And Would Pervert the Gospel of Christ.
Martin Luther warns against the false apostles who abolish Christ's Gospel by mingling Law and Gospel.
Martin Luther emphasizes the danger of false apostles who distort the Gospel by mixing Law and Gospel, leading to the elimination of Christ's grace. He highlights the impossibility of coexisting grace and law in the conscience, stressing that it is either one or the other. Luther warns against the severe consequences of blending faith and works, as it obscures the true knowledge of grace and removes Christ from the equation.
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To paraphrase this sentence: "These false apostles do not merely trouble you, they abolish Christ's Gospel. They act as if they were the only true Gospel-preachers. For all that they muddle Law and Gospel. As a result they pervert the Gospel. Either Christ must live and the Law perish, or the Law remains and Christ must perish; Christ and the Law cannot dwell side by side in the conscience. It is either grace or law. To muddle the two is to eliminate the Gospel of Christ entirely."
It seems a small matter to mingle the Law and Gospel, faith and works, but it creates more mischief than man's brain can conceive. To mix Law and Gospel not only clouds the knowledge of grace, it cuts out Christ altogether.
The words of Paul, "and would pervert the gospel of Christ," also indicate how arrogant these false apostles were. They were shameless boasters. Paul simply had to exalt his own ministry and Gospel.
Sermon Outline
- The False Apostles' Threat to the Gospel
- They abolish Christ's Gospel
- They mingle Law and Gospel
- This muddling clouds the knowledge of grace and cuts out Christ
Key Quotes
“Either Christ must live and the Law perish, or the Law remains and Christ must perish;” — Martin Luther
“It is either grace or law.” — Martin Luther
“To mix Law and Gospel not only clouds the knowledge of grace, it cuts out Christ altogether.” — Martin Luther
Application Points
- Be careful not to mix Law and Gospel, as it can lead to a loss of understanding of God's grace.
- Choose between grace and law, recognizing that Christ and the Law cannot coexist in the conscience.
- Be aware of the arrogance and shameless boasting of false apostles who seek to exalt their own ministry and Gospel.