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Continuing
LEHRE UND ~EHRE
MAGAZIN PUER Ev.-LuTH. HOMILETIK
THEOLOGICAL QUARTERLY-THEOLOGICAL MONTHLY
Vol. vm October, 1937 No. 10
CONTENTS
Pace
The Pastor and Synod. J. w. Behnken -__________ . __ ._._ .. _______ . _________________ .... 1!9
Schrift, Bekenntnis, Theologie, Plarramt und verwandte Geren-
staende. Th. Encelder ._._ ..... _. ___ ............... _ ............................ _. 736
The Doctrine 01 Justillation According to Bernard 01 Clairvaux
Theo. Dierks .... __ .. _. __ ... _ .. 748
nas Verhaeltnis der Schmalkaldischen Artikel zur Augsburgi-
schen Konlession. o. F. Hattstaedt ..... _ ..... _ ...... _ ... ___ .. _ ._._ ... .. __ .. _ .. 753
Study on Reb. 4, 9-13. Theo. Laetsch ..... _ ..... _ ........ __ ...... _ ...... __ .... _ ... __ 753
Outlines on the Eisenach Epistle Selections _ ........ _ .. _ ... _ ... ____ ....... _ ..... 774
Theological Observer. - Kirchlich-Zeitreschichtliches ._._ .... _.,_._ ... 788
Book Review. -Literatur . _ .. __ ._ ..... _. __ .. _ ..... _ .... _ .. _ ... __ ... ___ ..... _ .. 891
Ein Predlger muss nieht aDeln toei-
den, alao dass er die Schafe unter-
weise. wle ale reehte Christen sollen
seln. londem aueh daneben den Woel-
fen tDeht'eft, dUll ale die Schafe Dieht
angrelfen und mit falseher Lehre ver-
fuehren und Irrtum elntuehren.
Luther
Es ist keln Ding. das die Leute
mehr bel der KJrehe behaelt denn
die gute Predigt. - AJIOlogle, Arl. Z4.
If the trumpet give an uncertain
sound who lIbaD prepare hImaelf to
the battle? -1 Cor. 14, •.
Published for the
Ev. Luth. Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States
CONCORDIA PUBUSHING BOUSE, St. Louis, Mo.
Study on Heb. 4, 9-13 763
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gtunbe±. ~n beiben ift ba£l ~a.pfttum gericlJtet, unb ba§ Urteil, ba§ fiber
ba§felbe. gefiiUt ift, mirb befteljen bg an§ @:nbe ber :.tage, too ber ~apft
enbIidj· bem !etten ®eddjt berfiillt.
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£e~rel EidjIimm toare e~ getoefen, toenn £utljer irgenbroie bon ber
~ugultana abgewidjen ware. )!Bie ljiitten ba bie ~einbe jubmed I @50
abet toat iljnen biefe ~tcube nicljt gegiJnnt, unb beibe, £ut~er£l @late
unb- bie ~ug§blll:gifclje ~onfeffion, fteljen in iljter @:inigfdt ba al!ll
®runbpfei!et be£l ttJaljren, djtiftricgen ®rauben£l, bie altcg bie ~forten
bet ..giJlle nidjt au ftur3en bermogen.
WliItoaufee, )!Bi§. (). ~. ~ a it ft ii bt
Study on Heb. 4, 9-13
Eisenach Epistle for Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity
The author of the Letter to the Hebrews calls the attention
of his readers to the message of the Son, 1, 2; the Prophet equal
with God, 1,2-14, whose message deserves to be heard and
accepted, 2, 1. 2, since it was confirmed by God Himself, 2, 3. 4,
and since it speaks of so sure and so marvelous a salvation,
2,5-17. Therefore they ought to consider their Apostle and High
Priest, Christ Jesus, greater than Moses, 3, 1-6, and not harden
their hearts in unbelief lest they, like unbelieving Israel of old,
fail to obtain the promised rest, 3,7-19. For unto us, like unto
them, is promised a rest. When God promised a rest to His people,
He thought not merely of the rest in Canaan; He had in mind
another rest, that in heaven. Unbelieving Israel lost both Canaan
and heaven, and even those who entered into the Promised Land
had 'not· thereby entered into the rest promised to God's people;
for if JOshua had brought them to rest, God would not afterward
have .spoken of another day, 4, 1-8. The Epistle-lesson for the
Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity, linking up with the standard
Gospel-lesson for the day, pleads with all Christians to labor to
enter. into the rest remaining for the people of God and promised
to them in His unfailing Word.
"TheTe Temaineth therefoTe a Test to the people of God," v.9.
Since, God in His holy Word, Ps. 95, through His prophet pleads
with the people, the Jews living in Canaan, i. e., the promised
land of rest, not to harden their hearts against His invitation to
enter into His rest, Joshua could not possibly have brought Israel
to their final resting-place. . There must therefore (o~, conse-
764 Study on Heb. 4, 9-13
quently, draws the conclusion from the premises given vv.4-8)
be remaining another rest to the people of God. "The people of
God" was the name given to Israel as a nation because this nation
had been chosen by God Himself as His own, His peculiar people,
to whom in a special manner He had revealed Himself, to 'whom
He had granted privileges and rights granted in like measure to no
other people, or nation, on earth. Cpo Rom. 3, 2; 9, 4. 5; Ex. 19, 3-6;
Deut. 7, 6-24; 5, 32-40. Within this nation many refused to be-
lieve the Word preached to them, Heb. 4, 2, and were therefore not
accepted by God as His people, not given the rest promised to the
people of God, the true believers among Israel. In the times of
the New Testament the Israel of God, the people of God, are all
believers, Jews and Gentiles, Gal. 6, 16; Rom. 9, 6--8. 24-26; 1 Pet.
2,9.10. To this people of God in its entirety, to all the individual
members of this people from Adam and Eve to the last member
of the human race received through faith into membership with
this peculiar people of God, there remaineth a rest. The very fact
that they are members of God's people warrants to them the ful-
filment of their hopes and expectations, for God is true and His
promises cannot fail, being the promises of Omnipotence and Grace,
Rom. 15, 8. 9; 2 Cor. 1, 20.
The writer designates this rest as a ClIl/'l/'lIl'tI.