roir e§ fjier mit ciner bollen nnb abiiqnaien ®telIber±tetnng au tun fjaoen. linb Enfa§ fett unEQ U[.LWV, i1Jobnrdj bie 2Inl1Jenbung bitcH anf bie ;siinger gemadjt roirb, bie ba§ Mafjl be~ Sj@rtn genoffen. ;t)a§ ift ber :irrof± be§ menen :iref±ament§, be§ @bangelium~. ;t)a~ itt bie 3en±taHefjre be§lEfjrif±entnm§, ba13 ba§ ~rut be!3 s;?eiIanbe§ nidjt nUr un§ augute, 3U unferm ~eften, bcrgoffen roorben 1ft, fonbedidj in feinem gro13en Eeiben, in ®e±fjfemane unb aUf ®oIgatfja, fonbern bat3 er bie~ mlut bergoffen fjat an un fer e r ® t a it, an arrer Menfdjen ®±at±, bat3 er bie ®±tafe erbulbet fjat, bie roir fjii±ten erbulben folIen, ba13 er al!3 unfer ®±eUber±re±er in ben :irob gegangen ift. linb biefer :irroft roirb nodj bertief± burdj bie 2Iu§fage, bie Ma±±fjiiu~ aUfgeaeidjnet fjat: aur mergelJung ber ®iinben. Dfjne @in~ fdjriinfung unb !RiicffjaU ftefjt ber ~e6t ba: Et~ U.C:PEOLV U[.LaQ'tLwv. \!(Ue~, roa~ ®iinbe fjeit3t, unb aUe ®ilnben, roo fie fidj audj finben, finb in bicfem :irrofti1Jort eingef djloff en. lEfjrifti merfiifjnnng!3tat, bie mergie13ung f eine§ mIute§ an ber Menfdjen ®tait, an unferer ®tait, fja± bie mergeoung, bie @daffung ber ®ilnben, a II e r ®iinben, oeroitft. bie biilIige mer~ geoung ber ®iinben ift mit bem Dpfertobe lEfjrifti, mit ber mergie13ung feine!3 ~lute§ gegeoen: bie 9'tedjtfcrttgung ber gan3en ®iinberroeIt Hegt jett bor aller m5eH oerei±. 1;Sofj.1,7: m5enn tnir aoer in bem Eidjte tnanbeIn, roie er fefoer ift in bem Eidjt, ®emeinfdjaft fjaoen roir miteinanber, u,nbba§ mIu± ,;s@fu, feine~ ®ofjne§, rei nig± u n~ bon arI e r ®iinb e. :irrotbem ber ®djroerpunfi bief e~ meroet£lf1Jrudje£I filr un§ im aroei" ten ;;LeU be~ mcrfe§ negt, fo ift bodj audj ber erfte ;;Leil filr ben ®e~ banrengang roidjttg. m5ie im erften ~apitel feine§ @bangelium~, 1terrt audj fjier ber 2Ipoftel ,;sofjanne§ Eidjt unb ~infterni£l in fdjarfen ®egen" fat oueinanber. m5ie ®ot± bie Ouellc alIe§ i1Jafjren Eidjte~ ift, 10 ift audj in ;s@fu ba§ Eidjt unb ba£l tnafjre geiftlidje Ee6en. \!(u13et ZS@fu ift nur ~infterni§. ;t)e~fjalo liegt audj bon matUt jebet Menfdj in ber ~inftet::: ni§, unb aUe Ungliiuoigen IelJen in ber ~infterni§ unb ber mIinbfjeit ifjrer ®oitentfrembung. mon ben @liiuoigen bagegen gilt, bat fie haft ber m5iebergeourt im Eidjte finb unb im Eidjte tnanbeln, tneiI ®ott feffler, ber im 2Infang fpradj: ,,@§ roerbe Eidjt", in unf ere ~eraen einen fjellen ®djein gegeoen fjat, ba13 burdj un§ nun entftiinbe bie ®rIeudjtung bon ber @rfenntni§ ber ~rarfjeit ®otte~ in bem \!(ngefidjte ,;s®fu (ffjrifti, 2 ~Ot. 4,6. Unfet ~anber im Eidjt ift bemnadj cin 2Inaeidjen unb me::: :!itt 6d)tiftgrunb fUr bie 13e~te bon ber satisfactio vicaria. 511 roei§ unferer ®emeinfdjaft mit ®ott unb Gt~rifto. 2'Cber eben roei! aUe Gt~riften in bemfelben lBerljiiltni§ au iljrem .x:>eHanb f±eljen, barum finb fie ®Iieber be§ 2eibc§ Gtljtifti 1mb f±eljen in ®emeinfdjaft miteinanber. ~a§ ift in furaen 2ugen ber ®cbanfc be§ erften lBer§teiIe§. ~eben biefe 2'Cu§fage f±cm nun aber ber 2'CpofteI eine aroeite, bie aUf bie ganae @ltellung ber Gtljtif±en in iljrem lBerljiirtnHl au ®oit ltnb au iljren IDCitdjriften ba§ reCfjte 2idjt roirft. ~t f Cfjteibt: ~ a § ~H u t ~ ~ f u [Gtljrifti feljrt in ben beffeten :ite6tenJ rei n i g tun §. ~r rebe± bemnadj bom ~Iut ~~fu, be§ @rIofer§ unb @leIigmadjer§, nidjt an fidj a!§ 3'lii]figreit, fonbern a!§ lBerfoljnung§blut, roeH ~oljanne§ eben bie :itatfaCfje ber 2eben§ljingabe Gtljrifti flir un§ betonen roill. ~@fu§, ber .x:>eHanb, ljat fein ~Iut, fein 2eben, baljingegeben, geopfert. ~abei Iiegt ?mert unb ~ebeutung biefe§ Opferiobe§ in ber :itatfadje, baB er ber €i 0 lj n ® 0 t t e § ift, nidjt im fefunbiiren @linn, roie audj roir burdj ben ®Iauben ®otte§ ~inber roerben unb fraft foldjer 2'Cnnaljme au ~inbern bie ®otte§finbfdjaft ljaben, roie ber 2'CpofteI ®ar. 3 unb 4 au§fuljrt. ~er 2'Cu§brucf 'tOU ULOU fl.lhou aeigt, bat e§ fidj ~iet um bie roefentIidje ®otte§~ tinbfCfjaft ljanbert. ~f. 2, 7. ~r, ben ber lBater bon @roigreit geaeugt ~at, ber in emincntem @linn fein @loljn, fein geIiebtcr @loljn ift, ber im €iCfjote ber ~ungfrau IDCaria be§ roa~ren menfCfjIidjen 3'Idfdje§ unb ~Iute§ teH~af±ig geroorben ift, ber ~at fein ~rut in ben :itob gegeben, ber ljat fidj fur bie IDCenfdjen geopfett. ~a§ ift e§, roa§ in bem lBet~ foljnung§tob Gtljrifti in bet msagfCfjale lag: niCfjt nur ba§ ~Iut ~@fu, be§ ~ropljeten bon ~aaaretlj, be§ @loljne§ ber IDCaria, fonbern ba§ ~Iut be§ grot en ®oite§foljne§; benn fraft ber ®emeinfdjaft ber ~aturen ilbedriigt bie €Cfjrift bie @igenfCfjaf±en ber menfdjfidjen ~atur aUf bie gottHdje. 11m biefe§ unbergleidjIidjen mserie§ roillen, ber in bem Opfer be§ ®oite§foljne§ Iiegt, roar e§ mogIidj unb ift e§ tatfiidjIidj gefCfjeljen, bat ba§ mIut ~@fu rei n i g t, )tfI.iI'fl.Q£~Et. ~r fpriCfjt niCfjt "ljat gereinigt", af§ ob roit nut: bie cinmaIige gefdjidjtriCfje ~egebenljeit au bebenfen ljiitten, f onbern "reinigt", madjt rein, roeiI bie 9Teinigung but:dj ba§ ~Iut ~@fu niCfjt blot cine einmaIige, fonbern eine fodbauernbe msidung ljat. ®erabe biefe ~etonung ift notig, um hie boUe :itragroeite ber 2'Cu§fage au berfteljen; benn au§brilc'fIidj fdjreibt ber 2'CpofteI: bon a I I e r @l il n be. @r fett nidjt ben 2fttHeI, fonbern roill gleidjfam in aUe§ umfaffenber mseife bie 2ufidjetung geben: 2'CIIe unb jebe @lunbe, aUe§, roa§ @lunbe ljeitt in, an unb unter ben Weenf Cfjen, ift ljinroeggetan, ift roeggeroaf djen but:dj ba§ mIut be§ .x:> eHanbe§. msie ber ®nabenroille ®otte§ aUgemein ift unb ilber bie ganae mseIt geljt, fo ift bie lBerfoljnung, bie burdj ~@fum Gtljriftum gef dj elj en ift, allgemein: fie umfatt aUe @lunber unb arIe @lilnben. 11nb ber groBe :itroft be§ lBerfe§ negt fonberfidj filr jeben, ber bie lBerfoljnung prebigt, in bem msot±e un §, ~!1a,;. ®erabe roir, bie roir biefe ~otfdjaf± ljoren, roir, hie roir our ~denntni§ unferer @lunben ge~ 512 Sermon Study for the Third Sunday after Trinity. fommen finb, roit, bie ben !8etfii~nung§itob @;~tifti fennen, ro i t ~aben hie lZSetfii~nung burCfj @;~tifti fSlut unb :;tob, roit ~alien bie !Reinigung bon unf etn i3iinben, SJeot. 1. 7, roit ~alien bie (§tIiifung burCfj fein fSlut, Die lZSetgcoung bet i3iinben. ~. (§. $i) • . . ~ Sermon Study for the Third Sunday after Trinity. ACTS 3, I·-Iv. (Eisenach Epistle-lesson.) With a few strokes of his pen, Luke had in the preceding verses presented an accurate picture of the life and activities of the early Christian Church. Peacefully and undisturbed by the enemies of Christ, the apostles went about their daily duty of preaching and performing wonders and signs. In chapter 3 Luke singles out one of these miracles, which gave to two of the apostles a special opportunity to proclaim the Gospel before a vast assembly and which was the occasion for the :lh-st open opposition on the part of the leaders of the people, chap. 4:, 1. As in his entire book, Luke here shows his mastery in vivid and exact description. We have here a word-picture, painted wi th marvelous skill by a master artist. The closer we study this passage, the more vividly will the whole scene be reenacted before our eyes. Now, Peter and John went up together into the TempZ0 at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hO~I,r, v. 1. Peter and John un- doubtedly were friends before they had met Jesus, but their friend- ship had grown the more intimate and tender, it had been sanctified and hallowed, ever since they had found in Jesus of Nazareth the Messiah, the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world, John 1, 29 f. These two friends had been granted special honors by their Lord; cf. Mark 5,37; 9,2. In the solemn hours preceding the death of their beloved Master their hearts had become knitted to- gether still closer, especially since again the Lord, perhaps in recog- nition of their loyal friendship, had assigned to them special duties and granted them special privileges, Mark 13, 3; Luke 22, 8; John 13, 23. 24:; Mark 14:, 33; cf. also John 18, 16. After the resurrection they remained united in loyal friendship, John 20,1-10; 21,2.7.20.21. These two inseparable friends "went up together into the Temple," ascended the Temple hill, which was the highest of the hills on which Jerusalem was built. With them went invisibly their mutual Friend, Jesus, Matt. 18,20 and 28,20, leading their steps, so shaping events as to give them an opportunity to bring physical and spiritual health and happiness to a poor unfortunate and to break the Bread of Life to a large assembly of fellow-men. It was the hour of prayer that called them into the Temple, the ninth hour, about three o'clock in