Commentary on Romans 3.5-5.7 (P. Cair. 88748 & Cod. Vat. gr. 762) [Papyrus Cairensis 88748 & Codex Vatican Library Greek 762], Translated by ChatGPT from Greek
Origen's Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans, Volume 5. [Rom. 3, 5–8] "But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God." Sometimes... to the nations speaking, and... proclaiming to all nations, and other things concerning the Jews...We say that through the entire epistle it is designed for him to display the salvation of Israel before the advent of Christ in accordance with the Law... but also concerning those after the advent of our Savior... how for Israel by their transgression salvation has come to the nations...
"Let God be true, but every man a liar." Now addressing this paradox... it is justly applied against men... their unrighteousness demonstrates God's righteousness; for he sets forth the paradox and prevents those using it...
For it is impossible and unjust to say that God is lying and claiming that He judges the world, in... immediately conceiving nothing of injustice... those who reflect poorly upon these arguments deny falsely concerning us, saying that we report by implication that if the truth of God abounds in the lie of men, and His righteousness is established by our unrighteousness, we desire the good to come which cannot arrive before our evils, we should do the worse so that the good may come after it...
"Is God unjust who inflicts wrath upon men?" If, as we have found elsewhere, "Is God unjust who inflicts wrath? I speak as a man."
"May it never be," such would be the meaning of the phrase: to say that God is unjust for bringing wrath because our injustice establishes God's righteousness, is not spoken according to God nor according to His wisdom but according to human nature and because "every man is a liar" ... concerning him, the sciences of opposites, like the medical art which is about the sick and the healthy and not because it deals with health it is able to deal with the sick, but wisdom is bestowed knowledge of good and evil, and prudence of desirable and undesirable, courage of fearful and non-fearful; they say to use terms apophatically due to the deficiency of names signifying opposites, not against them … it is necessary for one who takes up the science of righteousness to know also the injustice … Therefore, our injustice establishes the righteousness of God and shows the beauty and excellence of what is deemed good by it; without it existing at all there would be no excellence … For wrath first comes upon injustice and through it upon those who use it … unjust … enduring wrath because of injustice … it speaks not according to man who … bringing wrath … For all men by nature are children of wrath from being gods and sons of the Most High but after ... and I might dare to say that when God becomes all in all, then there will no longer be man when all have become gods … when all become one God according to "As I and you are one" in order that they also may be one in us … And in the Epistle to the Corinthians … we became to the world, that is, in the earthly place … to angels and men … multiplied destructively there … if not such falsehoods and persuasions had intruded, therefore … how the truth of God in human falsehood has abounded … Likewise understand concerning other doctrines in which it is said there are three kinds of goods, those of the soul, those of the body, and those that are external, and that happiness is fulfilled by these three kinds. These also having cut off providence establish it up to the borders of the moon, handing over what is below to disorder and taking God and providence from here … and from these it is clear how it is said "The truth of God in my falsehood abounded." But the truth of God abounds in much and varied human falsehood for the glory of God … not only as a man am I reviled but lest I ever blaspheme as God … it shall be in justice … (Rom. 3:9–18) After these, as is his custom to teach from the scriptures, he desires to explicitly gather how both Jews and Greeks are all under sin, beginning from "As it is written that there is none righteous, not even one," and to me, it seems for the sake of rendering it necessary not only here but also if anywhere else the servants of Jesus Christ of the new covenant remember legal or prophetic sayings to carefully attend to where it is written what they cite, and whether they use the very words written or sometimes having altered them …
Then, "There is none who understands, there is none who seeks God," we do not find written in these very words, but we think that the apostle paraphrased the sayings from the thirteenth psalm and the fifty-second. For in the thirteenth psalm it is said, "The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, or seek God," and in the fifty-second, "God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, or seek God." Therefore, it seems he considered the phrase "to see if there were any that did understand, or seek God" equivalent to "there is none who understands, there is none who seeks God." And I believe the "There is none righteous, no, not one" is derived from "There is none that does good, no, not one." Thus, he places it twice, once paraphrasing, once using the same words and leaving out the second "there is none." After this, he places, "The poison of asps is under their lips," as if this... is borrowed from some psalm. The following phrase, "Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness," seems to be taken from the ninth psalm where it is said, "Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness and deceit." Then, it continues, "Their feet are swift to shed blood," which you will find in Isaiah or in other versions of the Proverbs, in the phrase "Quick to shed blood," which was added with asterisks in the Septuagint version. But "Destruction and misery are in their ways" up to this point I do not know where it has been read; I think it is written in some of the prophets. For I think it is written in some of the prophets, "The way of peace they have not known," and in the psalms, "There is no fear of God before their eyes." Therefore, it seems he used many quotations to teach how the scripture has accused both Jews and Greeks that all are under sin. And if he called all non-Jews Greeks, the name "Jew" is not a name of a nation but of a choice. For even if someone is not from the nation of the Jews, but a foreigner embracing the things of the Jews and becoming a proselyte, it is reasonable that he would be called a Jew if he embraced those things. Likewise, if someone born among the Jews embraces the things of the Gentiles, this one would be called a proselyte if he renounced Judaism and embraced the laws and word of the latter. And if one intends to live according to the letter of the law, he is openly a Jew; but if according to the spiritual law, he would be called a Jew secretly. Concerning Greeks, one may reasonably inquire how they have come under sin, Paul saying, "Sin is not imputed when there is no law." But to this we will say... just as nations without law by nature do the things of the law and show the work of the law written in their hearts. This law by nature is the law of God, but the written one in cities is not by nature but by statute, especially when it contradicts the law of nature. If one assumes the law of Moses is meant, obviously sin would not be imputed before Moses neither to Cain, who killed his brother, nor to those who perished in the flood because of their sins, nor to the wicked and sinful in Sodom who were condemned by fire and brimstone according to what is written. Some Greeks also reasonably declared that it was necessary for evil to exist in a rational and mortal race with the advent of reason, then over time, with care and attention, to dismantle this and establish virtue. Righteous men are just before those inferior to them and often in comparison with worse ones, even the unjust are called just.
Thus, indeed, it is said to Jerusalem regarding Sodom: "Sodom was justified by you." Therefore, when the scriptures testify to some as being righteous and then say again, "No one living shall be justified in your sight," do not think that they contradict themselves, nor that Paul was unaware of those praised for righteousness, saying, "There is none righteous, not even one." For you might say that the same person is righteous compared to others, but not righteous before God. So, Aaron is not justified before Moses, being surpassed by Moses' righteousness. Mary is justified before many but not before Aaron and Moses. How, then, is there none righteous, not even one, whether Jewish, even a prophet, or Greek, even someone apostolic, like Titus, who was taught by Paul? What are the things laid up or when is fulfilled the saying, "The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet"? For how does one understand if, as it is said, "If anyone thinks they know something, they do not yet know as they ought to know"? The one who understands sees face to face, but one who does not yet see face to face but through a mirror and dimly does not yet understand. Perhaps then all turned aside when they were going forth and weeping, carrying their seeds, and did what caused the Babylonian captivity. One might reasonably take "they turned aside" in the sense of sin that is contrary to nature. Those who have done only what was commanded are unworthy servants. We therefore became unworthy then too, and perhaps it is not a boast to say, "We have done what we ought to have done." For the one in the Gospel who received the talent, along with his fellow servant who received five talents, gave back what he owed, saying to his master, "See, you have what is yours." Nevertheless, having paid what he owed, he is called an unworthy servant by his master who says, "And cast the unworthy servant into the outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." So, they all turned aside and became unworthy. The Savior to the one who said, "What good thing shall I do to inherit eternal life?" said, "Why do you ask me about what is good? One is good, God alone." We have found goodness to be the same as kindness in "Give thanks to the Lord, for He is kind, for His mercy endures forever," while elsewhere it says, "for He is good, for His mercy endures forever." And if you set yourself to examine each person and the one deemed to be the most righteous, you would not quickly find them pure from all deceit. So, swords are the sharp feet of those who shed blood, just as the feet of those who bring good news are beautiful. Feet here symbolize paths, and in their ways, nothing is whole; instead, there is ruin and every hardship. It is the same to have the fear of God before one's eyes as to have knowledge of the fear of God, which the Word desires to teach us, saying, "Come, children, listen to me." Seeming to have the fear of God but not having that fear properly called the fear of God. Or would we not say that those who abstain from marriage out of the pretense of fearing God and do not use food and drink, seem to have the fear of God? Yet a sensible person would say that there is truly no fear of God in them, nor truth. Though there are many sins, not everyone is guilty of all, but some of this sin, others of that, so that all who are under sin are guilty, not each one of all, but each one of some of all. Knowing, therefore, that whatever the law says it speaks to those under the law, if we consider the law here to only refer to Moses, the Apostle would not reasonably say that for this reason, the law speaks to those under the law so that no person would have an excuse concerning their sins, for it is such that "Every mouth may be stopped."
For what commonality to all flesh the works of the law of Moses? How then is the knowledge of sin through the law of Moses, when many knew their own sins even before Moses? For Cain said: "My guilt is more than can be forgiven." And the patriarchs going down into Egypt to Joseph said in response to Joseph’s words to them: "We are in sin concerning our brother, because we did not listen to the anguish of his soul." And if Job indeed is shown to have existed before Moses, he says: "If I have concealed my sin as men do..." and so forth. It seems to me that from these it has been moderately demonstrated that "law" now to the apostle does not signify the law of Moses; and if it is not that of which he now speaks, what other could it be about which he teaches these things, except the natural law, which is also written in the hearts of men? Who then would be under the law if not every man who fulfills the word? For those living yet apart from the law, like Paul once was, are not under the law. For no place of defense is left for a man who has the knowledge of the law inherently in his heart. But when every mouth is shut, and the whole world becomes accountable to God, God alone is justified in His words and triumphs when He judges. For who, hearing the word comparable to "My people, what have I done to you, or how have I burdened you, or what have I harassed you? Answer me," would have the boldness to reply and escape the sentence to which the whole world is liable? "It said: You shall not covet. But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, deceived me, and through it killed me." Some are named by their relation to something else, like father of a son, a father, and son of a father, a son, and fellow citizen of a fellow citizen; others by a difference, like man and horse. For no man is man, nor horse, horse. So then we seek about the law, which now needs to be examined, whether it is named by difference like "man," or by relation as "father." And another might say that just as He is the only-begotten of God, He is also self-law. For those who live according to the flesh and fulfill the word are themselves the ones under the law, and their mouth is shut when the commandment comes, sin comes alive in them, and they become accountable to God as a part of the world. But the saints, whom He foreknew, predestined, called, justified, and glorified, are law and not under law; therefore their mouth will not be shut, nor will they be accountable to God (for they are not flesh). And if they are justified, they will not be justified by works of the law; for the law does not justify by works of the law, being righteous itself, and, if one may say so, a habit of righteousness. How then is knowledge of sin through the law, but not from the law?
For when someone inspects the law and examines it, considering both the commandments it prescribes and the prohibitions it enforces, he comes to know sin as existing in the omission of what ought to be done and in the failure to avoid what is forbidden. Thus, the law gives knowledge of sin, but it does not cause sin. For the doer of sin is an evil tree bearing bad fruit; the law, however, is not an evil tree, for the law is good. In this way, through the law comes the knowledge of sin just as through medical science comes the knowledge of disease, especially those diseases that escape even the notice of the patient and of those barely initiated into medical observation. Just as the medical art is good because it brings disease to light, so too is the law good because it reveals and reproves sin when knowledge of it is made through the law.
What it says [in Romans 3:21-24] is: just as the knowledge of sin comes through the law, the revelation of God's righteousness does not come through the law; for apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been made manifest. For the righteousness of God exceeds the precepts of nature, which are not sufficient to comprehend righteousness, not simply righteousness, but that of God, whose judgments that justify are unsearchable. Therefore, now apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been manifested, and Jesus Christ is the teacher of it, revealing it and in no way incorporating the natural law to represent God's righteousness (since the natural law is human, but God's righteousness surpasses and transcends all human measure), manifesting it apart from the natural law, being testified to by the prophetic words enigmatically said through the Holy Spirit, and by the Law of Moses. And do not be amazed if two meanings of the single term "law" are taken in the same context. For we will find this usage in other scriptures, as in "Do you not say that there are yet four months and then comes the harvest? Lift up your eyes and see that the fields are already white for harvest." There, the term "harvest" is used twice: first in a literal, physical sense and second in a spiritual sense. Similarly, you will find it in the case of the man born blind who was healed and to whom it is said in a physical sense, "For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind."
So now, also, apart from the nature-law, the righteousness of God has been manifested, being testified to by the law of Moses and the prophets. We might say to those still hesitant to accept that the law has two indications: if the same law is taken both in "Now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been manifested" and in "being testified to by the law and the prophets," if it is manifested apart from the law, it is not testified by the law; if it is testified by the law, it is not manifested apart from the law. Therefore, the righteousness of God revealed by Jesus Christ is in no way testified by the natural law (for it is lesser than it), but by Moses' law, not the letter but the spirit, and the prophets who are consistent with the spirit of the law and the spiritual word in them.
For we have natural inclinations towards propriety, social justice, prudence, and courage, but there is no natural inclination towards believing that Jesus is the Christ of God. Therefore, now apart from the law, God's righteousness has been manifested, and this righteousness revealed apart from the natural law, which I call Christ, is testified to by the law of Moses and the prophets. Another instance besides "Nothing is hidden except to be made manifest" is "Nothing covered but will be revealed," so that what is better is called hidden and what is worse is called covered, since everything becoming manifest is light.
But if we do not think such a thing about the place, it will seem to be tautology *** first the hidden things of the righteous will become apparent, then after this, the hidden and deceitful things of the adversaries will be revealed and in a sense refuted *** and believing in Jesus Christ or having the faith that Jesus Christ put in them towards the Father *** He justifies those who believe not according to owed repayment; for what has any Jew or Greek done or accomplished that is worthy of the doer being justified? *** I stand still lest Solomon in the Proverbs might also thus be able to say, "The ransom of a man's soul is his own wealth"; for just as the wisdom of God and righteousness and peace and word and the other virtues are a man's own wealth, so also can "The ransom of a man's soul is his own wealth" mean "The ransom of a man's soul is virtue" and "The ransom of a man's soul is Jesus Christ who is the power of God and the wisdom of God and the rest" *** [Rom. 3, 25–26] Thus this atonement to be made for those who have sinned at the end of the ages towards the nullification of the nature of sins long ago, God set forth to become a propitiation for those who use it in faith towards the atonement needed *** previously not yet doing the work of being a propitiation; for it awaited the now time so that becoming a propitiation for a few not soon may happen *** and it became then the work of propitiation and the display of God's righteousness, needing from things mutual benefit after countless sins having come about due to the covering of numbers *** Indeed, the Apostle frequently brings thoughts from the treasures of the law and prophets *** and it seems that the propitiation in Exodus refers to no other than the Savior; for God set Him forth as a propitiation *** and keeping pure gold symbolically many times as the clean and unmixed with material mind, thus our propitiation is at the beginning to God the Word or perhaps more so the soul of Jesus, since He did not commit sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth, nor did He know sin *** For he says, "That you may be strong to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and breadth and depth and height"; thus of great intellectual, so to say, strength and power are needed to be able to comprehend the length and breadth of the propitiation, the length and breadth and depth of the steadfastness like the Ark and the table, the length and breadth and depth and height of those who receive the steadfastness of the bodily nature height of the intellectual nature *** interpretation of Cherubim is abundant knowledge, and these Cherubim are engraved for representation, from the engraving and exactness, of divinity *** What thus might be the Ark lying under the propitiation and the Cherubim or, as I think, the holy and blessed and accommodating powers of both the Only-begotten and the Holy Spirit dwelling in bodies ***, including the soul of Jesus as the propitiation lying above the figuratively said Ark *** Concerning the knowing of the one speaking in the midst of the two Cherubim, take the express statement from Habakkuk thus: “Lord, I’ve heard your report and was afraid; Lord, I considered your works and was astounded; between two living creatures you will be known, and when the time comes, you will be revealed” *** and it suits “Whom he set forth” more to the soul of Jesus than to the Only-begotten and firstborn of all creation; for God sets forth the things not yet present, but God set in the church first apostles (not set forth; for they already were), then prophets, third teachers and so on *** it is right to place those propitiations made with blood according to the law so that it may be found among the things placed and the written things which are symbols.
It is written then after the sacrifice of the high priest in Leviticus: “And if the whole assembly of Israel sins unintentionally and the matter escapes the notice of the assembly, and they do any of the things that by the Lord's commandments ought not to be done, and realize their guilt, when the sin which they have committed becomes known, the assembly shall offer a bull from the herd for a sin offering. After a little while, “And the anointed priest shall bring some of the blood of the bull to the tent of meeting.” And again, after a little while, “And he shall do with the bull as he did with the bull of the sin offering. Thus shall he do with it. And the priest shall make atonement for them, and they shall be forgiven.”
Therefore, with blood the priest shall make atonement for the whole assembly in order to be forgiven. In it is both the mercy seat and the high priest and the sacrifice on behalf of the people. Whom God presented as a propitiation through faith in His blood, a propitiation for the remission of past sins, in order to make provision for the remission of past sins, that is, pardon and remission, for those who believe. From the context of the words about the riches of His goodness and forbearance and long-suffering and the interim named tolerance, it constitutes praise for His bearing. And justifying the one who has faith, that is, the one believing in Jesus and through Jesus to God. It is not unreasonable to say in anticipation of “justifying the one who has faith in Jesus,” as Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness, in the same way to those who believe in Jesus or in God through Jesus, does God credit their faith as righteousness, and thus He justifies the one who has faith in Jesus.
If indeed his substance is propitiation and his action is expiation. Therefore, the order of these things I think Leviticus represents, first legislating about offerings, second about sacrifices for salvation, and third about a soul sinning unintentionally. [Rom. 3:27-28] for they first were entrusted with the oracles of God, presenting thereupon the Jewish boast against the nations. Now He defines it in that it exceeds that of the Jew and the benefit from circumcision, as if one true God exists; and every man is a liar.
Therefore, all the boasting of Jews is nullified and prohibited, when the Law of faith justifies the one justified, and not the Law of works. For neither do both laws justify together, nor does the Law of works. For it is enough for justification the Law of faith, since it is possible sometime once to obtain the justification by believing only and working nothing at all generally. Thus, we can present the one justified by faith without works, such as the thief crucified with Jesus and the sinful woman in the Gospel of Luke who brought an alabaster jar of ointment and stood behind at Jesus’s feet, weeping and performing all that is written about her. Not by any work of the Law but by faith her sins were forgiven when He said to her: “Your sins are forgiven” and “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
And in many places of the Gospel it is said, "Your faith has saved you," so that we may learn that it is right to consider a person justified by faith apart from the works of the law. But it is likely that someone, having heard this, will neglect the life according to God, thinking that faith alone suffices for justification. We will respond to this that after justification, any injustice done nullifies the grace of the justifier. Therefore, the deeds following the justification by faith are anticipated by the justification from God by faith alone, so that the one justified does not boast before God as if having received nothing from God as a gift, but being justified by the works of the law. I think, however, that even the works prior to faith, though they may seem to be good, as they are not built upon the good foundation of faith, do not justify the one who performs them. And since all boasting from works is excluded for all people, therefore everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, even if he truthfully says, "God, I thank you that I am not like other men, robbers, unjust, adulterers" and so on. By the law of faith, every boasting which those who do not understand justification by faith might have is excluded, but the boasting from faith itself is not excluded, such as Paul's saying, "But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." For he nearly says that he should not boast of his sobriety, nor of his righteousness, nor of his piety or the other virtues, but only in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Who then, seeing the purity of sobriety, not needing... to address desires and passions that disrupt the reasoning, in danger of boasting as being a sober person clad in flesh? For it is desirable if someone takes up the habit of self-control, as some experts on these matters say, achieving less than sobriety. And who, reading "Whoever looks at a woman with lust..." Who is so capable that he thinks sometimes what is not wise to be wise and what is wise not to be wise? Understanding the proportion among the other virtues, you will see how all boasting is excluded from the human race and truly all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace. Therefore, "Where then is boasting?" and answering his own prideful question, he says to himself, "It is excluded." Therefore, perhaps he adds, "Is God the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles?" For the law of God, more authoritative than the law of the letter, written on human hearts by God, is not for the Jews only, but also for the Gentiles.
But he who does not know that boasting has been excluded by the law of faith will boast out of ignorance, unaware even of what Solomon said, discernible to one having such a condition: "Who will boast to have a pure heart, or who will dare to say that they are clean from sins?"
What kind of God would He be, not just of the Jews hiddenly but also of the Gentiles outside of those? For if, according to their view, He is unbegotten, how would He also be the God of those not knowing Him spiritually? But if, as they distinguish, He is the Creator, how would He be the God of the spiritual ones? How, then, according to their views, could He be a God, not of the dead, but of the living, including the Gentiles or how would He be, as they might call it, a God of the psychic not attaining the denomination of those living?
It seems also through these things to represent that believing in Jesus, whether the circumcised or the uncircumcised, are saved while the former still perform what's in Moses' law as far as they can, the latter live according to Christ's freedom.
After this, let us consider in what way circumcision justified by faith differs from uncircumcision not from faith but by faith being justified. For it should not be assumed that Paul used "from" in the case of circumcision and "through" in the case of uncircumcision without reason. Nor does it appear elsewhere that he used these distinctions without purpose (such as in Corinthians where he says "The woman is from man, the man, however, through the woman"), and also speaking somewhere about God, "Through Him and from Him and to Him are all things." It seems to me that more closely related is "from something" to "from whom" than "through something" to "through whom" and more appropriate is "from something" to "from whom" than "through something" to "through whom." For the woman is primarily from the man and never through the man; indeed, a woman never comes from another to be through a man, especially when you hear these things concerning Adam and Eve because of "This is now bone from my bones and flesh from my flesh." But the man is never from the woman; rather, he too, being primarily from a man, subsequently comes to be through a woman; however, this no longer applies to Adam but to every man after him.
Again, the scripture would not have said, "All things came through God," but "All things came through the Word" and not from the Word, nor by the Word.
Since indeed circumcision is nobler than uncircumcision, circumcision is justified by faith as if it is superior to uncircumcision, and the lower-ranking uncircumcision goes through faith to be justified, not coming from faith; for someone believing comes into circumcision, especially the hidden one that the Apostle speaks about; thus, it is better to be justified by faith than through faith, just as it is considered better "from a man" as from a man than "through a woman" as through a woman.
Regarding the Savior, it is not said "through a woman" but "from a woman," because for every human this holds, since before being through a woman he was from a man; but for the Savior, not having been from a man, it does not hold that he was through a woman. Therefore, there, since what is born of the flesh is flesh, his flesh, not being from a man, was from a woman and not through a woman. [Rom. 3, 31] We inquire why he did not say "from faith" but "through the faith." The circumcision is justified by faith, and we do not doubt that the law is not annulled from faith, the circumcision being justified by the faith; and if the uncircumcision is justified through the faith, does it annul the law through the faith? But now we have received Moses' law through faith not being annulled; for faith establishes the law as being from God; it is evident that we speak about the right faith. Therefore, every holy and sound believer establishes the law, especially the spiritual one, and by no means annuls it. If someone objects with the "ministry of death in letters engraved on stones came in glory so that the sons of Israel could not look steadfastly at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, which is passing away," from the second epistle to the Corinthians, we will say that it is not the same as "Does the law then annul?" to "Do we annul the law then?" Neither does Paul himself do the annulling of the law; for if the law is annulled, it is annulled by the surpassing glory and not by Paul nor any other of the holy men, but by him who declares himself to be the Lord of the Sabbath. And the glorified is not glorified in this respect as compared to the surpassing glory.
Indeed, he called it that of Christ; but what does not remain is abolished, since the law is a tutor until the fullness of time comes. And just as one would say that the work of the tutor is necessary while the one being tutored is a child, but the work of the tutor is abolished from the maturity of the one being tutored, so I would say the work of the law is abolished when the fullness of time comes, when also the son, who was no different from a slave, receives his paternal inheritance. For just as the knowledge in Paul and Peter is abolished not with reproach but when the perfect comes, so Paul does not abolish the law, but establishes it. If the surpassing glory of Christ is revealed, then what was considered and called glory before it is put aside by the surpassing glory.
And similarly follows the notion, "He must increase, but I must decrease," so that the things of infancy and the tutor received for it are abolished from the maturity of the one being tutored and not from the tutor himself. For it says, "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid." He did not say, "Does the law then void?" but "Do we then make void the law?" And likewise, "But we establish the law."
VI [Rom. 4, 1–8] "What then shall we say that Abraham our father hath found, as pertaining to the flesh?" After saying there are two laws, one he called the law of works and the other the law of faith, and stating that boasting is excluded not by the law of works but by the law of faith, and adding to this that one can be justified by faith without works of law, he then presents Abraham saying that he was justified by faith rather than by works, no less asserting that he accomplished works as loving to follow the faith worthy of justification. Throughout this passage, he seems to propose two justifications: one he called from works, and the other from faith. We say that humans have boasting who are justified by works. The one completely providing for the good things of God in faith, which God counts unto righteousness, before humans and the other rational beings through works by which they declare the doer righteous and not otherwise capable of justifying themselves.
Therefore, righteousness should be practiced, knowing that life belongs to the just and to no one else who adheres to righteousness in faith in God. As there are two justifications, one before God which is from faith, and the other before the rest of the rational beings which is from works, thus fulfilling "By faith the righteous shall live," you will apply to the two justifications the saying "The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children," understanding that the secret things seen by the Lord our God pertain to justification by faith, and the things revealed to men and other logical beings pertain to justification by works. And do not think that faith, which God counts unto righteousness, can exist in anyone and that injustice or any wickedness can coexist with such faith.
For the one who believes that Jesus Christ is born from God, and the one born from God does not sin, it's clear that the one who believes that Jesus Christ does not sin, but the sinner does not believe. *** Paul, speaking of Abraham as his father and the father of those of circumcision, adds that he was indeed their father according to the flesh, something I do not think any of those from the nations would rightly say unless someone happens to be from the seed of Ishmael or from any of those descended from Esau, or from the sons of Keturah. For none of those outside of this lineage and from Jacob could rightly call Abraham their father according to the flesh, even if God made him the father of many nations and blessed all the tribes of the earth in him. *** For only a son born from someone's seed according to the flesh can be called so, as it has been said of our Savior at the beginning of the letter being examined: "The one who was born from the seed of David according to the flesh." *** When Abraham camped and came to dwell by the oak of Mamre, which is in Hebron, he built an altar there to the Lord. *** So excessively when I have all faith so as to move mountains but do not have love, I gain nothing. And as this is taken as a hypothesis. For it is not possible to have such great faith, I mean all the faith to move mountains, and not have love. *** One must know precisely that having all faith comes from love, about which it is written: "Love believes all things." *** Abraham believed God, not very clearly described by the scripture; the apostle seems to mean that he fully believed. For if he believed generally, then certainly also in part; but if he believed God concerning the things said, it does not follow that he believed generally. *** There are different measures of believing God. Therefore, Abraham believed and it was credited to him as righteousness, but no such thing is written when Israel saw the great hand which the Lord had done to the Egyptians and feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in His servant Moses, but it is not added as it was for Abraham, "It was credited to him as righteousness." Therefore, faith is not credited as righteousness to everyone who believes in God, but to the one who has all faith, which faith becomes credited as righteousness. *** Not as grace but as debt. Nothing so great can be accomplished by the nature of humans or any created beings, so that the given reward from God for accomplishments is not grace but debt. And I could say that nothing God gives to the created nature does He give as a debtor but gives all as grace; and all benefactions are not benefits owed but given by God's own favor to whoever He wishes to benefit. *** Therefore, everyone would agree concerning the parable of the denarius that it is by grace, not by debt, to those who came at the sixth, ninth, and eleventh hours to work and received the denarius at evening. But we would also say that those hired early and thinking to receive more, receiving the denarius, also received grace. *** Now it must be thought more simply and generally spoken, and otherwise more commonly understood about those working and receiving their wages as not by grace but by debt. And it should be mentioned it can be spoken of concerning those working the land as Cain and committing evil deeds; for these I think the penalties are given as if due to them and as the wages of their sins.
Therefore, the apostle also said that the wages of sin is death, but the gift from God is eternal life; for the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord *** it should not be considered in the case of better works mentioned in the gospel, "With the measure you use, it will be measured to you"; for if it is measured back to us in the same measure we measure, our salvation will not be by the grace of God, nor will eternal life be a gift from God *** for by grace we have been saved, and this is not from us, it is the gift of God, so that no one may boast. We must also consider that punishments are given according to the measure of our sins *** He justifies the ungodly through faith, turning them away from ungodliness, so that their faith, which has turned them away from ungodliness, is counted as righteousness *** And it was thought to follow that the forgiveness of lawlessness would be received, and to every one whose lawless acts are covered, and to the man whom the Lord does not count sin, righteousness is counted apart from works. For righteousness is not rooted in works, but from God counting faith as righteousness *** Blessed are those whose lawless acts are forgiven, not those who in any way have done anything worthy of the forgiveness of lawless acts and the blessedness on account of it, but they received this forgiveness and blessedness by believing in the one who justifies the ungodly *** It should also be questioned if there is any order, first stating "whose lawless acts are forgiven," and then "whose sins are covered;" for when the worse is no longer done, forgiveness of lawless acts can occur, and when good is performed to the extent that it becomes a covering for the previous sins, sins are covered; of the ones preceding, neither does the Lord count the sin to anyone anymore *** ["Rom. 4, 9-12"] "Is this blessedness then upon the circumcision or also upon the uncircumcision?" *** the blessedness upon David is not upon the circumcision but upon the uncircumcision *** but even if faith is counted as righteousness, is it counted to a righteous man or an unrighteous one? It is clear indeed that it is not to a righteous man. For what grace is it for a righteous man to be counted as righteousness? But if not to a righteous man, it is evidently to one who became unrighteous before faith. If faith is counted to such a one as righteousness, blessed is the man, to whom the Lord does not count sin, but also forgives the lawless acts before faith *** whether indeed Abraham was yet uncircumcised when faith was counted to him as righteousness or was already circumcised.
He says, "How, then, was it considered?" *** it is revealed that after the justification by faith, having received circumcision, he received a sign and seal of the faith he had while in uncircumcision, so that he might be the father of both (I say of those from circumcision and those in uncircumcision) since faith was credited to him for righteousness while he was still in uncircumcision... father of those believing in uncircumcision, and likewise after being circumcised, he begot Isaac to become the father of those from circumcision according to the flesh... on the eighth day beginning from Isaac *** but he receives, after justification by faith, a sign of circumcision as a seal, obtaining and closing off, like the case of those sealed, the mystery of those justified by faith, so that those who afterward by faith become the circumcision of Abraham, being other than his children who are justified by faith, or those who will be considered his children, will be another people than those justified by faith in uncircumcision *** and according to Paul, when the fullness of the Gentiles comes in, then all Israel will be saved *** And the seal was preserved without being broken until those of faith and in uncircumcision had come; but when the people previously mentioned to be born of faith and circumcision had come, then that seal and sign would be broken, with the fullness of time having come until the time when the seal was to be kept, so that it could be said to anyone now wishing to receive that seal, "If you are circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing." I think that just as he redeemed us from the curse by becoming a curse for us, so he freed us from the obligation to be circumcised, assuming circumcision himself, and the law and the prophets were until John *** And we might learn how and when it was credited, whether already having become a father or still being childless. It is clear that he was still childless; for not even Ishmael had yet been born, and just as not being in circumcision but in uncircumcision he was meant to be the father of those justified in faith in uncircumcision, so... he was meant to be the father of those justified by faith, not those indeed from his seed; for not from the seed of Abraham are those justified by faith in uncircumcision *** When therefore he believed God and it was credited to him for righteousness, Abraham had not yet been but was still Abram, and Abram still being childless begot Ishmael by Hagar, whose name his father called Ishmael; but Abraham having become, Sarah bore a son in his old age, at the appointed time as the Lord had spoken to him; and Abraham named his son, who Sarah bore to him, Isaac *** The scripture clearly says: "And Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness" and... of the other versions... in Genesis we have marked as... and he believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness *** I think those from the nations not understanding the exactness of the scripture might not relate the phrase from Genesis as Paul did at the beginning; for he who is so precise would not have expressed "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness," but "Abram believed God." Thus it is likely also written in the continuation in the letter to the Romans that "Faith was credited to Abram for righteousness."
Now we have Abraham *** "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness" [written] regarding the promise of his seed being justly applied as to those believing in uncircumcision, as written of the former, because Abraham is the father of all those believing through uncircumcision, so that it may be counted to them as righteousness *** and dishonored and prideful to be from Abraham; he indeed rejects it, making someone wicked and worse; wherefore Daniel also says to the other of the dissolute elders: "Seed of Canaan and not of Judah, beauty has deceived you, and desire has perverted your heart." Since, then, the one not born physically from the seed of Canaan is still called the seed of Canaan because of licentiousness, even though he seemed to be from Judah, how much more should he be called the seed of Abraham who, though he does not seem to have sprung from him, has imitated the faith which was counted to Abraham as righteousness? *** Therefore, Abraham is the father both of those who believe in uncircumcision so that it may be counted to them as righteousness, and of those from circumcision, so that righteousness may also be counted to them through faith in Christ. *** [Rom. 4, 13] For if no promise had been made to him or his seed before "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness", we would not be puzzled how the apostolic saying is true that "The promise to Abraham or to his seed was not through the law, that he would be the heir of the world, but through the righteousness of faith".
But now we find… as a testimony of the promise spoken to him that he would be the heir of the world, not through the law, but the Melchizedek promise was given to him when he blessed him and said: "Blessed be Abraham by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand." Perhaps, indeed, those things before "Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness" may apply to "For the promise to Abraham or to his seed that he would be the heir of the world was not through the law," but those after "Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness" may apply to "but through the righteousness of faith," as it is brought forth to "Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness." ([Rom. 4, 14–15] showing the appropriateness of righteousness from faith rather than from the law, saying: If those who are heirs become heirs not from faith but from the law, it is clear that faith would be empty, nothing being fulfilled through it to the believer, and the promise through faith would become nullified if the inheritance were not given according to the promise of faith to the believer but to the one who fulfilled the law. Just as the one who believes in Jesus Christ believes in the God who sent him, so also the one who believes Moses believes in Christ, as is evident from "If you believed Moses, you would believe me"; and if the one who believes in Christ believes in the Father, it is clear that the one who believes Moses believes in God.
Thus, those justified before the law of Moses, such as Enoch who pleased God and Noah who was testified to be righteous in his generation, and those who were deemed worthy of the call of God, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who did not encounter the law of Moses, were considered as such by God, as testified by Moses who wrote the law; for indeed, the law is not laid down for the just, but for the lawless and disobedient, the ungodly and sinners. They would tell us whether they want to justify man out of nowhere or from the Mosaic law by the letter, if no one before Moses was justified, or if they were justified without the law of Moses, and as if God repented from this manner of justification as inferior and gave through Moses a better manner of justification. Therefore, it is time to say that those not so great as to be justified in the same way as the fathers without the written legislation of the law of Moses are in need for the cessation of their wickedness and for their entanglement in types and symbols and images of divine things not to lead them into idolatry. And indeed, the divine and most wise providence through the sacrifices and all the worship according to the law deterred many weaker ones from idolatry as a kind of imitation able to divert them from the nations. Since there is no transgression where the law brings forth condemnation, where this law is not. ([...] saying, leaving Adam and Eve, where there is no law, neither is there transgression, and there was no law upon Adam and Eve from Moses, neither was there transgression upon Adam and Eve. [...] adding against the apostle that not even the serpent did anything transgressive; for if where there is no law neither is there transgression, not even in this before the law did he deceive the woman, was it transgression. It is necessary to hear the apostle without reproach in these matters and to understand his intention.
For some say: If there is no law, neither is there transgression; it is clear that no one was in transgression before Moses. But if no one was, neither are they blameworthy; therefore neither Cain nor all those who suffered the flood because of their sins, nor those in Sodom, nor Adam and Eve earlier, were in transgression. It must be said, therefore, to these that the law of Moses does not produce the wrath in judgment but according to it, making some liable to stoning, others to burning by fire, or subjecting them to another punishment. But even if there is no law, neither is there transgression, when everything the law says it says to those who are under the law *** Consider them and the law named by Paul as the law of faith working the wrath of God and that there is transgression where the law of faith and God exist. Clearly, he himself says that there is another law, the law of God, which alone he delights in according to the inner man, and another law opposing this one is present in my members, warring against the law of my mind; and see whether this truly is this wrath-producing and where there is no such law, there is no transgression. And those under this law are by no means heirs, for it is said: "For if the heirs are of the law, faith is made void" *** Against those of the circumcision boasting against those who believe in uncircumcision while thinking highly of themselves, Paul writes these things, deceived by certain prophetic words which they did not understand, such as the one in Jeremiah: "If the heavens above can be measured and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done" *** But this rather indicates that transgression does not exist where there is no law *** thus neither should the law be accused of producing wrath in the lawless, nor should it be blamed if the understanding of transgression arises from it for those who did not keep it *** For it will be said that this law naturally engraved in us and imprinted on the fleshy tablets of our hearts by God produced wrath for Cain and those who perished in the flood, and the same for the Sodomites, and since there is no law there is no transgression, but transgression was in these, hence there was a law among them, but not the law of Moses, rather an older law engraved not on stone tablets but on the fleshy tablets of hearts *** [Rom. 4, 16–17] What is said about Abraham as though he was moved by natural notions to believe in God is disputed and especially those books testified to as misleading *** I believe that just as existence is not conceived as given to us by God as a reward (for it is clearly all grace that makes us exist and most of all rational), so also to live well and to receive God's inheritance and promise is by no means a reward and the whole is grace, leaving it to that which makes us stand here by believing in God alone *** in the catalogue of gifts given according to the measure of faith, faith itself is included; for Paul says among other things: "To one is given faith by the same Spirit." And he says elsewhere that "from God it is given to you not only to believe in Christ but also to suffer for his sake."
I think that the apostles, having been persuaded that the faith which depends upon us is incomplete and confessing that they already have it, but needing the grace of God, say to the Savior: "Increase our faith." *** Therefore, if those who are heirs are from faith and the promise is by grace, not even the faith which is prior to grace, which is called by faith for this reason, that it is according to grace, can subsist without grace. *** Consequently, everything concerning the one who is being saved has its principal in grace, which I think is found by those who, let me so name them, have the good fortune to encounter it. *** That which is found as grace in the sight of the Lord God and that which is found as grace before men is different from receiving grace before someone from God, which is expressed as: "And the Lord was with Joseph and showed him merciful love and gave him grace in the sight of the keeper of the prison." For it is not the same as "Joseph found grace in the sight of his Lord" as "And the Lord gave him grace in the sight of the keeper of the prison." Additionally, more is written concerning Esther finding grace in the sight of her Lord than about Joseph. For scripture says about her that Esther "found grace in the sight of all who saw her," and shortly thereafter it says, "Esther found favor beyond all the maidens and the king set the royal crown upon her." *** It seems necessary to examine how it follows that the promise is firm both by faith and by grace. For if it were by law, would it not have been impossible for the promise to firm? Therefore, pay attention that perhaps some hue is generated by faith around the soul, and especially concerning reasonable righteousness, so that through it one holds to the grace and the promise because of its indelibility or its immutability, which does not appear concerning the works of the law. For it is said that a righteous man sometimes turns away from his righteousness and does iniquity. I do not know if it is ever written regarding faith that anyone has turned away from faith, having once been attested to believe and be justified by faith. [Then the divine apostle seals the statement with a testimony.] *** For the justifying faith cannot... perform the works of the law, and now we are talking of the law especially... when the nations that do not have the law *** to every seed, whether from the law or from his faith, and not only those from the law but also they who have the faith along with those from the law.
For if we do not take it in this way, the promise will be to those of Ishmael and those of Keturah; which is not pleasing *** but the father of us all, that is of those not only of the law but also of those of faith and justified by the faith of Abraham *** such as the many nations whom He has made him a father of, the God who gave the promises to him *** For regarding those who have died because of sin, whose soul has become dead in a living body, I think he now speaks; for the soul that sins, it shall die; and if the dead is deprived of sensations and has none of the five, why would you not call the soul dead which is deprived of the so-called divine sensations? *** And if those who trust in their so-called gods become like them, perhaps those who trust in God become like Him, acquiring through such trust what was lacking in “Let us make man in our image,” which is according to likeness *** What are the non-existent or those deprived of being and not sharing in it, thus called in contrast to those who share with the one who says: “I am He who is?” *** We find also in Esther a certain prayer: “Do not give your scepter, Lord, to those who do not exist” instead of “those who do not share in you as you are” *** He calls the non-existent so that they may obey Him and be granted existence. But perhaps someone will say in response to these things how the apostle elsewhere says: “But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the mighty, and the base things of the world, and things which are despised, God has chosen, the things which are not, to nullify the things that are;” but it is clear that this signifies something different from the being and non-being as understood from the whole context there; for here those who are wise, mighty, and noble in the flesh are present, while non-entities are those who are esteemed otherwise by them as foolish of the world, weak, and ignoble *** Another one who in the flesh is impeded from understanding due to the pretense of physical constitution, such as those who are very small-headed or even monstrous *** 212 In defining or illustrating faith in the Epistle to the Hebrews, it says: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”; and subsequently in the Epistle to the Romans, Paul says this: “For we are saved by hope; but hope that is seen is not hope; for what a man sees, why does he yet hope? But if we hope for what we do not see, we with patience wait for it.” *** See then if as Abraham believed against hope in hope, so also all the sons of Abraham by faith believe against hope in hope concerning all the things they believe, whether it be about the resurrection of the dead or about inheriting the kingdom of heaven or the kingdom of God. For these things concerning human nature are against hope, but concerning the power of God and His unfailing promises are in hope for those who hope from faith.
And since the believer believes in hope, therefore "faith, hope, and love abide." And I think that faith has the principle of initiation, hope that of progress, and love that of perfection. In this way, one might also be weak even in showing mercy, dispensing mercy not with cheerfulness but as if from sorrow or necessity. Therefore, I think it is said about love that "it believes all things," which is the same as saying "it makes all faith to be believed and to have someone have all faith," and where perfect love is, there is all faith. Despite the deadness of the body and the deadness that was in Sarah's womb real or perceived, he acted as if weak in faith, calling attention to the dead body of Abraham and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. Following these, you would say that the procreation of the rest originates from natural heat, but that of Isaac by no means from natural heat, but through the praiseworthy deadness of the body of Abraham and Sarah’s womb, according to the promise of God. So, such deadness is said in praise for one who has mortified the members which are on the earth. For when one by the Spirit puts to death the deeds of the body, they extinguish all natural heat that kindles within them. Hence, Isaac's procreation is not from natural heat but from God's promise. They became worthy to be called parents of such an illustrious patriarch by mortifying the deeds of the body by the Spirit. That it is not due to old age that Abraham's body is said to be dead will be clear to the one who considers how Abraham took a wife named Keturah after the death of Sarah, and she bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. He took her after Sarah's death, and she lived one hundred and twenty-seven years; clearly Abraham is found to be ten years older than Sarah. Therefore, at the time of Sarah's death, Abraham was one hundred and thirty-seven years old.
If someone even after this wishes to say that the deadening of Abraham's body happened due to old age, it must be said to him that it is of grace that he, being about a hundred years old, beseeched to become the father of Isaac. How then without the promise, after he had reached a hundred and twenty-seven years old, were six other sons born to him? And, considering otherwise the time of Abraham's life, which altogether was a hundred and seventy-five years, you would say that in proportion to such a time, his body's vitality and condition had not yet been weakened when he was about a hundred years old still [...]
To be convinced that Abraham's body is not said to be dead because of old age, note that first Isaac entered the house of his mother Sarah and took Rebekah to be his wife, and he loved her, and Isaac was comforted concerning his mother. And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah. Later, Abraham took a wife whose name was Keturah. So when Abraham took a wife named Keturah, he had become a hundred [...]
[...] always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, no longer bearing the image of the earthly, but always bearing the image of the heavenly [...]
Someone might inquire by looking into these things, when it was said, “So shall your offspring be,” and that it was not yet that Ishmael had been born when Abraham was about eighty-five years old, how the apostle says after "So shall your offspring be," "And not being weak in faith, he considered his body already dead, being about a hundred years old," and would say that Abraham was not a hundred years old then [...]
[Rom. 4:23-25] "Now it was not written for his sake alone but also for us" [...]
These things are written, as Paul fashioned the phrase, "for him," being inept in his speech, as he implied instead "concerning him" [...]
It is not easy to grasp his intention or even the intention of other writings, when due to the ineptitude in expression what is written might suggest something other than what was intended, or due to the obscurity of the wording multiple interpretations of what is written are possible, each thinking to himself that whichever interpretation he accepts is useful according to his own belief, thereby causing issues for those who have different understandings [...]
Why instead of foolish talking and jesting which are not fitting, do you not engage in thanksgiving [...] or take wisdom or truth? For it didn't seem to me that the term "thanksgiving" commonly taken was connected with foolish talking and jesting.
It seemed good to me, therefore, to receive gratitude instead of a kind of grace, never excluding in the pleasures the graceful or joyful in conversation, but rejecting as vulgarity the foolish talk and jesting; and he offered very fittingly *** then I was seeking if somewhere the sacred scripture used the term "grateful" instead of "graceful"; I found indeed in the Proverbs "A grateful woman raises glory for her husband," but in the other editions instead of "A grateful woman" "A woman... I believe it is written grace *** when Paul says: "Before God and opposite God we speak in Christ," and having used the word "opposite," as it contains in many places of the old testament, meaning simply as if "in the sight" of God, the followers of Marcion heard more malignly "Opposite to God we speak in Christ" as if oppositely to the will of God whom they say of another creator besides him, saying that Paul spoke both before him who they say is good and oppositely as they say to the creator *** For believing in the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, they will hear it as another God in whom Abraham believed and they say that Jews believe indeed in God as Abraham believed, yet they do not believe in the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead *** and Jews also not believing that Jesus our Lord was raised from the dead do not believe in the one who raised our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead; and not believing in him they do not believe in God; hence there is no faith in them as the faith which Abraham had who believed in God and it was accounted to him as righteousness *** now it has been taken for him alone instead of about him alone; but also it is taken for us instead of about us; for it is not that Abraham from the more ancient instance of Moses' writing was benefited. But if the "It was credited to him as righteousness" was not written for Abraham alone but also for us, as if the word was anticipating the righteousness credited from faith to those who believe in the one who raised Jesus Christ from the dead, consider more carefully lest anyone merely believes in the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead together with Christ, so as to say "He also raised us up together and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus"; raised with Christ is the one who has become conformed to his resurrection and because he has died together he lives with him; if we died with him, we shall also live with him; he died with Christ, since Christ also died to sin once for all; and the one who died to sin lives with Christ; and he lives with Christ who walks in newness of life *** For he was raised for our justification by his resurrection, justifying us being conformed to his resurrection *** who was delivered for his [that man's] sins and was raised for the sake of his justification as he became righteous as righteousness began to be in him from faith credited to him as righteousness *** how each is to do the works of Abraham, to leave his land and his relatives and his father's house to the land which the Lord will show to the one leaving these things, and if anyone does so, to attain the rewards promised to Abraham for these things *** [Rom. 5, 1–2] For it is not possible to have peace with God while practicing works contrary to virtue, which make the doer an enemy to God, hence it is said "Enemies of God" to which is added the "We were reconciled" *** God indeed... causing his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sending rain on the righteous and the unrighteous completes the things of his peace towards us, but by sinning we make ourselves enemies of God, by doing right we become friends, so also we have peace with God; and to take the main thing opposite to peace among sinners, I would say that the one doing right has peace with God, but the one doing opposite things, that is sinning, chooses and has war with God, and by doing evil he wars against God *** And we have had access through none other than through Jesus Christ our Lord; for the Word and truth and wisdom and righteousness and all else, which our Savior the firstborn of all creation is, leads him who has given himself to these things to God and Father who is over all *** And see how great is the grace that it is written about a few, "He found grace in the sight of God."
For it is said in praise, "But Noah found grace before the Lord," and Moses also spoke boldly, saying, "If I have found grace before you." "And we boast in the hope of the glory of God," which I think is equivalent to "we boast in the hope of seeing the glory of God and partaking of it." This glory of God is said to be the radiance of our Savior in the Epistle to the Hebrews. The glory on Moses' face reflects his purity of mind and communion with the divinity of the Father of all, from which, being illumined, he alone of all on earth beheld what the unbegotten nature of God is. The veil on Moses' face is the concealment of what he understood and saw, for the majority were not able to learn from such visions in Moses. But even when Moses completed his works, and the cloud covered the tabernacle of testimony, the tabernacle was filled with the glory of the Lord, so that Moses could not enter the tabernacle of testimony, for the cloud overshadowed it and the tabernacle was filled with the glory of the Lord. The true house is the church of the living God, called the church of the firstborn written in heaven. Our Savior is the cloud over this house, so that even the priests cannot stand to minister because of this cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house. For as much as it appears in the face of one in the epistle to the Corinthians to already have the glory of God, in the present phrase it is said as though without it: "We boast in the hope of the glory of God." Consider then if we can solve the problem thus: Paul says, "If anyone thinks he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know," and "we see now through a glass darkly, but then face to face," and "we know in part and we prophesy in part." "Not only that, but we also glory in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces perseverance;" for many yield to sufferings and become distressed so as to be displeased by them. We have been helped by God through Jesus Christ to such an extent that we boast in the great perseverance that comes from God during our sufferings, as if from the material of blessings. For this reason, we have also received a certain new understanding: "We know that suffering produces perseverance," as it would be acknowledged by all that perseverance creates proven character in the one who endures. Therefore, the divine scripture forbids boasting in trivial matters and encourages understanding as a proper good, according to what is said in Jeremiah: "Thus says the Lord, Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast in his might, and let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth; for in these things I delight, says the Lord." In some way, it forbids the wise to boast not simply...wise in their own judgment and learning in their own eyes. Therefore, one shouldn't boast in his wisdom, for even if he is perfect among the children of men, without the wisdom from God, he will be regarded as nothing. Human wisdom is indifferent, but to the one who uses it rightly and receives it into God, it opens a place for the wisdom of God, for to everyone who has, more will be given. This might be what is meant in Ecclesiastes: "Wisdom will help the wise more than ten rulers in the city."
For the wisdom of God aids the one who possesses human wisdom and has prepared himself to receive divine wisdom; the wisdom of those who crafted the woven, embroidered, and variegated things of the tabernacle of testimony is not insignificant, whom the divine spirit filled with understanding and knowledge to conceive and to architect the things concerning the tabernacle *** For what produces virtue cannot be either indifferent or base; therefore, perhaps the necessary virtue of patience is tribulation *** Tribulation indeed works patience, one of the virtues *** It is written concerning the just, "Many are the afflictions of the righteous," but concerning the opposite, "Many are the scourges of the wicked," so that in these respects neither the just were scourged, nor the wicked afflicted *** "Enter through the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter through it *** “However, rejoice; not that I speak out of want, for I have learned in whatsoever state I am, to be content” *** If not approved, the one managing wealth according to reason is no less than the one who bravely endures poverty, and no less than the one who persists through toil in diseases is the one who, for the health of the soul, admits no passion at the time he is well in body, when it is common to long for this and desire against the spirit *** Which tribulation is the boasting of the saints, and such indeed so as to not say less of the boasting because of the tribulations than "Surely our boasting, brothers" *** And if perfect love casts out fear, and fear has punishment, and the one who fears has not been made perfect in love ***