Second Christmas Day — Sermons of Martin Luther

SECOND CHRISTMAS DAY.

SECOND C H R I S T M A S D A Y .

This sermon appears in the E r l . E d . 10, 161; W . 11,198; And it came to pass, when the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another,

Let us now go jven unto Bethlehem, and see this thing that is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

And they came with haste, and found both Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in the manger.

And when they saw it, they made known concerning thj saying, which was spoken to them about this child.

And all that heard it wondered at the things which were spoken unto them by the shepherds.

Mary kept all these sayings, pondering them in for heart.

And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, even as it was spoken unto them.

T H E F R U I T S A N D S I G N S O F T H E O F T H E W O R D O F G O D .

* The substance of this Gospel. I .

1. I t has no command and needs I. The First Fruit and Sign of the no taskmaster. 14.

Power of the Word are Faith.

2. I t has been abolished by the 1. B y what means we may identipope and his followers. 16.

V. The -Fifth F r u i t and Sign are 2. An objection caused by this fruit and sign, and its ansV I . The Sixth Fruit and Sign are wer. 3-5.

3. How and why this fruit t r i - V I I . The Seventh F r u i t and Sign umphs in life and death. 6. are Confession. 19-20.

4. How this fruit and sign of the V I I I . The Eighth F r u i t and Sign power of the Word of God are Christian Liberty. 21-22. may be observed in Mary I X . The Ninth F r u i t and Sign are and the shepherds. 7-8.

Praise and Thanksgiving to I I . The Second F r u i t and Sign of the Word are the Unity of • The nature of a truly Christian the Spirit. 9-10.

I I I . The Third F r u i t and Sign are • The spiritual interpretation of 1. The nature of this fruit. 11.

• The harm the pope and his fol2. The results of this fruit. 12. lowers have done to the IV. The Fourth F r u i t and Sign are the Despising of Self. 13f.

• The conclusion of the interpretation of this Gospel. 30.

1. I n the light of the exposition of the preceding Gospel this text is easily understood for it cites an example and the Still Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved putting into practice of the doctrine taught there, in that the shepherds did, and found, all just as the angels had told them.

Consequently it teaches what the results and fruit of the Word of God are, and what the marks are, by which we know whether the Word of God is established in our hearts and whether it is doing its work there.

I. T H E F R U I T S A N D SIGNS O F T H E POWER OF T H E W O R D O F GOD.

2. The first and principal fruit of the power of the Word is faith. For had not these shepherds believed the angel they would never have gone to Bethlehem, they would moreover never have done one of the things related of them in this

3. One, however, might say: Yes, I would also gladly believe if an angel thus from heaven were to preach to me.

This is very foreign to the subject. Whoever does not receive the Word for its own sake, will never receive it for the sake of the preacher, even if all the angels preached it to him. And he who receives it because of the preacher does not believe in the Word, neither in God through the Word, but he believes the preacher and in the preacher. Hence the faith of such persons does not last long. But whoever believes the Word, does not care who the person is that speaks the Word, and neither will he honor the Word for the sake of the person; but on the contrary, he honors the person because of the Word, and always subordinates the person to the Word. And if the preacher perishes, or even falls from his faith and preaches differently, he will forsake the person of the preacher rather than the Word of God. He abides by what he has heard, although the person of the preacher may be what he will, and come and go as he may.

4. The true difference between godly faith and human faith consists also in this, that human faith cleaves to the person of the preacher, believes, trusts and honors the Word for the sake of him who spake it. But godly faith, on the other hand, cleaves to the Word, which is God himself; he believes, trusts and honors the Word, not because of him who preaches

Still Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved SECOND CHRISTMAS DAY. i t ; but because he feels it so surely the truth that no one can ever turn him again from it, even if the same preacher were to try to do it. This was proved by the Samaritans, John 4,42, when they had heard first of Christ from the heathen woman and upon her word they went out of the city to Christ After they themselves heard Christ, they said to the woman, "Now we believe, not because of thy speaking: for we have heard for ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Saviour of the world."

5. Moreover, all who believed Christ because of his person and his miracles, fell from their faith when he was crucified.

So it is in our day and so has it always been. The Word itself, without any regard to persons, must be enough for the heart, it must include and lay hold of man, so that he, as i f taken captive, feels how true and right it is, even if the world, all the angels, all the princes of hell said differently, yea, if God himself spake otherwise; as he at times tempts his own elect and appears as if he were different than he had before declared. So it was with Abraham when commanded to offer his son Isaac; with Jacob, while wrestling with the angel; and with David, when persecuted by his son Absalom; and other like examples.

6. This faith triumphs in life and death, in hell and heaven, and nothing is able to overthrow i t ; because it rests upon nothing but the Word without any regard whatever to persons.

7. These shepherds possessed such faith; for they agree with and cleave to the Word so fully that they forget the angels who declared it to them. They do not say, Let us go and see the word that the angels made known to us, but the word that the Lord hath made known unto us. The angels were soon forgotten and the Word of God only seized and retained. I n like manner St Luke speaks in the text of Mary, that she kept all these sayings, pondering them in her heart.

Without doubt she did not let the humble appearance of the shepherds trouble her, but esteemed all as the Word of God.

8. And although it is the idiom of the Hebrew language that when it speaks of an historic fact, it says, "they wish to see the word", as St. Luke says here (because the history is embodied in words and is made known by means of words); so is it therefore thus provided by God that faith should be expressed as that which cleaves to the words and relies upon the words spoken concerning the history. For if Christ's life and sufferings were not embodied in the words by which faith is anchored, they would have been of no use, because all who saw them with their eyes received no benefit from them, or very little.

9. The second fruit is the unity in the spirit. For it is the nature of Christian faith to unite hearts into one, that they be of one mind and of one will, as Psalm 68, 6 says: "God, the Lord, Christ our God, setteth the solitary in families."

Paul speaks of the unity of the Spirit in many places as in Rom. 12,18; 1 Cor. 12,4; and Eph. 4, 3, where he says: "Be ever diligent that ye be of one mind, of one w i l l . " Such unity is not possible apart from faith, for every one is well pleased with his own ways, therefore is the land, as the proverb runs, full of fools. Here one sees in his own experiences how the various orders, callings, and sects are divided among themselves. Every one esteems his order, his calling, his character, his work, his plans the best, and the right road to heaven.

He disparages the things of others and rejects them; as we see at present among the priests, monks, bishops and all who profess to be spiritual.

However those, who have the true faith, know that it depends only upon faith, in which they unanimously agree.

Therefore they are never divided and disunited because of any outward calling, conduct or work. To them all external matters, however different they may be, are the same. Thus the shepherds here are of one mind, of one will, speak the same thought among themselves, use the same form of words and say:

"Let us now go even unto Bethlehem", etc.

11. The third fruit is humility, in that they acknowledge themselves to be human. Therefore the Evangelist adds "The the shepherds", etc. For faith immediately teaches that everyStill Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved

SECOND CHRISTMAS DAY. thing human is nothing before God. Hence they despise self and think nothing of themselves.

This is true, fundamental humility and self knowledge.

Humility then brings with it that it does not inquire about things great and high in the world. They consider themselves a humble poor and despised people, as St. Paul teaches in Rom. 12,16, when he says: "Set not your mind on high things, but condescend to them'that are lowly". As Psalm 15,4 also teaches: " I n the eyes of the righteous the reprobate is despised,, but he honoreth them that fear Jehovah."

12. Out of all this follows peace. For he who esteems nothing of all the external and great things, easily lets them pass and never quarrels with any one about them. He experiences something better inwardly in the faith of his heart.

Unity, peace, and humility are also found among murderers, public sinners, even among hypocrites. I t is however a unity of the flesh and not of the spirit; as Pilate and Herod became reconciled to one another and exercised a peaceful and humble spirit toward each other. Likewise the Jews, according to Ps. 2,2: "The Kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together." I n like manner are, the pope, monks and priests one when they contend against God, who at other times are nothing but mere sects among themselves.

Hence this is called aji unity, humility and peace of the spirit, in that it is above and in spiritual things, that is, in Christ.

The fourth is love to your neighbor and a renouncing of self. The example of the shepherds proves this in that they leave their sheep and go forth, not to the great and high lords in Jerusalem, not to the aldermen in Bethlehem, but to the little company in the stable. They present themselves to the lowly and do whatever is required of them. Had they not had faith they would not have thus left their sheep; and they woud not have abandoned their work, had not the angels before command them to do so. They did it of their own free will and of their own counsel, as the text teaches. They conferred with one another about it and came with haste, and the angels did not command them, but only pointed out what they would find,

14. Love acts in like manner. I t knows no command, it does everything by virtue of its own impulse, it hastens and delays not, it is enough that its attention is only called to a thing, it needs no taskmaster, neither will it tolerate one. Oh, much might be said on this thought! So should the Christian live more freely in love, forget self and the things of self, only think and hasten to his neighbor, as St. Paul in Phil. 2, 4 says: "Not looking each of you to his own things, but each of you also to the things of others."

"Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."

15. However, the pope and his bishops and priests have filled the world with laws and constraint, and there is nothing now in the whole world but mere driving and alarming.

No voluntary order or calling exists any longer, since it has been proclaimed that love should be extinguished and the world be ruined by human doctrines.

16. The fifth is joy.

This appears in the words that we gladly speak and hear about the things faith in the heart has received.

So here the shepherds converse with one another joyously and kindly about that which they had heard and believed. They use very many words, as if they were talking to no purpose.

They are not satisfied by saying: Let us go unto Bethlehem and see the saying that has come to pass; they add, which the Lord did and hath made known unto us.

Is it not unnecessary talk that they say: What has come to pass there, that God has done? Could they not have easily spoken in fewer words thus: Let us see the saying, God has done there.

17. But the spirit's joy bubbles over with cheery words, and still none are useless, yea, all is too little, and the soul can not pour forth itself as it gladly would desire, like Ps.

45,1 says: " M y heart overfloweth with a goodly matter," as if he were to say, I would gladly tell it forth, but I cannot; it is greater than I can express, so that my speaking is hardly a hiccough.

Hence the saying in Ps. 51,17 and other places:

And Ps. 119,171: "Let my lips utter praise", like a boiling pot wells and bubbles forth.

18. The sixth fruit: they follow with acts. For it is as St. Paul says in 1. Cor. 4,20:

"For the Kingdom of God is not in word, but in power."

Thus here the shepherds do not only say, Let us go and see, but they also went, yea, they do more than they say. For the text says, "They came in haste," that is more than merely going, as they agreed to do. so faith and love always do more than they promise, and their affairs are alive, intertwined, active, bubbling over. So a Christian should be a man of few words and of many deeds, as he will surely be, if he is a true Christian. I f he is not such a man then he is not yet a real Christian.

19. The seventh fruit is, they freely confess and publicly preach the Word that was spoken to them concerning this child, which is the highest work in the Christian life. I n this

We are to risk our body and life, our wealth and honor.

Foi to believe right and live a good life quietly and with yourself is not attacking the wicked spirit very hard; but when we go forth and publish the same abroad, confess, preach and praise for the sake of the welfare of others: that he will not permit.

Therefore Luke adds here that the shepherds did not only come and see, but they also preached about this child what they heard in the field, not only before Mary and Joseph, but before everybody.

20. Do you not think there were many who thought they were fools and insane people, in that they attempted, as coarse and unschooled laymen, to speak of the angels' song and sermon? But the shepherds, full of faith and joy cheerfully became fools in the eyes of men for God's sake. A Christian also does the same. For God's Word must be considered as foolishness and falsehood in this world.

21. The eighth fruit is Christian liberty. This is bound by no work, but all works are alike to a Christian as they come to his notice. For these shepherds run to no desert, put on no hood, never shave their heads, never change clothing, time, food, drink nor any external work, they return again to their

For a Christian character consists not in outward conduct, neither does it change any one as to his outward calling or position, but as to his inner state, that is, he possesses another heart, another mind, will and impulse that does even the work, which any person without such a mind and will does. For a Christian knows that all depends entirely upon faith; therefore he goes, stands, eats, drinks, clothes himself, works and lives as an ordinary man in his calling, so that one can not see his Christianity; as Christ says in L,uke 17,20-21: "The Kingdom of God cometh not with observation; neither shall they say, Lo, here! or, there! for lo the kingdom of God is within you."

22. Against this liberty the pope and his spiritual offices contend with their laws and chosen dress, food, prayers, sacred places and persons; they take themselves and every person captive by their soul snares with which they filled the world, as St. Anthony saw in a dream.

For they thought it depended upon our nature and works that we are saved. They call other people worldly, although they themselves are seven fold more worldly, since all their affairs are the doings of man, concerning which God has commanded nothing.

23. The ninth and last fruit of the Word is praising and thanking. For we are not able to give God any work or service for all the kindness and grace he bestows upon us, except praise and thanks which also spring from the heart, and do not need many organs, bells, and loud voices. Faith truly teaches such praise and thanks as are here related of the shepherds, in that they returned to their flocks glorifying and praising God. They are indeed contented, although they have not become wealthier, although they are not more highly honored, although they do not eat and drink better, and are not obliged to do their daily duties better.

24. See, in this Gospel you have a picture of a true Christtian life, first according to its outward character, so that it glitters outwardly not at all, or very little in the eyes of the people, yea, is falsehood and the work of fools in the eyes of most people; but inwardly it is nothing but light, joy and saU

5, 22 he relates the fruits of the Spirit and says: "The fruits of the Spirit," that is, the works of faith," are love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, selfcontrol;" here there is no mention of persons, seasons, food, clothing, places or like chosen works of human device as we see swarming in the life of the Papists.

T H E S P I R I T U A L I N T E R P R E T A T I O N O F T H I S 25. But what it is to find Christ in such poverty, and what his swaddling clothes and manger signify, are explained in the previous Gospel; that his poverty teaches how we should find him in our neighbors, the lowliest and the most needy; and his swaddling clothes are the holy Scriptures; that in actual life we should incline to the needy; and in our studies and contemplative life only to the Scriptures; in order that Christ alone may become the man of both lives and that he may everywhere stand before us. We should shun the books of Aristotle, of the pope, and of all men, or read them in a way that we do not seek the edification of the soul in them; but with them make use of the time and this life, as one teaches a trade or civil law. However it is not in vain that St. Luke places

Mary before Joseph, and both of them before the child and says: "And they found both Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in the manger."

26. Now we said before, Mary is the Christian church, Joseph, the servants of the church, as the bishops and pastors should be if they preach the Gospel. Here the church is preferred before the prelates of the church, as Christ also says in Luke 22, 26: "He that is the greater among you, let him become as the younger," although that is now reversed; it is also no wonder, since they rejected the Gospel and exalted the prattle of men. The Christian church retains now all the words of God in her heart and ponders them, compares them with one another and with the Scriptures. Therefore he who would find Christ must first find the Church. How should we know where Christ and his faith were, if we did not know where his

Still Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved L U T H E R ' S C H U R C H believers are? And he who would know anything of Christ must not trust himself nor build a bridge to heaven by his own reason; but he must go to the Church, attend and ask her.

27. Now the Church is not wood and stone, but the company of believing people; one must hold to them, and see how they believe, live and teach; they surely have Christ in their midst. For outside of the Christian church there is no truth, no Christ, no salvation.

28. From this it follows that it is unsafe and false that the pope or a bishop wishes to have himself alone believed, and that he poses as a master; for they all err and are inclined to err.

But their teaching should be subject to the congregation of believers.

The congregation should decide and judge what they teach; their judgment should stand, in order that Mary may be found before Joseph, the church be preferred to the preachers.

For it was not Joseph but Mary who retains the words in her heart, ponders them, gathers them together and compares them. The apostle also taught this in 1. Cor. 14,

29-30 when he says: "And let not the prophets speak by two or three, and let the others discern. But if a revelation be made to another sitting by, let the first keep silence."

29. But at present the pope and his followers have become tyrants, have reversed this Christian, godly and apostolic order, established an entirely heathen and Pythagorian order of things, that they may say, lulaffen and alfenzen, that is, they talk silly about whatever they wish. No one criticises them, no one will oppose them, no one tells them to be quiet. And in this way they have quenched the Spirit so that among them one finds neither Mary, nor Joseph nor Christ; nothing but the rats, mice, vipers and serpents of their poisonous doctrines and hypocrisy.

30. This is not a Gospel of strife; for it teaches Christian morals and works, it does not clearly and publicly establish the different articles of faith. Although in its spiritual teachings, (mysteriis), as has been shown, it is strong enough; but the spiritual teachings (mysteria) do not strive and contend.

There must be clear, public passages that plainly publish the articles of our faith.

T h i s sermon appears in the E r l . E d . 10,172; W .

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was The same was in the beginning with God.

All things were made through him; and without him was not anything made that hath been made.

In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness apprehended it not.

There came a man, sent from The same came for witness, that he might bear witness of the light, that all might believe through him.

He was not the light, but came that he might bear witness of the light.

There was the true light, even the light which lighteth every man, coming into the world.

He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world knew him not.

He came unto his own, and they that were his own received him not.

But as many as received him, to them gave he the right to become children of God, even to them that believe on his name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us

(and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

A N D T H E R E V E L A T I O N 1 C H R I S T S T I T L E S O F HONOR AND H I S A T T R I B U T E S .

• This Gospel is The most Important of all. 1.

• The New Testament is founded upon the Old Testament and is a revelation of it. 2.

I . C H R I S T ' S F I R S T These Titles and Attributes of Christ. 3f.

. How we are to conclude from this that Christ is no mere creature. 4.

That he is eternal. 5.

That he is a distinct person from the person of the F a t h er. 6.

That there are two persons, but only one God. 7-8.

• What he is to do, who desires to proceed safely in searching the holy 6. How this foundation is the real mine from which all, that is written on the divinity of Christ in the New Testament, is taken. 11.

* Of the Divinity of the Holy B. This Title of Honor and Attribute, To Which 1. That Christ is called • An opinion on the discussion the learned have about the inner word of the heart. 17.

Word that was in the begin nig."

* Of the heresies of Sabellius and Arius. 22.

Word that was God himself." a. The sense and understanding of this. 23. b. How the heresies of Sabellius and Arius were overthrown by this. 24-25.

• In matters of faith one should hold firmly to the Scriptures and not listen to reason. 26-27.

Word, through whom all things were made." 28-31.

I L C H R I S T ' S S E C O N D T I T L E OP 1. The false exposition some give of this attribute and title of honor, and the objections to * What moved John to write his Gospel. 35-36.

2. The true sense and understanding of this title. 37-38.

* The natural life is a part of and the beginning of the eternal life. 39.

3. An objection that is raised by this title and attribute, and its answer. 40-42.

I I I . C H R I S T ' S T H I R D T I T L E L I G H T " , that is:

1. The false exposition of this by some, refuted. 43f.

2. Its true sense and understanding.

3 An opinion on the exposition by Augustine. 45-46.

• The light of nature and the the light of grace. a. The light of nature is corrupted. 47-49. b. The light of nature contends against the light of grace.

The light of nature is the root of all heresy and hypocrisy. 51-62.

4. John does not here speak of the natural, but of the divine light. 53.

5. How it shines forth here, that man has no other light but Christ. 54-56.

* How there is life in Christ that is to be obtained through faith. 56-58.

1. What we are to think of the false interpretation some give of this. a. The false interpretation. 59. b. An opinion on this false i n terpretation. 60-63.

2. Its true sense and understanding. 63-65.

* Heretics and the lost world cannot grasp divine truth.

* The substance of the Gospel according to St. John. 68.

1. The reason for this. 69, 70f.

St. John is so difficult to understand in the beginning of his gospel. 71-72.

2. How it becomes clear here, that the spoken word should preach only * By means of the Gospel the divine Word is brought to us.

3. How all human teaching is here overthrown. 76.

4. How it becomes clear from this that Christ is true God and true irtan. 76.

5. How and why the Evangelist repeats this. a. The first reason is to show this Light is God. b. The second reason is to restrain false preachers. 81.

6. How we are to make use of this point against those who preach man's doctrine. 82f.

* Whoever does not preach the Gospel Is to be rejected. 83.

* The cause of complaint against the abomination of the doctrines of men.

1. This is not to be understood of natural light. 86.

2. An opinion on the exposition Augustine gives on this point. a. Exposition by Augustine. £G.

3. The true sense and understanding of this. 87-90.

5. How this thought, aside from that given before, permits still another sense and meaning. 92-93.

H I S B E C O M I N G MAN; T H E R E V E L A T I O N O F H I S 1. What is to be understood by his coming. 94-95.

2. How John is called the forerunner of the coming of 3. What is meant by he came unto his own. 97.

4. How Christ's divinity is set forth in his coming. 98.

* It is a great disgrace that the world does not receive 5. The glorious work effected by Christ's coming. a. The nature of this work.

* Good works canot change a person, faith in Christ must do that. 101-103. b. The nature of persons, in whom this work of Christ finds expression. 104-109.

* Concerning the new birth.

1. How the new birth takes place. 109.

2. How it is fully proved in time of temptaion and death. 110.

3. The fruits and evidence of the new birth. 111-112.

4. This birth is not the work of human reason and power, but the work of God.

I I . Christ's Becoming Man.

1. The nature, meaning and understanding of this. 115.

2. How Christ's Incarnation suffered many things from heretics.

* Of the holy Scriptures and Scriptures are completely suppressed by Antichrist. 117-118. b. That Antichrist is worse than any heretic. 118-121. c. How and why we should cleave to the holy

Scriptures and to Christ. 122.

* Christ must first come to us in his grace, if we are to be saved. 123.

3. How this teaching is to be considered important, which faith alone grasps.

4. Whether Christ's incarnation is contrary to reason. 125.

5. Whether reason can grasp it.

* Concerning reason; also concernig the true God. a. Reason points out presumptuous things in the works of b. Reason can do nothing but work apostacy. 128-129.

C Those who place their fancy and arrogance above God and his Word, have not the true God. 130-132. d. Real believers do not mistake the true God. e. What is the surest evidence that anything is from 6. How is it to be understood when the Evangelist here says,

Christ dwellt among us. 133-134.

1. The right meaning and understanding of this. 135.

2. How this teaches that Christ is true God.

3. The persons who have and have not part In this glory.

* The meaning of the words, "Grace and Truth." 138.

* How and why natural light can never begin the work it wculd have done. 139.

* The conclusion of the exposition of this Gospel. 140.

CHRIST'S T I T L E S O F H O N O R A N D H I S A T T R I B U T E S .

1. This is the most important of all the Gospels of the church year, and yet it is not, as some think, obscure or difficult.

For upon it is clearly founded the important article of faith concerning the divinity of Christ, with which all Christians ought to be acquainted, and which they are able to understand.

Nothing is too great for faith.

Therefore let us consider this Gospel lesson in the simplest manner possible, and not as the scholastics did with their fabricated subtleties, conStill Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved ceal its doctrine from the common people and frighten them away from it. There is no need of many fine and sharp distinctions, but only of a plain, simple explanation of the words of the text.

2. I n the first place, we should know that all that the apostles taught and wrote, they took out of the Old Testament; for in it all things are proclaimed that were to be fulfilled later in Christ, and were to be preached, as Paul says in Rom.

1, 2: "God promised afore the Gospel of his son Jesus Chrisi through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures."

Therefore all their preaching is based upon the Old Testament, and there is not a word in the New Testament that does not look back into the Old, where it had been foretold.

Thus we have seen in the Epistle how the divinity of Christ is confirmed by the Apostle from passages in the Old Testament.

For the New Testament is nothing more than a revelation of the Old. Just as one receives a sealed letter which is not to be opened until after the writer's death, so the Old

Testament is the will and testament of Christ, which he has had opened after his death and read and everywhere proclaimed through the Gospel, as it is declared in Rev. 5,5, where the Lamb of God alone is able to open the book with the seven seals, which no one else could open, neither in heaven, nor on earth, nor under the earth.

CHRIST'S FIRST T I T L E O F H O N O R A N D A T T R I B U T E :

3. That this Gospel may be clearer and more easily understood, we must go back to the passages in the Old Testament upon which it is founded, namely, the beginning of the first chapter of Genesis. There we read, Gen. 1,1-3: " I n the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, and the earth was waste and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

And God said, Let there be light, and there was light," etc.

Moses continues how all things were created in like manner as the light, namely, by speaking or the Word of Thus: "And God said, Let there be a firmament." And again: "God said, Let there be sun, moon, stars," etc.