O beloved brethren, whom God begot of his own will with the word of truth. You are those in whose hearts God has also planted the Word, even Jesus Christ our savior. We are the firstfruits of every creature, the beginning of the recreation of all things in our head Jesus Christ, and thus the center of the new creation in the perfection of God’s covenant of grace. We are such by the engrafted Word! Engrafted first in the incarnation, death, and burial of Jesus Christ. Sprung up to new life in the resurrection of Christ and implanted by the Holy Ghost in our hearts. Receive with meekness the engrafted Word! Let every man humble himself and become nothing before that Word. Let every man give all glory to that Word for his salvation. Let every man cleave to the Word as his salvation. Let every man obey his voice today while it is yet today. For that Word ever speaks and is ever heard in the house of God.

And so, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.

Slow to speak because man is quick to object. He excuses himself in the face of the Word’s condemnation of him. He justifies his works in the face of the Word’s condemnation of his works. He replies against the Word that it is nothing more than the preacher’s opinion, and he is welcome to it. He objects to the Word that it is totally out of touch with reality, is unfair, or is hierarchy in the church. He replies against the Word that it is nothing more than the preacher’s agenda. And by his objections and condemnations of the Word, he declares that it is not in fact the Word of God at all.

And man is quick to object to the Word because he is quick to wrath. The Word brings condemnation, a rebuke, heavenly wisdom antithetical to man’s wisdom, division in the family, or the cross of suffering into a man’s life. And a man is quickly angry at the Word’s interference—as he says—in his life. A man is incensed because the Word condemns his way of life. A man is angry because the Word brought division among his friends. A man is mad because the Word condemned his family. And angry at the Word, the man reacts against the Word with denunciations.

And man has this reaction to the Word because of filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness. Filthiness is simply worldliness. Our objections against the Word and anger with the Word of God come from our flesh, which loves the world. And superfluity of naughtiness means that this filthiness is a fountain of malice in us toward the Word himself.

Such a man will receive the Word the same way that the innkeeper of Bethlehem received him, so that there was no room for him in the inn. Such a man will receive the Word the same way that Nazareth received him, by trying to push him off a cliff. Such a man will receive the Word the same way that Israel received her prophets, whom they killed because the Word of God enraged them. Such a man will receive the Word the same way that Pontius Pilate and Herod and the Sanhedrin received him, which was not at all, and he will crucify the Word.

Rather, let every man, beloved brethren, be swift to hear. For in that Word is not a preacher’s agenda, worldly wisdom, or cunningly crafted lies, but the Word made flesh, the Word that is able to save your souls.