# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_Juli 1859_S209
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

On Bible-Sermons.                                                      209

more general, only many preachers lack the time for this, especially
those who must also keep school, as do many members of the
congregation, particularly where they live very scattered, lacking a
suitable meeting place. To this I reply: should not every servant of
God, in accordance with the divine command, "Give attendance to
reading" (1 Timothy 4:13), seek, besides the daily reading of the
Bible, to arrive also at a right understanding and right application of
what he has read; and should it not be possible for him to write down
briefly the result gained through re-reading and reflection, and to
impress it on his memory, so as to share it with others as well? Should
not the members of the congregation, in obedience to the divine
command, "Search the Scriptures" (John 5:39), gladly and thankfully
make use of such an opportunity — indeed, where they had none, ask for
one — since they must sometimes answer the question, "Understandest
thou what thou readest?" with: How can I, unless some man should guide
me? Should they not, if they are truly in earnest about God's Word and
their own salvation, spare from the 168 hours of the week one or more
hours for such sermons, and find a suitable place for them?

Let no one wait until the desire for it first makes itself known, and
until everything external has first been precisely settled, before one
can begin; for then it will, just as with private confession, never
come to a beginning at all. Rather, let one take it up in the name of
the Lord in the following manner, if one knows no better way: Make
known to the congregation that you will hold a special sermon on the
necessity and benefit of Bible-sermons, for which one may choose one of
these texts: Joshua 1:8; Psalm 78:1ff.; Luke 24:25ff.; Acts 8:26ff.
Then announce when and where the beginning will be made with these
sermons. Choose for this some easy book of the New Testament — for
example, the Evangelist Matthew, or the Epistles of Peter and John —
make yourself a brief extract from Dr. Luther's exposition of it, and
impress it on your memory; go over the summary of it, too, if you can,
with the older schoolchildren before the sermon. But should this in
fact prove impossible for you for lack of time and strength, then well
and good — take confidently Dr. Luther's exposition, for example, of
the first 18 chapters of Matthew, and read it word for word, slowly and
clearly, to your little flock, adding, where needed, a gloss for better
understanding. Continue with this untiringly, even if only a few
should present themselves for it; for what fault is it of theirs, that
more do not come? Rather, comfort yourself with the presence of these
over the absence of many others, and know: he who is faithful in the
least is faithful also in much, and he who is unjust in the least is
unjust also in much, Luke 16:10. Should you then later be able to
spare an afternoon service, say every second or third Sunday, for a
sermon on the Old Testament, then do so likewise. Finally, always make
for yourself, at least for the coming half-year, an overview of the
Bible-sermons to be held on the Sunday afternoons that fall vacant,
where you

                                                                    14