# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1872_S63
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

[p. 63]

—"who speak perverse things." It is further remarkable that the apostle says: "for I know this." He says this for a twofold reason: first from his knowledge of the Word of God in the Old Testament, from which it is clear that it has gone this way in God's church at all times; and second from a special revelation he had received as an apostle. The second passage is Matthew 13:25: "But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way." Here too a general danger for all times is indicated. For when it says "but while men slept," this is indeed usually interpreted as meaning: while people grew careless — and it cannot be denied that this belongs here too — but that is not primarily what the Savior means; rather he is speaking first of bodily, natural sleep, which is right and necessary. For it is no sin that a farmer sleeps. He must sleep, because his nature requires this refreshment. But precisely because he must sleep and cannot sit in his field the whole night, he cannot prevent an enemy from coming at some point and sowing tares among the wheat while he rests. So it goes also in the church of God on earth. However watchful we might wish to be, it cannot be prevented that the devil sows the tares of false doctrine or godless living. And that is why this passage is added as one indicating the general danger. Just as no farmer can physically watch so closely that no weed grows up in his field, so also for us as human beings in the church such spiritual watchfulness is not possible that spiritual weeds could never arise in it. We cannot be present in every congregation and see to it that everything there goes rightly; we cannot be in every pastor's study and note whether he is not devising false doctrine; we cannot be with every layperson and prevent him from believing wrongly or living an unholy life. In short, we cannot prevent the weeds of false doctrine and unchristian character from springing up.

The following passages deal with the particular dangers of the last times: 1 Timothy 4:1–2: "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron." 2 Timothy 3:1–2: "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy." The parallel to this is 2 Peter 3:3: "Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts," etc. By "the last times" here is meant, of course, not the very last times immediately before the Last Day, but the whole final period before the end of the world generally. And the nearer the end draws, the greater the danger of seduction to which Christians are exposed. Here too belongs Matthew 24:11: "And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many," etc.