Commentarii in romanos (iii.5-v.7) (p. cair. 88748 cod. vat. gr. 762) of origen, on the [epistle] to the ṛọṃạns, book 5. [rom. 3, 5-8] «but if our

 Had not so many and plausible falsehoods crept in for this reason [is it asked?] how 130 the truth of god in human falsehood <abounded> *** and under

 136 how they would have come to be under sin, when paul says: but sin is not counted where there is no law. but to this we will say other ‖ ... just

 Destruction and all misery *** and it is the same thing to have the fear of god before one's eyes as to have knowledge about the fear of god, which th

 Examining the things commanded by it | and observing the things forbidden, one knows sin existing in the one who neglects what should be done and in t

 It will become manifest, then after this the hidden and deceitful thing of the adversaries will be revealed and, as it were, refuted *** and those who

 Of the commandments of the lord which should not be done, and they transgress, and the sin which they have committed in it becomes known to them, then

 Boasting, such as was paul's when he said: but far be it from me to boast except | in the cross of my lord jesus, through whom the world has been cru

 Especially that which the apostle says is in secret so that it is better to be justified out of faith than through faith, just as from a man, insof

 Of god *** but we say that .h..[...]...s men the one justified by works has a boast [...] every rational nature which is outside 180 of such bodies [.

 And all who are shown kindness are not shown kindness because kindness is owed to them, but because god wills by his own grace to show kindness to who

 Of the eighth day beginning from isaac *** and after the justification from faith he receives a sign of circumcision as if it were a seal, enclosing a

 Christ faith to be reckoned the righteousness *** [rom. 4, 13] for if no promise had been spoken to him or to his seed | before he believed god and i

 No one was in transgression before moses but if no one was, neither is anyone blameworthy therefore, neither cain nor all those who on account of th

 Gave him favor in the sight of the chief keeper of the prison.” for “joseph found favor in the sight of his master” is not the same as “and the lord g

 Paul says: for in hope we were saved but hope that is seen is [not] hope for what a man sees, why does he hope for it? but if we hope for what we d

 By his own faith he considered his own body already dead, being about a hundred years old,” and he will say that abraham was not about a hundred years

 He was justified with righteousness beginning to be in him from the ····· faith which was reckoned to him as righteousness *** how each one must do th

 For we know that tribulation produces endurance, as would be agreed by all that endurance creates a tested character in the one who has endured *** an

of the commandments of the Lord which should not be done, and they transgress, and the sin which they have committed in it becomes known to them, then the congregation shall bring a young bull from the herd for the sin”; then after a little, “And the anointed priest shall bring some of the blood of the young bull into the tent of witness”; and again after a little 162 “And he shall do, it says, to the young bull in the manner that he did to the young bull of the sin; thus shall it be done for him and the priest shall make atonement for them, and it shall be forgiven them.” Therefore the priest will make atonement with blood for the whole congregation so that | it may be forgiven them *** in him is both the propitiation and the high priest and that which is sacrificed for the people *** whom God put forward as a propitiation through faith in his own blood, a propitiation for the passing over of sins that had been committed, so that there may be a passing over of sins committed beforehand, that is, a pardon | and a forgiveness, for those who believe *** for from the adjacent words both of the riches of kindness and of long-suffering and the forbearance named between them ‖ ···· praises, being derived from "to bear with" *** and justifying the one who has faith, that is, the one believing in Jesus and through Jesus in God, and it is not at all strange, having anticipated in "justifying the one who has faith in Jesus," to say [that] just as Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for right|eousness, so to those who have believed in Jesus or in God through Jesus, God counts faith for righteousness, and thus he justifies the one who has faith in Jesus *** unless perhaps his substance is a propitiation, but his activity is atonement *** | and I think Leviticus alludes to the order of these things, first legislating concerning gifts, and second concerning sacrifices of well-being, and third concerning a soul sinning unintentionally *** [Rom. 3, 27-28] having established 164 that those were first entrusted with the oracles of God and, in this respect, the Jewish boast against the Gentiles, he now describes it by bringing in after the advantage of the Jew and the benefit of circumcision that God is indeed one and true, | but every man is a liar *** wherefore every apparent cause for boasting for the Jews is excluded and, as it were, forbidden, since the law of faith justifies the one being justified and not the law of works; for neither do both laws justify at the same time, nor does the law of works; for the law of faith is sufficient for justification, since it is now possible to attain justi|fication by only believing and by having done absolutely nothing. For we can present the one justified by faith alone without works, such as was the thief crucified with Jesus, and the sinful woman in Luke who brought the alabaster jar of myrrh and stood by the feet of Jesus and did those things which are recorded to have been done *** and by no work of the law but by faith her sins are forgiven when he said to her: “Your sins are forgiven,” and “Your faith | has saved you; go in peace.” And in many places in the gospel “Your faith has saved you” is said, so that we may learn that we rightly reckon a person to be justified by faith without works of the law. But it is likely that someone hearing these things will neglect the life lived according to God, as though faith is sufficient for justification. But we will say to this that after justi|fication, unrighteousness that has occurred has nullified the grace of the one who justified *** 166 Justification from God, which is content with faith alone, therefore anticipates the works that will come after the justification from faith, so that the one being justified may not boast before God as having received no gift from God, but as having been justified by works of the law. But I ‖ think that even works before faith, even if they seem to be right, since they are not built upon the good foundation of faith, do not justify the one who did them. And since all boasting from works has been excluded for all people, for this reason everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, even if he says truthfully: "O God, | I thank you that I am not like the rest of men, robbers, unjust, adulterers" and the rest *** through the law of faith all boasting is excluded which those who do not understand justification by faith would boast, but the boasting from faith itself is not excluded

τῶν ἐντολῶν Κυρίου ἣ οὐ ποιηθήσεται, καὶ πλημμελήσωσι, καὶ γνωσθῇ αὐτοῖς ἡ ἁμαρτία ἣν ἥμαρτον ἐν αὐτῇ, καὶ προσάξει ἡ συναγωγὴ μόσχον ἐκ βοῶν περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας»· εἶτα μετ' ὀλίγα «Καὶ εἰσοίσει ὁ ἱερεὺς ὁ χριστὸς ἀπὸ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ μόσχου εἰς τὴν σκηνὴν τοῦ μαρτυρίου»· καὶ πάλιν μετ' ὀλίγα 162 «Καὶ ποιήσει, φησί, τὸν μόσχον ὃν τρόπον ἐποίησεν τὸν μόσχον τῆς ἁμαρ τίας· οὕτως ποιηθήσεται αὐτῷ καὶ ἐξιλάσεται περὶ αὐτῶν ὁ ἱερεύς, καὶ ἀφε θήσεται αὐτοῖς». Οὐκοῦν αἵματι ἐξιλάσεται ὁ ἱερεὺς περὶ πάσης τῆς συνα γωγῆς ἵνα | ἀφεθῇ αὐτοῖς *** ἐν αὐτῷ ἐστιν καὶ τὸ ἱλαστήριον καὶ ἀρχιερεὺς καὶ τὸ θυόμενον ὑπὲρ τοῦ λαοῦ *** ὃν προέθετο ὁ Θεὸς ἱλαστήριον διὰ πίστεως ἐν τῷ ἑαυτοῦ αἵματι, ἱλαστήριον δὲ διὰ τὴν πάρεσιν τῶν γεγο νότων ἁμαρτημάτων, ἵνα πάρεσις γένηται τῶν προγεγονότων ἁμαρτημάτων, τουτέστιν συγχώρησις | καὶ ἄφεσις, τοῖς πιστεύουσιν *** ἐκ γὰρ τῶν παρα κειμένων λέξεων τοῦ τε πλούτου τῆς χρηστότητος καὶ τῆς μακροθυ μίας καὶ ἡ μεταξὺ αὐτῶν ὀνομασθεῖσα ἀνοχὴ ‖ ····αινει παρὰ τὸ ἀνέχεσθαι πεποιημένη *** καὶ δικαιῶν τὸν ἐκ πίστεως, τουτέστιν τὸν πιστεύοντα εἰς Ἰησοῦν καὶ διὰ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ οὐκ ἄτοπ̣όν γε προλαβόντας εἰς τὸ «δικαιοῦντα τὸν ἐκ πίστεως Ἰησοῦ» εἰπεῖν [ὅτι] ὥσπερ Ἀβραὰμ ἐπίστευσεν τῷ Θεῷ καὶ ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ εἰς δικαι|οσύνην, οὕτως τοῖς πιστεύσασιν εἰς τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἢ εἰς τὸν Θεὸν διὰ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ λογίζεται ὁ Θεὸς τὴν πίστιν εἰς δικαιοσύνην, καὶ οὕτω δικαιοῖ τὸν ἐκ πίστεως Ἰησοῦ *** εἰ μὴ ἄρα ἡ μὲν οὐσία αὐτοῦ ἱλαστήριον, ἡ δὲ ἐνέργεια ἱλασμός *** | τούτων δὲ τὴν τάξιν οἶμαι αἰνίττεσθαι τὸ Λευιτικόν, πρῶτον μὲν νομοθετοῦν περὶ δώρων, δεύτερον δὲ περὶ θυσιῶν σωτηρίου καὶ τρίτον περὶ ψυχῆς ἁμαρτούσης ἀκουσίως *** [Rom. 3, 27-28] πρώτους ἐκείνους πεπιστεῦσθαι τὰ λόγια τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ ὅσον ἐπὶ τούτῳ τὸ κατὰ τῶν ἐθνῶν ἰουδαικὸν καύχημα 164 π̣αραστήσας, νῦν αὐτὸ περιγράφει τῷ ἐπενηνοχέναι μετὰ τὸ περισσὸν τοῦ Ἰουδαίου καὶ τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς περιτομῆς ὠφέλειαν ὡς ἄρα ε̣ἷς ὁ Θεὸς ἀλη θής ἐστιν, | πᾶς δὲ ἄνθρωπος ψεύστης *** διὸ πᾶν τὸ δοκοῦν τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις εἶναι καύχημα ἐκκλείεται καὶ ὡσπερεὶ κωλύεται, νόμου πίστεως δικαιοῦντος τὸν δικαιούμενον καὶ οὐ νόμου ἔργων· οὔτε γὰρ ἀμφότεροι οἱ νόμοι δικαιοῦσιν ἅμα, οὔτε ὁ τῶν ἔργων νόμος· ἀρκεῖ γὰρ εἰς δικαίωσιν ὁ τῆς πίστεως, ἐπεὶ ἔστιν ποτὲ ἤδη τυχεῖν τῆς δικαι|ώσεως πιστεύσαντα μόνον καὶ τὸ καθόλου μηδὲν ἐργασάμενον. Ἔχομεν γοῦν παραστῆσαι τὸν ἐκ μόνης πίστεως χωρὶς ἔργων δικαιούμενον, ὁποῖος ἦν ὁ τῷ Ἰησοῦ συσταυρωθεὶς λῃστής, καὶ τὴν ἐν τῷ κατὰ Λουκᾶν ἁμαρτωλὸν γυναῖκα τὴν κομίσασαν ἀλάβαστρον μύρου καὶ στᾶσαν παρὰ τοὺς πόδας τοῦ Ἰησοῦ καὶ διαπραξαμένην ἅπερ ἀναγέγραπται πεποιη κέναι *** καὶ ἐξ οὐδενός γε ἔργου νόμου ἀλλ' ἐκ τῆς πίστεως ἀφέωνται αἱ ἁμαρτίαι αὐτῆς ὅτε εἶπεν αὐτῇ· «Ἀφέωνταί σοι αἱ ἁμαρτίαι» καὶ «Ἡ πίστις | σου σέσωκέν σε· πορεύου εἰς εἰρήνην». Καὶ πολλαχοῦ δὲ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου τὸ «Ἡ πίστις σου σέσωκέν σε» λέγεται, ἵνα μάθωμεν ὅτι καλῶς λογιζόμεθα δικαιοῦσθαι πίστει ἄνθρωπον χωρὶς ἔργων νόμου. Ἀλλ' εἰκός τινα τούτων ἀκούσαντα ἀμελήσειν τῆς κατὰ Θεὸν πολιτείας ὡς ἀρκούσης πίστεως εἰς δικαίωσιν. Φήσομεν δὲ πρὸς τοῦτο ὅτι μετὰ δι|καίωσιν ἀδικία γενομένη ἠθέτησεν τὴν χάριν τοῦ δικαιώσαντος *** 166 προλαμβάνει οὖν τὰ ἐσόμενα μετὰ τὴν ἐκ πίστεως δικαίωσιν ἔργα ἡ ἀρκου μένη μόνη τῇ πίστει ἀπὸ Θεοῦ δικαίωσις, ἵν' ὁ δικαιούμενος μὴ καυχήσεται ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ ὡς μηδὲν ἀπὸ Θεοῦ δῶρον λαβών, ἀλλ' ἐξ ἔργων νόμου δικαιωθείς. Ἐγὼ δ' οἶ‖μαι ὅτι καὶ τὰ πρὸ τῆς πίστεως ἔργα, κἂν δοκῇ εἶναι δεξιά, ὡς μὴ ἐποικοδομηθέντα καλῷ θεμελίῳ τῇ πίστει, οὐ δικαιοῖ τὸν ποιή σαντα αὐτά. Καὶ ἐπεὶ πᾶσα ἡ ἐξ ἔργων ἀπεκλείσθη πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις καύ χησις, διὰ τοῦτο πᾶς ὁ ὑψῶν ἑαυτὸν ταπεινωθήσεται, κἂν ἀληθεύων λέγῃ· «Ὁ Θεός, | εὐχαριστῶ σοι ὅτι οὐκ εἰμὶ ὡς οἱ λοιποὶ τῶν ἀν θρώπων ἅρπαγες, ἄδικοι, μοιχοί» καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς *** διὰ νόμου πίστεως ἐκκλείεται μὲν πᾶσα καύχησις ἣν καυχήσαιντο ἂν οἱ μὴ νοοῦντες τὴν ἐκ πίστεως δικαίωσιν, οὐκ ἐκκλείεται δὲ ἡ ἐξ αὐτῆς τῆς πίστεως