death, has turned
away the wrath of God and procured grace and salvation; that he has
commanded forgiveness to be preached unto us, desiring us to believe
he gives it and confidently to receive it through faith.
10. Faith must be of such character as to apprehend and hold fast the
truth Peter declares in this verse. It must say "in his name." That
is, must ascribe to Christ alone the entire agency, merit and power
responsible for remission of sins; must believe we have forgiveness,
not through our own worthiness, but for Christ's sake alone; must
believe that by virtue of Christ's resurrection we obtain remission of
sins, every namable element not from Christ being completely excluded,
and the honor given to him alone.
What does the work, the ability, of all mankind amount to when it
comes to accomplishing or meriting a thing of such magnitude as
remission of sins and redemption from death and eternal wrath? How
will it compare with the death and shed blood of the Son of God, with
the power of his resurrection? How will it divide honors with him in
having merit to secure remission of sin and redemption from death? The
efficacy of Christ's death and blood alone God would have preached in
all the world and accepted by mankind. Therein he rejects the boasting
of the Jews and of all aspirers to holiness through their own works,
teaching them they cannot obtain his favor through the Law, or by
their own efforts. In Christ's name alone is remission of sins
received, and that through faith.
11. Salvation through Christ, according to Peter, was before that time
proclaimed in the Scriptures, being declared by all the prophets. This
is truly strong testimony adduced by the apostle; the Jewish people
certainly ought to believe their own prophets unless they wilfully are
hardened and lost. Much more should we gentiles have faith in Christ's
atonement, being obliged to confess that not in any wise have we done
aught that such grace should be offered and given to us. We certainly
ought to be honest enough to honor Christ to the extent of believing
the apostles, in fact the Scriptures entire. We ought to be ashamed to
doubt or question the fact of forgiveness of sins and justification
before God through Christ alone, to which all Scripture testifies. If
we are honest with ourselves, we must confess it the truth, or secure
forgiveness of sins or be justified before God by our own works.
12. Now we have heard what is the substance, the chief doctrine, of
the Scriptures, the teaching to which all portions lead; namely, to
teach and confirm the article of faith: we have remission of sins for
Christ's sake, through faith. We have heard that such was the faith of
the fathers, the prophets and all saints, from the beginning of the
world, and later was the doctrine preached by Christ himself, and also
the doctrine of the apostles, who were commanded to publish it to the
world. To this day the same doctrine prevails, and it will until the
end be unanimously accepted by the whole Christian Church, with the
exception of our present opponents. The Christian Church has ever, as
a unit, believed, confessed and contended for this article, the
article maintaining that only in the name of the Lord Christ is
remission of sin obtained; and in this faith its members have been
justified before God and saved. Thus by such testimony is the
foundation of our doctrine laid sufficiently firm; that article was
with power contended for, defended and established long before our
time.
13. He who inquires, who would know exactly, what the Christian Church
ever holds and teaches, especially concerning the all-important
article of justification before God, or the forgiveness of sins, over
which there has always been contention, has it here plainly and
exactly in this text. Here is the unwavering testimony of the entire
Church from the beginning. It is not necessary, then, to dispute about
the doctrine any more. No one can name any just reason, or have any
excuse, for doubts on the subject; or reasonably wait for further
determinations of investigating councils.
In this text we see that the reliability of the article of faith has
long ago been proven, even in ancient time, by the Church of the
primitive fathers, of the prophets and the apostles. A solid
foundation is established, one all men are bound to believe and
maintain at the risk of their eternal salvation, whatever councils may
establish, or the world advance and determine, to the contrary.
Indeed, the sentence has been declared to us; we are commanded to shun
every other doctrine that may be believed, taught or ordained. Paul
says (Gal 1, 8): "But though we, or an angel from heaven, should
preach unto you any gospel other than that which we preached unto you,
let him be anathema."
14. You see now against what the Papacy with all its adherents
blusters and rages, and how they are to be regarded who refuse to hear
and to tolerate the article Peter here advances and confirms by the
testimony of all the prophets and of the Scriptures entire; who cease
not to persecute godly and innocent ones for their acceptance of this
article of faith, under the pretense of being themselves the Church
and of magnifying its name to the utmost while opposing us, though at
the same time their doctrine, faith and deeds openly testify against
them, proclaiming their belief and teaching to be contrary to the
testimony of all the prophets and of the entire Church.
By no means can they be the Church who so rashly contradict Peter and
the Scriptures, who even trample under foot, in his Word, Christ
himself, the Head. Rather, they must be wicked devils, a miserable
rabble, the worst enemies of the Christian Church; more wicked and
pernicious than heathen or Turks.
15. Lastly: Peter, by way of proving conclusively to the world that
this one Lord, as he names him, Jesus of Nazareth, is the true Messiah
promised of old in the Scriptures, says: "To him bear all the prophets
witness." The prophets plainly speak of such a person, one to be born
of David's flesh and blood, in the city of Bethlehem, who should
suffer, die and rise again, accomplishing just what this Jesus has
accomplished and even proven by miraculous signs. Therefore, truly the
Jews and the non-Christians have no reason to doubt concerning Christ,
no reason to await the coming of another.
16. Further, Peter, citing the testimony of the prophets, indicates
the nature of Christ's kingdom as not external power; not temporal
dominion like that of earthly lords, kings, and emperors; not dominion
over countries or control of people, property and temporal concerns;
but a spiritual, eternal kingdom, a kingdom in the hearts of men, an
authority over, and power opposed to, sin, everlasting death and hell,
a power able to redeem us from those things and bestow upon us
salvation. Salvation is ours, Peter teaches, through the preaching of
the Gospel, and is received by faith. Faith is the obedience every man
must render unto the Lord. By faith he makes himself subject to Christ
and partaker of his grace and blessings. Paul also (Rom 1, 5) uses the
term "unto obedience of faith."
_Easter Tuesday_
Text: Acts 13, 26-39.
26 Brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and those among you
that fear God, to us is the word of this salvation sent forth. 27 For
they that dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him
not, nor the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath,
fulfilled them by condemning him. 28 And though they found no cause of
death in him, yet asked they of Pilate that he should be slain. 29 And
when they had fulfilled all things that were written of him, they took
him down from the tree, and laid him in a tomb. 30 But God raised him
from the dead: 31 and he was seen for many days of them that came up
with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses unto the
people. 32 And we bring you good tidings of the promise made unto the
fathers, 33 that God hath fulfilled the same unto our children, in
that he raised up Jesus; as also it is written in the second psalm,
Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. 34 And as concerning
that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to
corruption, he hath spoken on this wise, I will give you the holy and
sure blessings of David. 35 Because he saith also in another psalm,
Thou wilt not give thy Holy One to see corruption. 36 For David, after
he had in his own generation served the counsel of God, fell asleep,
and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption: 37 but he whom God
raised up saw no corruption. 38 Be it known unto you therefore,
brethren, that through this man is proclaimed unto you remission of
sins: 39 and by him every one that believeth is justified from all
things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.
1. This sermon Paul preached in the synagogue at Antioch in Pisidia,
to the assembled Jews and gentiles. Note, he says, "whosoever among
you feareth God." It is a counterpart of the sermon in the preceding
epistle lesson delivered by Peter at Cesarea. Here also the first part
of the sermon is simply a narration of the historical facts of
Christ's resurrection, and designed to prove Christ the true Messiah
promised in the Scriptures. This is sufficiently demonstrated by the
facts in the case that by his own divine power and strength Christ
rescued himself from death and the grave, and rose from the dead and
showed himself alive and talked with men, something no man but Christ
alone had ever done or ever can do. Paul elsewhere (Rom 1, 3-4) says
that this Jesus our Lord was born of the seed of David according to
the flesh, and was declared to be the Son of God with power by the
resurrection from the dead.
2. Not content with a mere narration of the history of the
resurrection, Paul cites Scripture testimony incontestably proving
that Christ necessarily must rise from the dead and set up his
spiritual and eternal kingdom through the Word he commanded the
apostles to publish world-wide. He also discloses the true meaning of
Scripture from revelation itself, showing how to seek and find Christ
therein. The preceding Gospel lesson also spoke of this.
3. Third, as was true of Peter, Paul does not fail to mention what is
of surpassing importance, the use of the historical parts of Scripture
and the blessing and benefit accruing to us from that which Scripture
proclaims and witnesses; also the method of appropriating its power
and blessing. And he concludes with a beautiful utterance of apostolic
power, showing how we are to obtain remission of sins and be saved. He
says: "Through this man is proclaimed unto you remission of sins: and
by him every one that believeth is justified from all things, from
which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses." This certainly
is a powerful passage and so plain it needs no comment, no further
explanation. It is a point most firmly established and emphasized
everywhere in Paul's epistles. We should note well and remember such
clear passages, that we may gain strength and assurance as to the
ground of Christian doctrine. Seeing how perfectly, as faithful,
truthful and harmonious witnesses, these two apostles agree in their
preaching, we are justified in confidently drawing the conclusion that
any doctrine at variance with theirs, any teaching concerning the
remission of sins and our salvation contrary to theirs, is not of the
church, but of the devil's accursed teachers, a doctrine of Satan's
own. Gal 1.
_Easter Tuesday_
Second Sermon. Same Text. Acts 13, 26-39.