Dear Friends in Christ Jesus,
When we are trying to make a point, or get our message across, we must communicate clearly. It doesn’t matter if we are doing that orally or in writing. What we are saying or writing must be clear.
This also is true with the blast or sound of the trumpet in the military. Different trumpet calls mean different things. It would not be good if a group of soldiers thought they heard retreat when the bugler actually was sounding charge.
The apostle Paul applied these examples in his first letter to the Corinthians. We can apply his point to the Reformation of 1517. Everything Luther and the other Reformers did and wrote was to present the gospel of Jesus Christ clearly to the sinner. They wanted no confusion that the forgiveness of sins and eternal salvation in heaven were by grace alone, by faith alone and by Scripture alone. Only the righteousness of Christ reconciled the world to God.
In today’s world as the heirs of the gospel, we must sound A Clear Trumpet Blast. People need to know what we are saying. God’s Word spoken clearly builds up the church.
The context of Paul’s words is this. God had given some of the Christians the gift of speaking in a tongue or language. This was a special gift although limited. It was of no value to other believers because they could not understand what the person was saying. Still, people desired that gift more than the gift of clearly speaking God’s Word to others. The apostle wrote to show them that speaking God’s Word, especially the gospel of Christ, clearly is a greater gift. It is a greater gift because people need to know what we are saying.
We are the heirs of the clear teachings of Holy Scripture because the reformers wanted the people to know what the Bible said. The common man and woman generally were uneducated and relied on the leaders of the church to interpret and expound Scripture. The church leaders did most of this in Latin, which the people could not understand. The clergy spoke in terms that were confusing in the sense they turned people away from Christ to themselves and their own works.
We cannot underestimate the desire of our faith fathers to clarify what God really said. This is not that God’s Word is not clear in itself. It is clear. However, the church was distorting the Word. They were twisting God’s Word and even lying about God’s Word for their own purposes. People need to know what we are saying when we talk about the Bible. No, people need to know what God is saying in the Holy Scripture.
Luther did this in a couple of ways. He first asked for a debate on the sale of indulgences. Why? To clarify what the church was saying. Later Luther translated the Bible into German so the people could read the Word of God at home. He wrote the Small and Large Catechisms so fathers could teach their children the clear Word of God. Everything Luther and the others wrote and preached was a clear trumpet blast so there could be no confusion.
When the church challenged Luther, it was not because they were not clear about what he was preaching and writing. It was all right there in front of them. They challenged him because his clear teachings challenged their lack of clarity about the Word.
The importance of a clear trumpet blast has not changed. People need to know what we are saying. We need to be clear in our teachings so people see the truth about our sins and our Savior. We need to be clear so people see the truth about the commandments, the sacraments and all Scriptures teachings. People will oppose us because we do that. It will not be because we are not clear but because we are clear and they don’t like it.
The Scripture is clear and not confusing in itself. If we carefully and faithfully proclaim the Word of God it will enlighten not confuse. Error is what confuses people not the truth. We must sound a clear trumpet blast so people know what we are saying. Why? Because God’s Word spoken clearly builds up the church.
Paul made the point to the Corinthians that the gift of tongues was beneficial for the person with the gift but that was between him and God. That gift did not edify the church, build it up by the gospel strengthening the people’s faith. This is the better gift. When the Christian speaks God’s Word clearly it builds up the church.
Again, it is important to note that the idea that it is the preaching and teaching the truth the divide the church is not true. The visible church has divisions and differences because of the false doctrine churches teach. On the other hand, we might say the truth divides. Jesus told his disciples that he would be the cause of divisions even among family members. He and his teachings would not bring peace but a sword as many rejected him and his clear Word.
If I were to speak to you in one of the many languages of the world Paul mentions, it would not help you if you did not understand what I was saying. Or, if I rambled and mumbled just throwing a bunch of words together no matter how true they are in themselves, they would make no sense. In both cases, what I said would not edify you. You would only be confused. Or, if I said that two polar opposites both are true, or, every man has his or her own truth those statements would cause confusion as they do today in the visible church.
The truth that Christ’s righteousness and sacrifice has paid for all of our sins is clear. That truth edifies the hearts of fearful sinners. That truth builds us up daily for faithful striving to live our lives in thankfulness to God’s glory.
When we speak, we must speak with a clear trumpet blast that does not sound retreat from the Scripture but sounds the charge that carries the gospel of Jesus Christ out to the lost world . Amen. <SDG>