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The spoken word of the gospel should preach only Christ and point only to him

Whatever has been said in the Advent season concerning John the Baptist is also to be understood here; just as he was the forerunner of Christ and directed the people to him, so the spoken word of the gospel should preach only Christ and point only to him. For only to that end was it ordained by God, just as John was sent by God (as we have heard), so that he should be the voice in the wilderness who with his office signifies the spoken preaching of the gospel. Just as the darkness was unable, on its own, to comprehend this light, even though it was present, John had to reveal and to bear witness of it. To this day natural reason on its own is unable to comprehend it, even though it is present in all the world. The spoken word of the gospel must reveal and proclaim it.

Even if reason is able to recite the Ten Commandments...

Even if reason is able to recite the Ten Commandments and is aware that we should not have other gods, it is still not smart enough to detect how corrupt human nature has become through its birth from Adam. Much less does reason know how we might reconcile God. Therefore reason is doubly blind here, saying: “If you have sinned, do penance and perform good works to redeem your sins. Become a monk or a nun; make God the triple vow of chastity, poverty, and obedience. In this way you not only render satisfaction to God for your own sins, but you will also have a supply of supererogatory works which you can transfer to others.” But you have not been commanded to suffer poverty or to render obedience to your prior. The pope asserts that you are privileged to be in a far loftier vocation than others; thereby he creates the idol of overweening reliance on your own righteousness and wisdom. The observance of those three vows from other motives might be commendable if it were not attended by two arrogant chaps—one of whom claims that he can render satisfaction to God’s commandments through good works, the other that he is able to keep these commandments. Both of them are liars. They are totally blind, for no human being can keep the Ten Commandments thoroughly and completely. This is evident from Christ’s sermon recorded in Matt. 5, where we read: “For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven”. These people thought they were keeping and fulfilling the Law by their external observances. It would be fine if they kept the Law. But the Ten Commandments are too high, human nature is too corrupt, and we are too polluted to be able to trust God with all our heart. In our trials and temptations wrath stunts our love, and impatience our meekness. Then our hidden imperfections appear. Therefore it betokens a great, harmful, and pernicious blindness when a man assumes that he can keep the Law.

Reason

As a passage or text indicates, therefore, one should take up the law and the gospel

Question: “Doctor, many men think and say that the law should be emphasized often for the sake of the profane common people, lest they abuse the gospel. Others say that the common man ought not to be cited as a reason but only the command of Christ, who wishes that the goodness of the Father may become known through the gospel. Which of these opinions is the better?”

The doctor [Martin Luther] replied, “This shouldn’t and can’t be comprehended in a fixed rule. Christ himself preached [the law and the gospel] according to his circumstances. As a passage or text indicates, therefore, one should take up the law and the gospel, for one must have both. It isn’t right to draw everything into the gospel alone; nor is it good always to preach the law alone. The Scriptures themselves, if properly adhered to, will give the answer.”

The words are clear and lucid; they tell us what one should think of Christ.

Behold, the Lamb of God!

This is an excellent and splendid testimony of John regarding the introduction of the new rule and kingdom of Christ. It is a powerful statement. The words are clear and lucid; they tell us what one should think of Christ. John’s earlier words, “The Law was given through Moses,” can hardly be called praise of Moses. But in this passage John virtually chides him, as if he were saying: “You Jews sacrifice a lamb every Passover, as Moses commanded you. In addition you butcher two lambs daily, which are sacrificed and burned each morning and evening. It is a lamb, to be sure. But you Jews make such a display of it, you praise these sacrifices and boast of them so much, that you eclipse the glory of God, push God into the background, and deprive Him of His honor. Compare the true Lamb with the lamb which the Law of Moses commands you to butcher and eat. One is a lamb procured from shepherds. The other, however, is an entirely different Lamb; it is the Lamb of God. For It has been ordained to bear on Its back the sins of the world. Compared with this Lamb, all the lambs you butcher in the temple, roast, and eat count for nothing.

The devil leads such a person into the Holy Scriptures without Christ, that is, to the law and to works.

Martin Luther on the way the Devil can use Prayer to torment us.

“When I was a monk I was unwilling to omit any of the prayers, but when I was busy with public lecturing and writing I often accumulated my appointed prayers for a whole week, or even two or three weeks. Then I would take a Saturday off, or shut myself in for as long as three days without food and drink, until I had said the prescribed prayers. This made my head split, and as a consequence I couldn’t close my eyes for five nights, lay sick unto death, and went out of my senses. Even after I had quickly recovered and I tried again to read, my head went ‘round and ‘round. Thus our Lord God drew me, as if by force, from that torment of prayers. To such an extent had I been captive [to human traditions]! Therefore I readily forgive those who can’t at once assent to my teaching. You young fellows know nothing about such outrages. What is written applies to you: ‘Others have labored and you have entered into their labor’.

“In the Dialogues of St. Gregory there is a story to the effect that he had a very faithful steward who, because he had laid aside three gold coins without telling his brethren about them, was condemned. So it is here. When Christ is away the devil is present and says, ‘You must do it to the very last detail.’ But Christ overlooks all sins. God gives so that we may be thankful. He never bothers me about my having done wrong in my teaching, but this is unknown to those who were in monasteries a long time. Münzer, Oecolampadius, and Zwingli escaped early, but they didn’t stand up very long. For the devil can find a person quickly, especially if Christ is not in his heart. The devil leads such a person into the Holy Scriptures without Christ, that is, to the law and to works. So it takes toil and trouble before Christ himself helps again.” - 1533

Anybody who wishes to be a theologian must have a fair mastery of the Scriptures

Martin Luther on Scripture and the heretics

“Anybody who wishes to be a theologian must have a fair mastery of the Scriptures, so that he may have an explanation for whatever can be alleged against any passage. That is to say, he must distinguish between law and gospel. If I were able to do this perfectly I would never again be sad. Whoever apprehends this has won."

“Whatever is Scripture is either law or gospel. One of the two must triumph: the law leads to despair, the gospel leads to salvation. I learn more about this every day, and Duke George could too. The gospel is life. The pope drove me to this; he opened my eyes to it. It is as Augustine said to himself: the heretics provoke us to search the Scriptures. Otherwise nobody would think about them.”

There’s no man living on earth who knows how to distinguish between the law and the gospel

Martin Luther on Law and Gospel

“There’s no man living on earth who knows how to distinguish between the law and the gospel. We may think we understand it when we are listening to a sermon, but we’re far from it. Only the Holy Spirit knows this. Even the man Christ was so wanting in understanding when he was in the vineyard that an angel had to console him; though he was a doctor from heaven he was strengthened by the angel. Because I’ve been writing so much and so long about it, you’d think I’d know the distinction, but when a crisis comes I recognize very well that I am far, far from understanding. So God alone should and must be our holy master." - before December 14, 1531