we are the Lord's." Indeed,
we Christians live upon this earth to the very end that we may have
assured comfort, salvation and victory over death and hell.

22. Of this Paul here reminds us, and dwells on it more fully later
in this Epistle; he would have us duly thankful for this great grace
and living among ourselves in a Christian and brotherly manner, in
doctrine and practice, ignoring and avoiding that wild, disorderly
conduct of the contentious and disorderly. He who recognizes such
grace and blessing cannot but love and thank God and conduct himself
aright toward his neighbor; and when he finds himself falling short
in this he will, by admonition and the Word of God, make amends.

23. Here you might put the question: Why does Paul speak in such a
commendatory way of the Corinthians, saying that they were enriched
in everything and came behind in no gift, when he himself confesses
later on that they had contentions and schisms--in regard to baptism,
to the sacrament, to the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead and
in regard to abuse of liberty, and some lived as they pleased. Would
you not call these things faults and shortcomings? How, then, is he
in a position to say that they were abundantly supplied with all
things spiritual, lacking not one thing?

24. Well, you should recall what I have repeatedly stated:
Christendom is never so spotless that there are not some spurious and
wicked admixed, just as you will always find weeds, darnel, tares, or
wild mustard together with pure grain. And he who will examine the
Church with only a view of finding faults and frailties among those
called Christians, will miss the Church, yes, the Gospel and Christ,
and never discover a Church at all.

25. But we have the consolation of knowing that if we have the Gospel
pure, we have the treasure God gives his Church and we cannot go
astray nor want. But as yet we have not reached that degree of
perfection where all hearers of the Gospel will grasp it fully and
wholly or are faultless in faith and life; at all times there will be
some who do not believe and some who are weak and imperfect. However,
that great treasure and rich blessing of doctrine and knowledge is
present. There is no defect in this, and it is effective and
fruitful. The fact that some do not believe, does not weaken baptism
or the Gospel or the Church; they only harm themselves. To sum up,
where the Word remains, there most assuredly is also the Church. F