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Bonhoeffer: The Church Confesses, Christ Builds |
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Written by Michael R. Walker
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Sunday, 21 December 2008 02:19 |
From a 1933 sermon based on Peter's confession at Caesarea Philipi (Mt. 16:13-18):
"But it is not we who should build, but he who will build. No human hands builds the church, but Christ alone. Whoever thinks he can build the church is already destroying it. For what he is building is a temple for idols, without knowing or wishing it.
"We shall confess -- he shall build. We shall preach -- he shall build. We shall pray to him -- he shall build. We do not know his plan. We do not see whether he builds or tears down. It may be that the times, which by human standards are times of collapse, are for him the times of great building. It may be that the times, which by human standards are times of great success, are for him times to tear down. It is a great comfort that Christ gives to his church: confess, preach, and bear witness to me. I alone will build as it pleases me. Don't give me orders. Do your job -- then you have done enough. You are all right. Don't seek out reasons and opinions. Don't keep judging. Don't keep checking again and again to see if you are secure. Church, remain a church! But, you, church -- confess, confess, confess! You have only one Lord -- Christ alone. By his grace alone you live. Christ builds."
Taken from Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Christmas Sermons, ed. and trans. Edwin Robinson (Zondervan, 2005).
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