Читать книгу 1, 2 Peter and Jude Through the Centuries - Rebecca Skaggs - Страница 45

At a later time, Luther emphasizes Peter’s message about alertness and being prepared; he reads this as a double metaphor about ascribing loins to the mind (literally, “gird up your mind,” v.13), that our minds are held entangled by the cares of the world and by vain desires, so that they do not rise up against God. Therefore, anyone who really wants to have this hope must learn in the first place to disentangle himself from the world, and gird up his mind like a person in ancient times used to tie up his long garments “so that he does not turn aside to vain affections” (Luther, Comm. on 1 Peter, 1990: 243). For him, redemption from the past empty life and the anticipation of a new kind of existence is characterized in two ways by Peter: a life of reverence and holiness before God and recognition of redemption by a sacrifice without “blemish” or “defect” (vv.18–19).

Characteristically, Luther is concerned by Peter’s statement about works (v.17). He explains the interaction of faith and works:

although God judges us according to our works, still it remains true that works are only the fruits of faith, by which we perceive when there is faith or unbelief. (Comm.: ccel.org)

Holiness is an important theme for Luther. He exhorts on it in a “Sermon on 1 Peter,” written in 1522 and preached after he had been condemned as an outlaw by King Charles V for his opposition to the Catholic Church. This sermon is an important presentation of Luther’s theory of the holy life and the role of good works in the holiness. It is significant that he is using 1 Peter here. He explains that being “sober” (1 Peter 1:13) means fasting in moderation, that overdoing it results in poor health and even the inability to relate to people in social situations. He agrees that restraint in gluttony, sexuality, and other lusts are valuable expressions of good works as long as one realizes this is an affirmation of one’s faith, not an achievement of merit. The key is reasonableness and sensibility, moderation. This, of course, may differ from person to person, so cannot be adhered to merely as a set of rules without consideration.

On the other hand, the acknowledgment of restraint cannot be abandoned; the point is that faith and knowledge of Christ are needed to live a life in which one understands right and wrong in a moderate way, always seeking to never return to the past life of ignorance and wickedness (Bielfeldt, 2015).

Luther accuses his adversaries of misunderstanding Peter’s words that the prophet is holy because of his special revelation from God; Luther argues that every Christian has the revelation within himself – indeed this is the participation in God’s “goods.” He proceeds to describe how one lives the holy life: when you give yourself to God, you become his. We do not do holy things to become holy, we live a life acceptable to God because we belong to him who is holy (Bielfeldt, 2015, vol. 1: 101). Luther admonishes that this does not mean that we can live however we please: this is “stupid, changing Christian life into carnal liberty” (ibid.: 102). On the other hand, works do not bring salvation; faith liberates from sin. Good works and a holy life merely follow as an example to others. Works of service will automatically follow from this holy life. It must be remembered that it is God alone who transforms (ibid.: 98–102).