26. The world at the present time is sagaciously discussing how to
quell the controversy and strife over doctrine and faith, and how to
effect a compromise between the Church and the Papacy. Let the
learned, the wise, it is said, bishops, emperor and princes,
arbitrate. Each side can easily yield something, and it is better to
concede some things which can be construed according to individual
interpretation, than that so much persecution, bloodshed, war, and
terrible, endless dissension and destruction be permitted. Here is
lack of understanding, for understanding proves by the Word that such
patchwork is not according to God's will, but that doctrine, faith
and worship must be preserved pure and unadulterated; there must be
no mingling with human nonsense, human opinions or wisdom. The
Scriptures give us this rule: "We must obey God rather than men."
Acts 5, 29.
27. We must not, then, regard nor follow the counsels of human
wisdom, but must keep ever before us God's will as revealed by his
Word; we are to abide by that for death or life, for evil or good. If
war or other calamity results complain to him who wills and commands
us to teach and believe our doctrine. The calamity is not of our
effecting; we have not originated it. And we are not required to
prove by argument whether or no God's will is right and to be obeyed.
If he wills to permit persecution and other evils to arise in
consequence of our teaching, for the trial and experience of true
Christians and for the punishment of the ungrateful, let them come;
and if not, his hand is doubtless strong enough to defend and
preserve his cause from destruction, that man may know the events to
be of his ordering. And so, praise his name, he has done in our case.
He has supported us against the strong desires of our adversaries.
Had we yielded and obeyed them, we would have been drawn into their
falsehood and destruction. And God will still support us if we deal
uprightly and faithfully in these requirements, if we further and
honor the Word of God, and be not unthankful nor seek things that
counterfeit God's Word.
28. So much by way of explaining what Paul means by wisdom and
understanding to know the will of God, and by way of teaching the
necessity of having both wisdom and understanding. For not only must
the doctrine whereby wisdom is imparted be inculcated in Christendom,
but there is also need for admonition and exhortation concerning that
understanding necessary to preserve wisdom, and for defense in strife
and conflict. Were not these principles exercised and inculcated in
us, we would be deceived by false wisdom and vain imaginations, and
would accept their gloss and glitter for pure gold, as many in the
Church have ever done.
29. The Galatians had received from Paul the wisdom of justification
before God by faith in Christ alone. Nevertheless, in spite of that
knowledge, they were deceived and would have lost their wisdom
altogether through the claim of the false prophets that the God-given
Law must be observed, had not Paul aroused their understanding at
this point and brought them back from error. The Corinthians were
taught by their spiritual wisdom the article of Christian liberty;
they knew that sacrifices to idols are nothing. But they failed in
this respect: they proceeded without understanding, and made carnal
use of their liberty, contrary to wisdom and offending others.
Therefore Paul had to remind them of their departure from his
doctrine and wisdom.
30. The Scriptures record many instances of failure in this matter of
understanding. A notable one is found in the thirteenth chapter of
First Kings. A man of God from the kingdom of Judah, who had in the
presence of King Jeroboam openly denounced the idolatry instituted by
the king, and had confirmed his preaching and prophecy by a miracle,
was commanded by God not under any circumstances to abide in the
place whither he had gone to prophesy, nor to eat and drink there. He
was to go straight home by another way than the route he had come.
Yet on the way homeward he allowed himself to be persuaded by another
prophet, one who falsely claimed to have a revelation from God, by an
angel, commanding him to take the man of God to his home and give him
to eat and drink. While they sat together at the table the Word of
the Lord came to the inviting prophet and under its inspiration he
told the other that he should not reach home alive. The latter,
departing on his journey, was killed on the way by a lion, which
remained standing by the body and the ass the man of God had ridden,
not touching them further, until the old prophet came and found them.
He brought the body home on the ass and buried it, commanding that
after his own death he should be laid in the same grave. Such was
God's punishment of the prophet who allowed himself to be deceived
and obeyed not God's express command. However, his soul suffered not
harm, as God testified by the fact the lion did not devour his body
but defended it. Now, in what was the prophet lacking? Not in wisdom,
for he had the Word of God. He lacked in understanding, allowing
himself to be deceived when the other man declared himself a prophet
whom the angel of the Lord had instructed. The man of God should have
abided by the word given to him, and have said to the other: "You may
be a prophet, indeed, but God has commanded me to do this thing. Of
that I am certain and I will be governed by it. I will regard no
conflicting order, be it in the name of an angel or of God."