41. Christians, however, though obliged to live among swine and to be
at times trampled under foot and rooted about, have nevertheless
surpassing glory; for they can look up and intelligently behold their
Lord and his gifts. They are not of the pen of swine intended only
for slaughter; they know themselves children of God, adorned by him
with gifts and graces not merely temporal. They are conscious that,
having given them body and life--for these they realize are not of
their own obtaining--he will also supply their further needs,
providing for them forever.
42. Christians are able to recognize even God's least blessing as
most precious, as truly excellent; not only because it comes from
him, but because of its inherent value. No one who recognizes even
temporal blessings would give an eye, or a less important member of
the body, to redeem the riches of the entire world. How much loftier
and more precious to the Christian are the spiritual gifts concerning
which Paul here speaks--gifts bestowed as means unto salvation! The
baptizing of a child or the absolution of a penitent makes no great
show, but were the office viewed in the true light, the bestowed
treasure rightly appreciated, all the officers, authority and riches
of kings and emperors would be nothing at all in comparison.
43. Regarding the baptizer--who may be a woman even--and the
baptized, we certainly can see nothing wonderful. The humanity in the
case does not effect any great work; the work is wrought by him who
is God, Lord and Spirit. It is he who gives to the office power and
greatness above that of all emperors, kings and lords, however
inferior the instrumentality--the occupants of the sacred offices. By
these ministrations souls are won from the devil, snatched out of
hell and transformed into saints blessed forever. Person and office
may be apparently inferior, but the office is of God and God is no
inferior being. His greatness cannot be equaled by a hundred thousand
worlds. He accomplishes things incomprehensible to the world and
impossible to angels.
The combined efforts of all creation could not produce baptism. Were
the world to unite in baptizing an infant, the infant would receive
no good therefrom unless God the Lord commanded the deed. Let the
Sultan be many thousands of times more powerful than at present and
he could not, with all his riches, his dominion and peoples, free
himself or any other from the power of the least sin. He could not
effectively pronounce the absolution, "God has forgiven you your
sins." For the Sultan has neither gift, office nor work; indeed, he
knows nothing about them. They belong to God alone, though human
mouths and hands are instrumental therein.
44. Note why Paul boasts of the fact that God bestows such great
blessings. It is that Christians may discern them and thank him; and
that such discernment may lead them to serve one another in humility,
with mutual faith and love, each one learning to praise God fervently
wherever he beholds God's gifts and offices operative in the Church,
and to esteem them as he would esteem God himself. For,
unquestionably, none would possess office and gifts had not God
ordained and bestowed them.
45. How we have exalted our own nonsense--pilgrimages, cloisters,
cords, cowls, running to the dead in the wilderness and so on! But to
what purpose? What benefit have we derived therefrom, notwithstanding
we walked until our feet were bleeding, and watched and fasted and
tormented ourselves to death? Such a life, it is true, may be called
holy, divine, yet it is not at all the gift, the work, the office, of
God. No God, no Lord, no Spirit, is in that practice. God has nowhere
commanded such a life. We have devised it and may reward and help
ourselves for so doing. We cannot boast his authority for it nor find
divine comfort therein.
But the discerning Christian can with satisfaction boast on this
wise: "My baptism or my absolution is not of my own devising or
ordaining, nor of another man's. It is of Christ my Lord. For here is
his command ordaining the office: 'Go ye therefore, and make
disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.' Mt 28, 19. Upon
authority of the office, work and gift here presented, I can boast
and be strong in faith against the devil and all the gates of hell;
otherwise I cannot withstand Satan for one moment. He would not be
afraid of me and my works though I should be able to boast of having
lived seventy years as a member of a holy order, serving God every
day and hour, praying, fasting, and so on."
46. The devil hurls both person and work, as he finds them, into the
abyss of hell. If he ask you where God has commanded such works as
yours, you have no answer. But let him hear you boast in the
confident faith God's command inspires: "I have received from Christ
my Lord baptism and absolution; of this I am certain, and what I do
is done at his command and by his power"--let him hear that and he is
forced immediately to leave you. He must flee, not from your person
or works, but from Christ's office and gifts found with you.
47. Paul presents these thoughts to teach us what we Christians have
from God in the three forms, blessings superior to those enjoyed by
all others in the world. The apostle would have us be grateful for
these things and make use of them in a spirit of Christian love. He
desires that the possessor of gifts devote them to the service of
others. He teaches we are to honor God in the gifts another
possesses; that we are highly to esteem them, remembering they are
not of man's production, not wrought of man's ability or skill, but
are the offices, gifts and works of God. They are not the inferior
and trivial things they seem to the world because making no show and
noise. God does not give unredeemable coin or empty shells and mere
husks. His gifts and works in his Church must effect inexpressible
results, taking souls from the jaws of the devil and translating them
into eternal life and glory.
_Eleventh Sunday After Trinity_
Text: 1 Corinthians 15, 1-10.
1 Now I make known unto you, brethren, the gospel which I preached
unto you, which also ye received, wherein also ye stand, 2 by which
also ye are saved, if ye hold fast the word which I preached unto
you, except ye believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of
all that which also I received: that Christ died for our sins
according to the scriptures; 4 and that he was buried; and that he
hath been raised on the third day according to the scriptures; 5 and
that he appeared to Cephas; then to the twelve; 6 then he appeared to
above five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain
until now, but some are fallen asleep; 7 then he appeared to James;
then to all the apostles; 8 and last of all, as to the child untimely
born, he appeared to me also. 9 For I am the least of the apostles,
that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the
church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his
grace which was bestowed upon me was not found vain; but I labored
more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which
was with me.