[Footnote 1: This sermon appeared first in the Church Postil, the
Explanation of the Epistle and Gospel Texts from Easter to Advent.
Printed by Hans Lufft, Wittenberg, 1559.]
1. This sermon was preached by Paul in the synagogue at Antioch of
Pisidia, where were gathered with the Jews some Greek converts.
Wherever in a city Jews were to be found, there also were their
synagogues in which they taught and preached; and many gentiles,
coming to hear, were converted to God through the preaching of his
Word. Undoubtedly it was by God's wonderful direction that the Jews
were dispersed throughout the world among the gentiles, after the
first destruction of Jerusalem by the Assyrians. Inasmuch as this
dispersion resulted in the spread of the Word, they were instrumental
in securing salvation for the gentiles and in preparing the way for
the world-wide preaching of the Gospel by the apostles. For wherever
the apostles went they found Jewish synagogues and the opportunity to
preach to a regular congregation, through whom their Gospel might be
widely disseminated because of the many gentiles also in attendance.
Had not these gentiles been already accustomed to the Jewish
synagogues, they would not have listened to the apostles, nor even
permitted them publicly to preach, strangers that they were.
2. Thus it is Paul comes into the synagogue on the Sabbath, a time
when the congregation was wont to assemble and read the Scriptures. He
and Barnabas being guests from the country of the Jews, Paul is
besought to give an exhortation, or sermon, to the people, whereupon
he rises and delivers a fine, lengthy discourse concerning Christ: how
in the Scriptures he had been promised unto the fathers and to David
the king, had been born of the seed of David and had received the
public testimony of John the Baptist; how Christ was sacrificed by the
Jews (Peter gives the same account in the preceding epistle lesson);
how he rose from the dead and for some time showed himself alive; how
he then commanded his apostles to publish to the world the new
doctrine that God's promise to the Jews had been fulfilled; and how,
by his resurrection, he brought to them the promised blessing, namely,
the remission of sins unattainable through the Law of Moses and all
their ordinances, but dispensed and imparted alone to faith in the
Christ proclaimed.
3. As stated later in the text, there were, beside the Jews, many
gentiles present at the preaching of this sermon, and at its
conclusion they besought Paul to speak to them again between sabbaths.
Accordingly, when he came to the synagogue the next sabbath, he found
almost the whole city assembled.
But to return to the first sermon: Paul says, "Brethren, children of
the stock of Abraham"--or, native Jews--"and those among you that fear
God"--who are gentiles. Now, though this could not but be a discourse
objectionable and highly offensive to the Jews, Paul opens with tender
and nicely chosen words meant to conciliate and to secure their
respectful attention. He highly honors them by addressing them as the
people chosen by God in preference to all the gentiles; as children of
the holy fathers who had a special claim to the promise of God. But,
again, he vitiates his pleasing impression when he proclaims to the
Jews naught else but the crucified and risen Christ, and concludes
with the statement that with nothing but Moses' Law and ordinances
they ranked no higher in the sight of God than the gentiles.