Chapter 3

Theophylact of Ohrid, Exposition of the Epistle of St Paul to the Romans — Chapter Three

¹ Chapter Three. What then is the advantage of the Jew? Or what is the profit of circumcision? Much in every way. For first of all, because they were entrusted with the oracles of God. For what if some did not believe? Shall their unbelief make the faith of God of none effect? God forbid. Since he had cast out all the things of the law, by saying, For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, he thereupon, seeing a certain objection arising, takes his stand against it. And what is the objection? If these things, he says, profit nothing, for what cause was the nation chosen? He resolves it, then, according to his own wisdom; for in word indeed he says that the profit of the Jew is great. But in establishing this, he brings forward not the good deeds of the Jews, but the gracious gifts of God. For he did not say that the Jews greatly abound because they accomplished this and that, but that they were entrusted with the oracles of God—which is a benefaction of God, and not a merit of theirs. And what is the meaning of they were entrusted? Instead of, They received, were put in charge, were deemed worthy by God to receive oracles brought down from above. But in saying these things he seems indeed to be pleading on their behalf; yet nevertheless he again brings forward into the midst another charge against them, and shows that they disbelieved the divine words, by which they had been honored. Yet this charge also he brings in as from another, as though such a one were saying: And what is the profit that they received the oracles? For indeed they disbelieved. And he seems to resolve this objection also, making his defense not on their behalf, but on behalf of God. For if they disbelieved, what is this to God? Shall their unbelief make of none effect the faith of God—that is, the entrusting of the oracles and the benefaction? For so far is God from being harmed by their unbelief, that he is rather the more glorified as a lover of mankind, when he is seen to be a benefactor even of the one who is about to dishonor him. You see how he made them accountable from the very things in which they prided themselves—namely, from their receiving the law.

² Let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written: That you might be justified in your words, and might overcome when you are judged. He said above that some disbelieved; then, since not some, but all are seen to have disbelieved, handling the discourse most wisely, that he might not seem burdensome, he sets down as a hypothesis that which had come to pass in truth, and says: Let us grant that all disbelieved; and what of this? Even hence is God justified. That is to say: If there should be a judgment and an examination both of the things done by him for the Jews, and of the things done by them toward him, the victory will be with God; even as David also says. And the words Let God be true stand instead of, Let him be made manifest, let him be demonstrated.

³ But if our unrighteousness commends the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who inflicts wrath? (I speak as a man) God forbid. For then how shall God judge the world? He brings in an objection of this sort, as of certain men saying: If God, having shown us kindness, and then being treated thanklessly by us, appears the more righteous, and overcomes, as one who out of much love for mankind does good to the unworthy—why then does he inflict wrath, that is, punish us, who have become to him the cause of justification and of victory? This indeed is the objection; and he resolves it most wisely and adroitly: And yet, he says, in that he punishes you, for this very reason you are not to him the cause of the victory; for it is unrighteous that the cause of the victory should be punished by the victor. But assuredly God is not unrighteous; for how shall he judge the world, if he himself acts unrighteously? It remains, then, that since he both punishes you, and is not unrighteous, you have not become to him the cause of the victory by your having sinned; for it was possible for him to overcome by another also, even if you were not shown to be wicked. And the words I speak as a man have such a meaning as this: I indeed, he says, make such a defense on behalf of God according to human reasoning—that is, as far as is possible for a man to reason as one who pleads a cause. For whatsoever God does has certain unspeakable reasons, and is above human reasonings, having no need of any defense from us.

⁴ For if the truth of God has abounded through my lie unto his glory, why am I yet also judged as a sinner? And not rather (as we are slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say) Let us do evil, that good may come? Whose condemnation is just. And again he takes up the same thing, in order to make it clearer. For if God appeared righteous and true out of the things in which I transgressed, why then am I judged, having contributed to the glory of God? For I am not worthy of condemnation, but rather of crowns. But if this be true, then also what the Greeks say concerning us will be true. For indeed the Greeks, hearing Paul say that where sin abounded, grace did much more abound, made a mockery of this, and said that the Christians say: Let us do evil, that good may come, and let us sin much, that grace may abound. This, then, the Greeks said, slandering and deriding us; and it comes to pass even now, if we admit that God appears good out of my wickedness and thanklessness. But assuredly this is not so; for it is the word of the Greeks, who are ever lying. Whose condemnation is just—that is, who shall justly be punished. Neither, then, do I become to God the cause of justification out of my sinning. For I am judged as a sinner; but I would not be judged, if I had sinned unto the glory of God.

⁵ What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have before charged both Jews and Greeks, that they are all under sin; as it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none that understands, there is none that seeks after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that does kindness, there is not so much as one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips; whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; their feet are swift to shed blood; destruction and misery are in their ways, and the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes. Having said above that there is something of advantage to the Jews, because they were on the whole entrusted with and put in charge of the law, now he shows that they have nothing of advantage, so far as it comes from their own deeds. For not having kept the things with which they were entrusted, they are rather the more condemned. So that they had indeed something of advantage in that they were chosen by God; but since by their own deeds they dishonored the God who honored and chose them, not only do they have nothing of advantage, but they are even the more condemned. He says, then, as in the person of the Jews: What then? Are we better than they? Instead of, Have we anything more, and are we better off, and do we Jews stand in good repute, as having received the law and circumcision? Not at all; instead of, By no means. For the Jews also sinned equally with the Greeks, that I may say nothing more. And whence is it plain? From the prophets, both David and Isaiah. For David said the words from There is none righteous, no, not one, as far as whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; and of Isaiah is the saying, Their feet are swift, as far as, The way of peace they have not known. Then again the words of David. He brings forward, then, the most renowned of the prophets as accusers of them, and shows their verdict to be of one voice. But after the words of Isaiah, he again adds those of David; for Isaiah, having lived earlier, discourses concerning the Jews; which David also does concerning the same. And whoever turns aside from the good, straightway becomes unprofitable. For wickedness is nothing else than a turning aside of the motions that work toward the good; whence also, leading the man out into that which is contrary to nature, it makes him unprofitable. For nature makes no use of him, just as it makes no use of the sick man for his proper works. And destruction and misery is sin; for nothing so crushes the soul as does sin, by reason of its trackless wandering. For virtue, as a thing natural and good to us, makes us be borne along smoothly and evenly; but wickedness, as a thing contrary to nature, makes us be borne now upward, now downward, appearing in falls and in excesses; and on this account making our motion difficult and laborious for us—I mean the punishments that come after these things. And by the way of peace you will understand the manner of life that is according to God; for this is the way of freedom from disturbance. For take, he says, my yoke, and you shall find rest; and this is the way also of the true peace of Christ.

⁶ Now we know that whatsoever the law says, it says to those who are under the law; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God; because by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. Lest the Jews should say that These things were not spoken concerning us, he says that Whatsoever the law says, it says to those who are under the law. For what necessity is there, he says, that the law given to you should be spoken against others? And he calls “law” the Old Testament, not only the Mosaic writings; just as now also he named the words of Isaiah, and the words of the Psalms, “law.” And the words, That every mouth may be stopped, indicate the boastfulness of the Jews, and the irresistible rush of their tongue. The prophet, then, stopped this, as it were a stream rushing along. And he does not say this, that They sinned in order that their mouth might be stopped, but that for this reason they were reproved by the prophets, that they might not sin in ignorance, and boast. And not the Jews only, but also all the world may become guilty before God, that is, condemned, without boldness of speech, not being justified out of their own works, but standing in need of another’s help—namely, of the grace of Christ. So that, O Jew, why do you boast in the law, where indeed you are equally guilty with the rest of the world, not being justified by the works of the law?

⁷ For by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been made manifest, being witnessed by the law and the prophets. Cease, O Jew, from the law; know that this is to you the cause of greater punishment. For it made known to you your sin; and to one who sins with knowledge the punishment is greater. This came to pass through your own slothfulness; for not fleeing from the sin made known to you, you rather drew the punishment upon yourself. How then shall you be delivered from the punishment? If you receive the righteousness of God, that which is apart from the law. For God justifies us, even though we have no works; for he is God, who is able to do all things. And well did he say, Has been made manifest, that he might show that it had been hidden, though existing of old. And by saying, Being witnessed by the law and the prophets, he makes plain the same thing, that it is not recent; but both the law of Moses, and the prophets, spoke concerning it; so that it is also worthy to be received. For even if it is apart from the law, yet nevertheless it pleases the law itself that we should be justified through it.

⁸ Even the righteousness of God, through faith of Jesus Christ, unto all and upon all them that believe; for there is no distinction. For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. And this righteousness, he says—that is, the justification by which God justifies us—comes unto all through faith; for by bringing in faith, we are all justified, both Jews and Greeks. For there is no distinction. Nor, because the Jew received the law, is he preferred to the Greek. For he too sinned, inasmuch as from the law he had only the knowledge of sin, and not also the escape from it. And even if he did not sin in the same manner as the Greek, yet he is in like manner deprived of the glory, having altogether offended God; and he who offends reaps shame, not glory. But do not despair; for all are justified freely by the grace of God—which grace comes to pass through the redemption, that is, through the perfect freedom which Christ wrought. For he, having given himself as a ransom, justified us.

⁹ Whom God set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, for a demonstration of his righteousness, on account of the passing over of the sins done aforetime, in the forbearance of God; for a demonstration of his righteousness at the present time, that he might be just, and the justifier of him who is of the faith of Jesus. God justified us, he says, through the propitiation—that is, through the cross and the blood of Christ. But lest you should say that he is an innovator, and speaks new and strange things, For a demonstration, he says, of his righteousness he did this, because he also remitted the sins of those who had stumbled both before the law and under the law, being long-suffering toward them, that he might preserve men unto this end—their being justified through the blood of Christ. And in doing this, he was shown to be righteous in remitting these things—that is, that he who does such things is just, and demonstrates a just righteousness. For he did not unrighteously remit the sins, as one might say, if he had simply remitted them; but now he remitted them justly, his Son having interceded, and having propitiated the Father. So that he is just, and justifies those who believe.

¹⁰ Where then is boasting? It is shut out. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. Since we said that God justifies freely, he adds this, that the boasting of the Jew is shut out, whether from the law or from circumcision. By what law, then? By what power? By that of Moses? No; but by the law of faith—which is, By faith. And he calls faith a law, since it too holds the rank of a law; because, just as the law commands and guides, so also faith leads as a tutor.

¹¹ For we reckon that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. Bringing the discourse to its completion, he says: For this reason justification is not of works, but of faith; that no one may boast in himself, but may have his boasting in God. For he said, Not the law of works—that is, the Mosaic law—not the natural law; for if it were the natural law, it would be unreasonable; because if men do not know that they sin, neither are they blamed. The works, then, of the written law are shut out. For He who does these things shall live in them; for this is what the Mosaic law said: Not so, he says, but by the law of faith, which justifies by grace, and not of works. Behold, he calls faith also a law, on account of the name being held in honor among the Jews. Henceforth, then, O Jew, boast in faith, which is able to justify you.

¹² Therefore we reckon that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. Or is he the God of the Jews only? Is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also; since there is one God, who shall justify the circumcision by faith, and the uncircumcision through faith. Since he showed that justification is in the blood of Christ, and not in the works of the law, he sums up the discourse, and says that From all that has been said we conclude that every man is justified by faith. And be not troubled, O Jew, as though the matter were forsooth absurd. For God is not partial, so as to save you only, but not every man. And here he puts the Jews to shame the more cuttingly, as fighting against God, if indeed they will not admit that the Gentiles are saved through faith. For they do not believe that he is alike the God of all, and provides for all equally. He is one, then—that is, the same God both of Jews and of Gentiles—who both justifies the circumcised, not out of the law, but out of faith, and receives the uncircumcised who is mediated through faith. And having made mention of circumcision and uncircumcision, he calls to mind the things said a little before, in which he showed that neither does circumcision profit, when works are absent, nor does uncircumcision in and of itself do harm. Both, then, have need of faith.

¹³ Do we then make the law of none effect through faith? God forbid; but we establish the law. Since the abolishing of the law through faith troubled the Jews, he heals this through his great wisdom, saying that faith establishes the law. For that which the law willed—that is, to justify a man—but had not strength to accomplish, this faith perfects; for together with anyone’s believing, he is justified. It does not, therefore, make the law of none effect, but establishes it. And by this word he shows it to be lying prostrate; for that which is prostrate has need of being made to stand.