# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_M rz 1855_S80
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

80 Sample and Prospectus, etc.

Harmony throughout the whole world under the Messianic kingdom. For that is how they interpreted the words of Isaiah 11:6: “The wolves shall dwell with the lambs, and the leopard shall lie down with the goats,” etc. Christ therefore foresaw that many would take such offense at the disagreements and discord caused by controversies in the church that they would either condemn His doctrine on that account or resign their office. Against such dreams and causes of offense, Christ now sets this warning and foretells that wherever saving doctrine is taught, there will also be many false prophets. This does not happen through any fault of the doctrine, however, but through the frivolity and wantonness of human nature, which is incited and prepared by the devil, because of his hatred for the Son of God and the church, to devise corruptions of the pure doctrines. Thus He intends that, if such controversies should arise in the church, His apostles should not become troubled, but He warns them beforehand that in their office they must expect not only to discover many swine and dogs among their hearers, but also to find many false prophets among their own fellow ministers, whom Paul calls false brethren and deceitful workers.

2. This concluding discourse teaches that the office of the ministers of the Word includes not only learning, presenting, and teaching what is true and saving, but also recognizing, condemning, and refuting the corruptions that oppose pure doctrine, so that the sheep may indeed hear the right voice and be warned to flee from the strange voice. For it is the apostle’s duty not merely to guard himself against infection and seduction by false doctrine; Ezekiel 3:17 also says: “I have appointed you as a watchman over the house of Israel,” so that he may expose and refute the false prophets, lest the sheep, being simple, should be led astray without warning; for I will require the blood of the sheep at your hand. Therefore the Lord Christ uses the expression here: “Beware”.... And in Acts 20:28 Paul gives a fine explanation of this, as though he were saying: The sheep are simple, heedless, and incautious; therefore the Holy Spirit has appointed you preachers as bishops, that is, as overseers, so that you should take heed to yourselves and to the whole flock, lest it become prey to the wolves. And because He teaches the apostles to beware of the false prophets, it is certain that, in answer to their request, He intends to give them the Holy Spirit, so that they may recognize such prophets and thus guard against them, as the preaching office requires.

3. This conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount warns that those who hold office must not be complacent and negligent, but must administer their office in the fear of God and with earnest prayer to God, lest they become instruments of the devil. For from among themselves many false prophets would arise, as Paul explains this saying in Acts 20:30. And many who have prophesied and performed signs in the name of Jesus will have to hear on the Day of Judgment: “I never knew you,” etc. One need only take note of the [illegible]