43

their madness, when even here they have nothing more than the Greeks, but are likewise given over with respect to the account of salvation. For he would properly be called liable to judgment, who is not able to suffice for himself in his defense, but needs the help of another; such were all our circumstances, since we had lost the things that contribute to salvation. For through the law comes the knowledge of sin. Again he has assailed the law, though with forbearance; for what was said is not an accusation of it, but of the indolence of the Jews; but nevertheless he has been eager here, since he is about to introduce the argument concerning faith, 60.443 to show it to be exceedingly weak. For if you boast in the law, he says, it itself shames you more; this parades your sins. But he did not speak so harshly, but again more gently; For through the law comes the knowledge of sin. Therefore the punishment is also greater, but on account of the Jews. For the law accomplished making your sin manifest to you, but it was then your part to flee it; not having fled, therefore, you have drawn punishment upon yourself the more, and the good work of the law has become for you a provision for greater chastisement. βʹ. When, therefore, he had increased the fear, then at last he brings on the things of grace, having established a great desire for the remission of sins, and says; But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested. He uttered something great here, and something that needs much preparation. For if those living under the law not only did not escape punishment, but were even more weighed down, how is it possible without the law not only to escape chastisement, but also to be justified? For he has set down two extremes here, both being justified, and attaining these good things without the law. For this reason he did not say simply, Righteousness, but, Righteousness of God, showing from the dignity of the person both that the gift is greater and the promise is possible; for all things are possible for him. And he did not say, Has been given, but, Has been manifested, cutting away the accusation of innovation; for what is manifested is revealed as something old and hidden. And not only this, but what follows also shows that this is not recent; for having said, Has been manifested, he added, Being witnessed by the law and the prophets. For lest you be disturbed, he says, because it has been given now, or be troubled as at a new and strange matter; for from of old both the law and the prophets foretold it. And some things he has shown through this preparation, and others he is about to, in what came before, bringing forward Habakkuk saying; The just shall live by faith; and in what comes after this, Abraham, David, and they themselves discoursing to us about these things. For there was much talk of these persons among them; for the one was a patriarch and a prophet, the other a king and a prophet; and the promises concerning these things had been made to both of them. Wherefore also Matthew, beginning the Gospel, mentions both of these first, and then brings forward the ancestors in succession. For having said, The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, he did not wait to say after Abraham, both Isaac and Jacob, but after Abraham he mentioned David; and what is indeed wonderful is that he placed David even before Abraham, saying thus; The son of David, the son of Abraham; and then he began to list Isaac and Jacob and all the rest. Wherefore the Apostle also here constantly brings them around, and says; But the righteousness of God being witnessed by the law and the prophets. But lest anyone should say, And how, when we ourselves contribute nothing to the matter at hand, are we saved? he shows that we also contribute no small thing to this, I mean faith. Having said then, Righteousness of God, he added, Through faith, unto all and upon all them that believe. Again here the Jew is disturbed, having nothing special beyond the rest, being numbered with the whole world. Therefore, that he may not suffer this, he restrains him again 60.444 with fear, adding; For there is no difference; for all have sinned. For do not tell me that this one is a Greek, that one a Scythian, that one a Thracian; for all are in the same circumstances. For even if you received the law, one

43

ἐκείνων ἀπόνοιαν, ὅταν καὶ ἐνταῦθα μηδὲν ἔχωσι πλέον τῶν Ἑλλήνων, ἀλλ' ὁμοίως ὦσι προδεδομένοι κατὰ τὸν τῆς σωτηρίας λόγον. Ὁ γὰρ ὑπόδικος κυρίως ἂν ἐκεῖνος λέγοιτο, ὁ μὴ δυνάμενος ἀρκεῖν ἑαυτῷ πρὸς ἀπολογίαν, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἑτέρου δεόμενος βοηθείας· οἷα ἦν καὶ τὰ ἡμέτερα πάντα, ἀπολωλεκότων ἡμῶν τὰ πρὸς σωτηρίαν συντείνοντα. ∆ιὰ γὰρ νόμου ἐπίγνωσις ἁμαρτίας. Πάλιν ἐφήλατο τῷ νόμῳ, μετὰ φειδοῦς μέν· οὐ γὰρ αὐτοῦ κατηγορία τὸ εἰρημένον, ἀλλὰ τῆς τῶν Ἰουδαίων ῥᾳθυμίας· πλὴν ἀλλ' ὅμως ἐσπούδακεν ἐνταῦθα, ἐπειδὴ μέλλει τὸν περὶ τῆς πίστεως εἰσάγειν λόγον, 60.443 δεῖξαι αὐτὸν σφόδρα ἠσθενηκότα. Εἰ γὰρ αὐχεῖς ἐπὶ τῷ νόμῳ, φησὶν, αὐτός σε μᾶλλον καταισχύνει· οὗτός σου τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἐκπομπεύει. Ἀλλ' οὐκ εἶπεν οὕτω τραχέως, ἀλλ' ὑφειμένως πάλιν· ∆ιὰ γὰρ νόμου ἐπίγνωσις ἁμαρτίας. Οὐκοῦν καὶ ἡ κόλασις μείζων, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τῶν Ἰουδαίων. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ νόμος ἤνυε τὸ φανεράν σοι ποιῆσαι τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, σὸν δὲ ἦν λοιπὸν τὸ φυγεῖν· μὴ φυγὼν τοίνυν, μᾶλλον ἐπεσπάσω τὴν κόλασιν, καὶ τὸ τοῦ νόμου κατόρθωμα γέγονέ σοι μείζονος ἐφόδιον τιμωρίας. βʹ. Ὅτε τοίνυν τὸν φόβον ηὔξησε, τότε λοιπὸν ἐπάγει τὰ τῆς χάριτος, ἐν πολλῇ καταστήσας ἐπιθυμίᾳ τῆς τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἀφέσεως, καί φησι· Νῦν δὲ χωρὶς νόμου δικαιοσύνη Θεοῦ πεφανέρωται. Μέγα ἐνταῦθα ἐφθέγξατο, καὶ πολλῆς δεόμενον τῆς κατασκευῆς. Εἰ γὰρ οἱ ἐν νόμῳ ζῶντες οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἔφυγον κόλασιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πλέον ἐβαρύνθησαν, πῶς ἔστι χωρὶς νόμου μὴ μόνον τιμωρίαν φυγεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ δικαιωθῆναι; ∆ύο γὰρ ἄκρα ἐνταῦθα τέθεικε, καὶ τὸ δικαιοῦσθαι, καὶ τὸ χωρὶς νόμου τούτων τυγχάνειν τῶν ἀγαθῶν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὐχ ἁπλῶς εἶπε, ∆ικαιοσύνη, ἀλλὰ, ∆ικαιοσύνη Θεοῦ, ἀπὸ τῆς ἀξίας τοῦ προσώπου καὶ μείζονα δείξας τὴν δωρεὰν καὶ δυνατὴν τὴν ὑπόσχεσιν· πάντα γὰρ αὐτῷ δυνατά. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἐδόθη, ἀλλὰ, Πεφανέρωται, τὸ τῆς καινοτομίας ὑποτεμνόμενος ἔγκλημα· τὸ γὰρ πεφανερωμένον, ὡς παλαιὸν καὶ κρυπτόμενον φανεροῦται. Καὶ οὐ τοῦτο μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς δείκνυσιν οὐ πρόσφατον ὂν τοῦτο· εἰπὼν γὰρ, Πεφανέρωται, ἐπήγαγε, Μαρτυρουμένη ὑπὸ τοῦ νόμου καὶ τῶν προφητῶν. Μὴ γὰρ, ἐπειδὴ νῦν ἐδόθη, θορυβηθῇς, φησὶ, μηδὲ ὡς πρὸς καινὸν καὶ ξένον πρᾶγμα ταραχθῇς· ἄνωθεν γὰρ αὐτὸ καὶ ὁ νόμος καὶ οἱ προφῆται προέλεγον. Καὶ τὰ μὲν ἔδειξε διὰ τῆς κατασκευῆς ταύτης, τὰ δὲ μέλλει, ἐν μὲν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν παραγαγὼν τὸν Ἀββακοὺμ λέγοντα· Ὁ δίκαιος ἐκ πίστεως ζήσεται· ἐν δὲ τοῖς μετὰ ταῦτα τὸν Ἀβραὰμ, τὸν ∆αυῒδ, καὶ αὐτοὺς περὶ τούτων διαλεγομένους ἡμῖν. Καὶ γὰρ πολὺς τῶν προσώπων τούτων ὁ λόγος ἦν παρ' αὐτοῖς· ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἦν πατριάρχης καὶ προφήτης, ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς καὶ προφήτης· καὶ αἱ ἐπαγγελίαι δὲ αἱ περὶ τούτων πρὸς ἀμφοτέρους τούτους ἦσαν γεγενημέναι. ∆ιὸ καὶ ὁ Ματθαῖος ἀρχόμενος τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου, ἀμφοτέρων τούτων μέμνηται πρῶτον, καὶ τότε κατ' ἀκολουθίαν παράγει τοὺς προγόνους. Εἰπὼν γὰρ, Βίβλος γενέσεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, οὐκ ἀνέμεινεν εἰπὼν μετὰ τὸν Ἀβραὰμ, καὶ τὸν Ἰσαὰκ καὶ τὸν Ἰακὼβ, ἀλλὰμετὰ τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ τοῦ ∆αυῒδ ἐμνημόνευσε· καὶ τὸ δὴ θαυμαστὸν, ὅτι καὶ πρὸ τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ τὸν ∆αυῒδ τέθεικεν, οὕτω λέγων· Υἱοῦ ∆αυῒδ, υἱοῦ Ἀβραάμ· καὶ τότε ἤρξατο καταλέγειν τὸν Ἰσαὰκ καὶ τὸν Ἰακὼβ καὶ τοὺς ἑξῆς ἅπαντας. ∆ιὸ καὶ ὁ Ἀπόστολος ἐνταῦθα αὐτοὺς περιστρέφει συνεχῶς, καί φησι· ∆ικαιοσύνη δὲ Θεοῦ μαρτυρουμένη ὑπὸ τοῦ νόμου καὶ τῶν προφητῶν. Ἵνα δὲ μή τις εἴπῃ, Καὶ πῶς αὐτοὶ μηδὲν συντελοῦντες εἰς τὸ προκείμενον, σωζόμεθα; δείκνυσι καὶ ἡμᾶς εἰσφέροντας οὐ μικρὸν εἰς τοῦτο, τὴν πίστιν λέγω. Εἰπὼν γοῦν, ∆ικαιοσύνη Θεοῦ, ἐπήγαγε, ∆ιὰ τῆς πίστεως, εἰς πάντας καὶ ἐπὶ πάντας τοὺς πιστεύοντας. Πάλιν ἐνταῦθα θορυβεῖται ὁ Ἰουδαῖος, οὐδὲν ἐξαίρετον παρὰ τοὺς λοιποὺς ἔχων, μετὰ τῆς οἰκουμένης ἀριθμούμενος ἁπάσης. Ἵν' οὖν μὴ τοῦτο πάθῃ, συστέλλει πάλιν αὐτὸν 60.444 τῷ φόβῳ, ἐπάγων· Οὐ γάρ ἐστι διαστολή· πάντες γὰρ ἥμαρτον. Μὴ γάρ μοι εἴπῃς, ὅτι Ὁ δεῖνα ὁ Ἕλλην, ὁ δεῖνα ὁ Σκύθης, ὁ δεῖνα ὁ Θρᾴξ· ἐν γὰρ τοῖς αὐτοῖς ἅπαντες. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ νόμον ἔλαβες, ἓν