Five Minutes a Day with Luther - 05-27-2012

[Five Minutes with Luther]

FIVE MINUTES A DAY WITH LUTHER

** Now available in book form: http://lcmssermons.com/about5mins.php **


May 27

Gal 6:11-12 See with what large letters I am writing to you
with my own hand. Those who desire to make a good showing in
the flesh try to compel you to be circumcised, simply that they
may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.

* * *

He closes his Epistle with an exhortation to the faithful and
with a sharp rebuke or invective against the false apostles. He
speaks of his long letter written with his own hand to show his
affection for them. Then he turns on the false apostles, and
accuses them sharply. Your teachers, he says to the Galatians,
are such as do not regard the glory of Christ above all things,
and the salvation of your souls, but only seek their own glory;
secondly, they wish to escape the cross; and thirdly, they do
not understand what they teach. He shows the Galatians that
these apostles are worthy to be shunned by all men. And Paul
does the false apostles no wrong in thus inveighing against
them, which was his duty as an Apostle of Christ, for they
hated, persecuted, and overthrew the doctrine of Christ. These
teachers sought their own glory and not Christ's. They made
their belly their god, and shunned the cross. They preached
circumcision, and the righteousness of the flesh, lest the Jews
should persecute and hate them. Paul here uses the word
"compel," for circumcision is nothing in itself, but to be
compelled to receive it, and when a man has received it, to
attribute to it righteousness and holiness, this is injury to
Christ.

Blest is the man to whom the Lord
Imputes not his iniquities;
He pleads no merit of reward,
And not on works, but grace relies.

---
Cuda.
aka Pastor Robin Fish
Lutheran to the core -- and just a little beyond.

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