Martin Luther on Galatians 3:14

Verſe. 14. That the bleſſing of Abraham might come vpon the Gentiles through Chriſt Ieſus. Paule hath alwayes this place before his eyes: In thy ſeede &c. For ye Bleſſing promiſed vnto Abraham, could not come vpon ye Gentiles,The bleſſing geuen vnto the Gentiles by Chriſte. but onely by Chriſt the ſeede of Abraham: and that by this meanes: to witte, yt it behoued him to be made a Curſe, yt this promiſe made vnto Abraham: In thy ſeede shall all nations be bleſſed, might ſo be fulfilled. Therfore by no other meanes could this be done yt is here promiſed, but that Ieſus Chriſt muſt needes become a Curſe, and ioyne him ſelfe to thoſe that were accurſed, that ſo he might take away the Curſe from them, and through his Bleſſing might bring vnto them righteouſnes and life. And here marke (as I haue alſo forewarned you) that this word Bleſſing is not in vaine, as the Iewes dreame,The vvorde Bleſſing. who expoūd it to be but a ſalutation by word of mouth or by wryting. But Paule entreateth here of ſinne and righteouſnes, of death and life before God. He ſpeaketh therefore of ineſtimable and incomprehenſible things, when he ſayth: that the Bleſſing of Abraham might come vpon the Gentiles through Ieſus Chriſt. Ye ſee moreouer what merits we bring,Our deſert vvherby vve obtaine the Bleſsing. & by what meanes we obtain this Bleſſing. This is ye merite of Congruence & worthines, theſe are the works preparatiue wherby we obtain this righteouſnes, yt Chriſt Ieſus was made a Curſe for vs. For we are ignorant of God, enemies of God, dead in ſinne, & accurſed: and what is our deſert then? What can he deſerue yt is accurſed, ignorāt of God, dead in ſinnes, and ſubiect to the wrath & iudgement of God? When the Pope excōmunicateth a man, whatſoeuer he doth, is counted accurſed. How much more then may we ſay, yt he is accurſed before God (as all we are before we know Chriſt) which doth nothing elſe but curſed things?The vvay hovv to eſcape the Curſe. Wherefore there is no other way to auoide ye Curſe, but to beleue, and with aſſured confidēce to ſay: Thou Chriſt art my ſinne & my Curſe, or rather I am thy ſinne, thy Curſe, thy death, thy wrath of God, thy hell: and contrariwiſe, thou arte my righteouſnes, my Bleſſing, my life, my grace of God, and my heauen. For the text ſayeth plainely: Chriſte is made a Curſe for vs. Therefore we are the cauſe that he was made a Curſe: nay rather we are his Curſe. This is an excellent place, & full of ſpiritual conſolation, & albeit it ſatiſfie not ye blind & hard harted Iewes, yet it ſatiſfieth vs that are baptiſed, and haue receaued this doctrine, and concludeth moſt mightely, yt we are bleſſed through the Curſe, the ſinne, & the death of Chriſt, yt is to ſay, we are iuſtified and quickned vnto life. So long as ſinne, death and ye Curſe do abide in vs, ſinne terrifieth, death killeth, and the Curſe condemneth vs. But when theſe are tranſlated and laid vpon Chriſtes backe,Our ſinnes are caſt vpon Chriſt and his righteouſnes is geuen vnto vs. then are theſe euils made his owne, and his good thinges are made ours. Let vs therefore learne in all tentations to tranſlate ſinne, death, the Curſe and all euils which oppreſſe vs, from our ſelues vnto Chriſt, and againe, from him vnto our ſelues, righteouſnes, mercy, life and bleſſing. For he beareth all our euils vpon him. God the father caſt the iniquities of vs all,The mercy of God tovvards ſinners vnſpeakeable. as Eſay the Prophet ſaith, vpon him: And he hath taken them vpon him willingly, for he was not giltie. But this he did, that he might fulfill the will of his father, by the which we are made holy for euer. This is that infinite and vnmeaſurable mercy of God, which Paule would gladly amplifie with all eloquence and plentie of wordes,The greatnes of Gods mercy is ſo exceeding, that it can ſcant be beleued. but the ſlender capacitie of mans heart can not comprehende, and much leſſe vtter, that vnſearchable deapth and burning zeale of Gods loue towards vs. And verely the ineſtimable greatnes of Gods mercy, not only engendreth an hardnes to beleue, but alſo incredulitie it ſelfe. For I doe not onely heare that almightie God the creatour and maker of all things is good and merciful, but alſo that the ſame high ſouereigne Maieſtie was ſo careful for me a damnable ſinner, a child of wrath and of euerlaſting death, that he ſpared not his owne deare Sonne, but deliuered him to a moſt opprobrious and ſhamefull death, that he hāging betwene two theeues, might be made a Curſe and ſinne for me a curſed ſinner,Of vvhat things the Goſpell entreateth. that I might be made bleſſed: that is to ſay, the childe and heire of God. Who can ſufficiently praiſe and magnify this exceeding great goodnes of God? Not all the Angels in heauen. Therfore the doctrine of the Goſpell the booke of God, ſpeaketh of farre other matters then any booke of policie or philoſophie, yea or ye booke of Moſes himſelfe: to wit, of the vnſpeakeable and moſt diuine giftes of God, which farre paſſe the capacitie and vnderſtanding both of men and Angels.

Verſe. 14. That vve might receaue the promiſe of the ſpirite through faith. This is a phraſe of the Hebrewes: The promiſe of the ſpirite: The promiſe of the ſpirite. that is to ſay, the ſpirite promiſed. Now, the ſpirite is freedom from ye law, ſinne, death, the Curſe, hel, and from the wrath and iudgement of God. Here is no merite or worthines of ours, but a free promiſe and a gifte geuen through the Seede of Abraham, The nature of Faith. that we may be free from all euils, and obtaine all good things whatſoeuer. And this libertye & gift of the ſpirite, we receiue not by any other merites then by Faith alone. For that onely taketh holde of the promiſe of God, as Paule plainly ſayth in this place: that vve might receaue the promiſe of the ſpirite, Verſe. 14. not by vvorkes, but by Faith. This is in dede a ſweete and a true Apoſtolike doctrine,VVhat maner of doctrine the Apoſtolicall doctrine is. which ſheweth yt thoſe things are fulfilled for vs, & now geuen to vs, which many Prophets & Kings deſired to ſee & to heare. And ſuch like places as this one is, were gathered together out of diuers ſayings of the Prophets, which forſaw long before in ſpirite, yt all things ſhould be chaū ged, repaired, and gouerned by this man Chriſte. Therfore the Iewes hauing the law of God, did notwithſtanding beſides that law, looke for Chriſt. None of the Prophets or gouernours of the people of God, did make any new lawe, but Elias, Samuel, Dauid, & all the other Prophets did abide vnder ye law of Moſes: they did not appoint any new tables, or a new kingdom & prieſthode:The chaunge of things reſerrued to Chriſt alone. for that new chaunge of the kingly prieſthoode of the law & ye worſhip, was referred & kept to him only of whom Moiſes had propheſied longe before: The Lord thy God shal raiſe vp a Prophet vnto thee of thine ovvne nation, and from among thy brethren: Him shalt thou heare. As if he ſhould ſay: Thou ſhalt heare him onely, and none beſides him. This the Fathers well vnderſtode, for none could teach greater and higher poynts then Moiſes him ſelfe, who made excellent lawes of high and great matters, as are the ten commaundemēts, eſpecially the firſt commaundement: I am the Lord thy God: Exod. [illegible: 1 letter]0. Thou shalt haue no other Gods but me: Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God vvith all thy heart &c. This law concerning the loue of God, doth comprehend the very Angels alſo. Therfore it is the headſpring of all diuine wiſedom.The firſt commaundement the ſpring of all the vviſedom of God. And yet was it neceſſary notwithſtanding, that an other teacher ſhould come, that is to ſay, Chriſt, which ſhould bring & teach an other thing farre paſſing theſe excellent lawes: to witte, grace and remiſſion of ſinnes. This is therfore a mightie text. For in this ſhort ſentence: That vve might receaue the promiſe of the ſpirite by faith, Paule poureth out at once what ſo euer he was able to ſay. Therfore when he can goe no further (for he could not vtter any greater or more excellent thing), he breaketh of, and here he ſtayeth.