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What then is the advantage of the Jew? or what is the profit of circumcision? Much in every way. First of all, because they were entrusted with the oracles of God.” An objection, and its resolution; not from what they achieve, but from the generosity of God; for to be entrusted with the oracles of God is a work of God's 95.460 generosity, not an achievement of their virtue. “For what if some were unfaithful? Does their unfaithfulness nullify the faithfulness of God? By no means! Let God be true.” He shows them to be so wicked, that even in the things in which they are honored, they are worthy of punishment. Well did he say *some*, even if all were unfaithful, so that he might not seem burdensome. For why do you accuse, he says, that they were unfaithful? And what is that to God? For does the ingratitude of the beneficiaries overturn His benefaction? Or does it make the honor not be an honor? But it also shows His philanthropy to be greater, when He is seen honoring one who is about to dishonor Him. “But every man a liar, as it is written: That You may be justified in Your words.” What he said obscurely before, he now sets forth openly; having said that every man among them was false to the faith. “And overcome when You are judged.” The meaning is thus: If anyone, he says, judges both what was granted to the Jews by God, and what was given back to Him by them, he would grant the victory to God, who becomes so generous, that not even their ingratitude was able to check His beneficent right hand. “But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unjust who inflicts wrath? I speak as a man. By no means! For then how will God judge the world?” Again an objection; and this is the objection: If by becoming evil, he says, I became the cause of God receiving the victory, I ought not to be punished. He resolves it thus: If God is a righteous judge, and judges the world in righteousness, according to what is written, and He punishes you, He clearly punishes you justly; how then do you say you are punished unjustly, being the cause of His victory? For one who observes the law proclaims the lawgiver great more than one who transgresses and is punished; and *I speak as a man* means, I speak in a human way, since he works out the solution as if by an example. “But if the truth of God through my lie abounded to His glory, why am I still being judged as a sinner? And why not say—as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say—‘Let us do evil that good may come’? Their condemnation is just.” Again he sets forth the same thing more broadly; and this is the 95.461 thought: If you say this, that your lie contributed to the glory of God, you make it similar to those who slander me, as having said that good things come from evil things; but if I have declared no such thing, and the condemnation of those who slander me on these points is just; it remains that you also appear liable to the same justice. And what was it that they were deriding the Apostle about? His having said: *Where sin abounded, grace abounded much more*. Those among the Greeks who seem wise, mocking him, said: Therefore, good things come from evil things, and one must practice evil in order to obtain good things. But the Apostle was not saying this, that attention to evil things brings about good things; but he took it in reference to past time; that although sin had prevailed, the grace of Christ, superabounding, both abolished death, and has given resurrection, and deemed worthy of things above alone; and that this was his purpose, and not that which they said in mockery, is clear from his adding: What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! For we who died to sin, he says, how shall we still live in it? But he does not offer these resolutions here. For the objection did not tend to this itself, but he only wants to show this, that *You say something similar to them, whose word will have the ultimate penalty*; for just as they say good things come from evil things, so also you say the victory of God comes from your own unrighteousness. “What then? Are we better? Not at all.

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Τί οὖν τὸ περισσὸν τοῦ Ἰουδαίου; καὶ τίς ἡ ὠφέλεια τῆς περιτομῆς; Πολὺ κατὰ πάντα τρόπον. Πρῶτον μὲν ὅτι ἐπιστεύθησαν τὰ λόγια τοῦ Θεοῦ.» Ἀνθυποφορὰ, καὶ ταύτης ἡ λύσις· οὐκ ἀφ' ὧν ἐκεῖνοι κατορθοῦσιν, ἀλλ' ἐκ τῆς φιλοτιμίας τοῦ Θεοῦ· τὸ γὰρ πιστευθῆναι τὰ λόγια τοῦ Θεοῦ, τῆς τοῦ 95.460 Θεοῦ φιλοτιμίας ἔργον ἐστὶν, οὐ τῆς ἐκείνων ἀρετῆς κατόρθωμα. «Τί γὰρ εἰ ἠπίστησάν τινες, μὴ ἡ ἀπιστία αὐτῶν τὴν πίστιν τοῦ Θεοῦ καταργήσει; Μὴ γένοιτο· γινέσθω δὲ Θεὸς ἀληθής.» ∆είκνυσιν οὕτω πονηροὺς, ὡς καὶ ἐν οἷς τιμῶνται, κολάσεως εἶναι ἀξίους. Εὖ δὲ τὸ τινὲς, εἰ καὶ πάντες ἠπίστησαν, ἵνα μὴ δόξῃ φορτικὸς εἶναι. Τί γὰρ ἐγκαλεῖς, φησὶν, ὅτι ἠπίστησαν; καὶ τί τοῦτο πρὸς τὸν Θεόν; Μὴ γὰρ τὴν εὐεργεσίαν αὐτοῦ ἀνατρέπει τῶν εὐεργετηθέντων ἡ ἀγνωμοσύνη; ἢ τὴν τιμὴν ποιεῖ μὴ εἶναι τιμήν; ἀλλὰ καὶ μείζονα αὐτοῦ δείκνυσιν τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν, ὅταν καὶ τὸν μέλλοντα αὐτὸν ἀτιμάζειν φαίνηται τιμῶν. «Πᾶς δὲ ἄνθρωπος ψευστὴς, καθὼς γέγραπται· Ὅπως ἂν δικαιωθῇς ἐν τοῖς λόγοις σου.» Ὃ εἶπεν συνεσκιασμένως ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν, νῦν προφανῶς τίθησιν· πάντα ἄνθρωπον αὐτῶν ἐψευσμένων τῆς πίστεως εἰρηκώς. «Καὶ νικήσῃς ἐν τῷ κρίνεσθαί σε.» Ὁ νοῦς οὕτως· Εἴ τις, φησὶν, κρίνει τά τε ὑπάρξαντα Ἰουδαίοις παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ, τά τε ὑπ' αὐτῶν εἰς αὐτὸν ἀντιδοθέντα, τὴν νικῶσαν δῴῃ τῷ Θεῷ, τοσοῦτον γινομένῳ φιλοτίμῳ, ὡς μηδὲ τῆς ἀχαριστίας αὐτῶν δυνηθείσης ἀνακόψαι τὴν εὐεργετικὴν δεξιάν. «Εἰ δὲ ἡ ἀδικία ἡμῶν Θεοῦ δικαιοσύνην συνίστησιν, τί ἐροῦμεν; μὴ ἄδικος ὁ Θεὸς, ὁ ἐπιφέρων τὴν ὀργήν; κατὰ ἄνθρωπον λέγω. Μὴ γένοιτο! Ἐπεὶ πῶς κρινεῖ ὁ Θεὸς τὸν κόσμον;» Ἀντίθεσις πάλιν· ἡ δὲ ἀντίθεσις αὕτη· Εἰ κακῶς γενόμενος, φησὶν, αἴτιος ἐγενόμην, τοῦ τὴν νικοῦσαν δέξασθαι τὸν Θεὸν, οὐκ ὀφείλω κολάζεσθαι. Λύει δὲ αὐτὴν οὕτως· Εἰ δίκαιος ὁ Θεὸς κριτὴς, καὶ τὸν κόσμον κρίνει ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον, κολάζει σε δὲ, δικαίως δηλονότι κολάζει σε· πῶς τοίνυν ἀδίκως κολάζεσθαι φῆς, αἴτιος ὢν τῆς αὐτοῦ νίκης; Κατορθῶν γάρ τις μᾶλλον τὸν νόμον μέγαν κηρύσσει τὸν νομοθέτην, ἢ παραβαίνων καὶ κολαζόμενος· τὸ δὲ κατὰ ἄνθρωπον λέγω, κατὰ τὸ ἀνθρώπινον φθέγγομαι, ἐπειδὴ ὡς ἐπὶ ὑποδείγματος. τὴν λύσιν ἐργάζει. «Εἰ δὲ ἀλήθεια τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν τῷ ἐμῷ ψεύσματι ἐπερίσσευσεν εἰς τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ, τί ἔτι κἀγὼ ὡς ἁμαρτωλὸς κρίνομαι; καὶ μὴ, καθὼς βλασφημούμεθα, καὶ καθώς φασί τινες ἡμᾶς λέγειν, ὅτι Ποιησώμεθα τὰ κακὰ, ἵνα ἔλθῃ τὰ ἀγαθά· ὧν τὸ κρῖμα ἔνδικόν ἐστιν.» Πάλιν τὴν αὐτὴν πλατύτερον τίθησιν· ἡ δὲ διάνοια 95.461 αὕτη· Εἰ τοῦτό φατε, ὡς συνήργησεν τὸ ψεῦδος ὑμῶν εἰς τὴν δόξαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὅμοιον ποιεῖτε τοῖς διαβάλλουσιν ἐμὲ, ὡς εἰρηκότα, ἐκ τῶν κακῶν εἶναι τὰ κάλα· εἰ δὲ οὔτε τοιοῦτόν τι ἐγὼ ἀπεφηνάμην, ἐκείνων τε τῶν ἐπὶ τούτων διαβαλλόντων ἐμὲ, τὸ κρῖμα ἔνδικόν ἐστιν· λείπεται καὶ ὑμᾶς τῇ αὐτῇ ἐνόχους φαίνεσθαι δίκῃ. Τί δὲ ἦν ὃ διέσυρον τὸν Ἀπόστολον; Εἰρηκότος αὐτοῦ· Ὅπου ἐπλεόνασεν ἡ ἁμαρτία, ὑπερεπερίσσευσεν ἡ χάρις. Οἱ παρ' Ἕλλησιν δοκοῦντες σοφοὶ, κωμῳδοῦντες αὐτὸν ἔφασκον· Οὐκοῦν ἐκ τῶν κακῶν ἐστι τὰ καλὰ, καὶ δεῖ τὴν κακίαν ἐπιτηδεύειν, ὅπως τῶν καλῶν ἐπιτύχωμεν. Ὁ δὲ Ἀπόστολος οὐ τοῦτο ἔλεγεν, ὅτι ἡ προσοχὴ τῶν κακῶν ἄγει τὰ ἀγαθά· ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τοῦ παρεληλυθότος χρόνου ἐξέλαβεν αὐτό· ὅτι καίτοι καὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας κρατησάσης, ἡ Χριστοῦ χάρις ὑπερπερισσεύσασα καὶ κατήργησεν θάνατον, καὶ ἀνάστασιν δέδωκεν, καὶ τῶν ἄνω ἠξίωσεν μόνον· καὶ ὅτι οὗτος αὐτῷ ὁ σκοπὸς, καὶ οὐκ ἐκεῖνος ὃν κωμῳδοῦντες ἐκεῖνοι ἔλεγον, δῆλον ἐκ τοῦ ἐπενεγκεῖν αὐτόν· Τί οὖν; ἁμαρτήσωμεν, ὅτι οὐκ ἐσμὲν ὑπὸ νόμον, ἀλλ' ὑπὸ χάριν; Μὴ γένοιτο. Οἵτινες γὰρ, φησὶν, ἀπεθάνομεν τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ, πῶς ἔτι ζήσωμεν ἐν αὐτῇ; Ἀλλὰ ταύτας τὰς λύσεις ἐνταῦθα οὐ προσφέρει. Οὐ γὰρ εἰς τοῦτο αὐτὸ συνέτεινεν ἡ ἀντίθεσις, ἀλλὰ τοῦτο μόνον βούλεται δεῖξαι, ὅτι Ὅμοιον ἐκείνοις φατὲ, ὧν ὁ λόγος δίκην ἕξει τὴν ἐσχάτην· ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐκεῖνοι ἐκ τῶν κακῶν τὰ καλά φασιν, οὕτως καὶ ὑμεῖς ἐκ τῆς ἑαυτῶν ἀδικίας τὴν νίκην τοῦ Θεοῦ λέγετε. «Τί οὖν; προεχόμεθα; Οὐ πάντως.