are converted and instructed by our sophists and Pharisees, your own experience is witness.
But when the golden light of the Gospel is rising and shin-
ing, there is hope that many of the Jews will be converted
in earnest and be drawn completely to Christ, as you have
been drawn and certain others, who are the remnant of the
seed of Abraham that is to be saved by faith; for He Who
has begun the work will perfect it,[1] and will not permit His
Word to return unto Him void.[2] I thought it well, therefore,
to send you this little book to strengthen and assure your faith
in Christ, Whom you have lately learned to know in the Gos-
pel; and now that you are baptized in the Spirit you are born
of God. I hope that by your labor and example Christ may
be made known to other Jews, so that they who are predesti-
nated may be called and may come to their King David, Who
feeds and protects them, but Who is condemned among us
with incredible madness by the popes and Pharisees, pre-
destined to come into this condemnation. Farewell in the
Lord, and pray for me.
585. LUTHER TO NICHOLAS GERBEL IN STRASSBURG.
Weimar, xii, 56. Wittenberg, (early in June),[3] 1523.
Grace and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus
Christ. Once before I stole our Philip's Notes on Three Epis-
tles of St. Paul[4] and although he could not be angry at Luther,
the thief, he thought himself abundantly avenged upon me,
because, through the carelessness of the printers, the book
was published with so many mistakes that I myself was almost
ashamed, and was disgusted that I had deposited my booty
in so poor a place. He laughed at me, hoping, perhaps, that I
would learn by experience and abstain henceforth from thefts
of that kind. However, I was not moved by his ridicule, and
have become bolder than ever, for this time I am not stealing,
- ↑ Philippians i, 6.
- ↑ Isaiah iv, ii.
- ↑ So dated in Weimar. Endert dates it "May or earlier" (iv. 249). On the reasons for the date, vide Weimar, xii, 35f; Enders, iv, 151, n. i.
- ↑ Notes on Romans and I and II Corinthians (1522). Luther had sent a student's manuscript to the printers (cf, De Wette, ii, 238).
