John Chrysostom, On Romans

will henceforth go forth; which so disturbed the Jews, as even to accuse Peter after his belief on account of this matter, because of the events concerning Cornelius and those with him. What then does he say? We conclude therefore that a man is justified by faith without the works of the law. He did not say a Jew, or one who is under the law, but extending his argument to its full breadth, and opening the doors of salvation to the whole world, he says, "Man," using the common name of our nature. Then, taking his starting point from this, he resolves an objection that has not been raised. For since it was likely that the Jews, on hearing that faith justifies every man, would be annoyed and scandalized, he added: Or is he the God of the Jews only? As if he had said: For why does it seem absurd to you that every man should be saved? Is God partial? showing by this, that by wishing to wrong the Gentiles, they rather diminish the glory of God, if indeed they would not grant that He is the God of all. But if He is of all, He also provides for all; and if He provides for all, He saves all alike through faith. For this reason he says: Is he the God of the Jews only? Is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also. For He is not partial, like the myths of the Greeks, but the common and one God of all; for which reason he adds: Seeing it is one God. That is, the same Lord of these and of those. 60.447 But if you speak to me of the things of old, even then the things of Providence were common, though in different ways; for to you a written law was given, and to them a natural law, and they were at no disadvantage, if they were willing, but could even be victorious; for which reason he also added, hinting at this very thing: Who shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith; reminding them of the things previously said about uncircumcision and circumcision, through which he showed that there was no difference. And if there was no difference then, much more so now; which thing establishing more clearly now, he has proved that each alike is in need of faith. Do we then make void the law, he says, through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law. Do you see his varied and ineffable understanding? For by the very act of saying, We establish, he showed that it was not standing, but had been dissolved. And see the exceeding power of Paul, and with what great abundance he establishes what he wishes. For he shows here that faith not only does not do damage to the law, but even helps it, just as the law also prepared the way for faith. For just as the law had beforehand testified to it; for being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, he says; so also faith itself has established the law when it was weak. And how did it establish it, you ask? What was the work of the law, and for what purpose did it do everything? So as to make man righteous. But the law was not strong enough for this; for all, he says, have sinned; but faith, when it came, accomplished it; for as soon as one believed, he was justified. Therefore it has established the will of the law, and that for which the law did everything, this faith has brought to completion. It did not, therefore, make it void, but fulfilled it. He has therefore proved three things here: that it is possible to be justified without the law, that the law was not strong enough for this, and that faith is not in conflict with it. For since this especially disturbed the Jews, the idea that faith was contrary to it, he shows more than the Jew desires, that it is not only not contrary, but is a strong ally and co-worker; which is what they most longed to hear. 5. But since after this grace, through which we were justified, there is also need of a way of life, let us show a diligence worthy of the gift; and we will show it, if we guard love, the mother of all good things, with much diligence. But love is not bare words or simple greetings, but protection and demonstration through deeds; such as, to relieve poverty, to help the sick, to deliver from dangers, to stand by those in tribulations, to weep with those who weep, to rejoice with those who rejoice; for this too is a part of love; and yet this seems to be a small thing, to rejoice with those who rejoice; it is, however, exceedingly great and requires a philosophical mind; and we might find many who accomplish the more bitter part, but are weak in this; for many indeed weep with

λοιπὸν ἔξεισιν· ὅπερ οὕτως ἐθορύβει τοὺς Ἰουδαίους, ὡς καὶ Πέτρῳ μετὰ τὴν πίστιν ταύτης ἕνεκεν ἐγκαλέσαι τῆς ὑποθέσεως, Κορνηλίου καὶ τῶν κατ' αὐτὸν ἕνεκεν πραγμάτων. Τί οὖν φησι; Λογιζόμεθα οὖν πίστει δικαιοῦσθαι ἄνθρωπον χωρὶς ἔργων νόμου. Οὐκ εἶπεν Ἰουδαῖον, ἢ τὸν ὑπὸ τὸν νόμον ὄντα, ἀλλ' ἐξαγαγὼν τὸν λόγον εἰς εὐρυχωρίαν, καὶ τῇ οἰκουμένῃ τὰς θύρας ἀνοίξας τῆς σωτηρίας, φησὶν, Ἄνθρωπον, τὸ κοινὸν τῆς φύσεως ὄνομα θείς. Εἶτα ἀπὸ τούτου λαβὼν ἀφορμὴν, μὴ τεθεῖσαν ἀντίθεσιν λύει. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἰκὸς ἦν Ἰουδαίους ἀκούσαντας, ὅτι πάντα ἄνθρωπον ἡ πίστις δικαιοῖ, δυσχεραίνειν καὶ σκανδαλίζεσθαι, ἐπήγαγεν· Ἢ Ἰουδαίων ὁ Θεὸς μόνον; ὡς ἂν εἰ ἔλεγε· ∆ιὰ τί γάρ σοι τοῦτο ἄτοπον εἶναι δοκεῖ, τὸ πάντα ἄνθρωπον σώζεσθαι; μὴ γὰρ μερικός ἐστιν ὁ Θεός; ἐκ τούτου δεικνὺς, ὅτι βουλόμενοι τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἐπηρεάζειν, τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν δόξαν λυμαίνονται μᾶλλον, εἴ γε μὴ συγχωροῖεν αὐτὸν πάντων εἶναι Θεόν. Εἰ δὲ πάντων ἐστὶ, καὶ προνοεῖται πάντων· εἰ δὲ προνοεῖται πάντων, πάντας ὁμοίως σώζει διὰ τῆς πίστεως. ∆ιὰ τοῦτό φησιν· Ἢ Ἰουδαίων ὁ Θεὸς μόνον; οὐχὶ δὲ καὶ ἐθνῶν; Ναὶ καὶ ἐθνῶν. Οὐ γάρ ἐστι μερικὸς, οἷοι οἱ Ἑλλήνων μῦθοι, ἀλλὰ κοινὸς ἁπάντων καὶ εἷς· διὸ καὶ ἐπάγει· Ἐπείπερ εἷς ὁ Θεός. Τουτέστιν, ὁ αὐτὸς καὶ τούτων κἀκείνων ∆εσπότης. 60.447 Εἰ δὲ τὰ παλαιά μοι λέγεις, καὶ τότε κοινὰ τὰ τῆς προνοίας ἦν, εἰ καὶ διαφόρως· καὶ γάρ σοι νόμος ἐδόθη γραπτὸς, κἀκείνοις νόμος φυσικὸς, καὶ οὐδὲν ἔλαττον εἶχον, εἴ γε ἐβούλοντο, ἀλλὰ καὶ νικᾷν ἠδύναντο· διὸ καὶ ἐπήγαγε, τοῦτο αὐτὸ αἰνιττόμενος· Ὃς δικαιώσει περιτομὴν ἐκ πίστεως, καὶ ἀκροβυστίαν διὰ τῆς πίστεως· τῶν ἔμπροσθεν περὶ ἀκροβυστίας καὶ περιτομῆς εἰρημένων αὐτοὺς ἀναμνήσας, δι' ὧν ἔδειξεν οὐδεμίαν οὖσαν διαφοράν. Εἰ δὲ τότε οὐδεμία ἦν διαφορὰ, πολλῷ μᾶλλον νῦν· ὅπερ καὶ σαφέστερον κατασκευάζων νῦν, ἀπέδειξεν ὁμοίως ἑκάτερον τῆς πίστεως δεόμενον. Νόμον οὖν καταργοῦμεν, φησὶ, διὰ τῆς πίστεως; Μὴ γένοιτο· ἀλλὰ νόμον ἱστῶμεν. Εἶδες σύνεσιν ποικίλην καὶ ἄφατον; Αὐτῷ γὰρ τῷ εἰπεῖν, Ἱστῶμεν, ἔδειξεν οὐχ ἑστῶτα, ἀλλὰ καταλελυμένον. Καὶ ὅρα τῆς Παύλου δυνάμεως τὴν ὑπερβολὴν, καὶ μεθ' ὅσης κατασκευάζει περιουσίας ἃ βούλεται. ∆είκνυσι γὰρ ἐνταῦθα οὐ μόνον οὐ λυμαινομένην τῷ νόμῳ τὴν πίστιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ βοηθοῦσαν αὐτῷ, ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ αὐτὸν τῇ πίστει προοδοποιοῦντα. Καθάπερ γὰρ αὐτὸς προλαβὼν αὐτῇ ἐμαρτύρησε· Μαρτυρουμένη γὰρ ὑπὸ τοῦ νόμου καὶ τῶν προφητῶν, φησίν· οὕτω καὶ αὐτὴ αὐτὸν ἀτονοῦντα ἔστησε. Καὶ πῶς ἔστησε, φησί; τί ἦν τοῦ νόμου τὸ ἔργον, καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν ἅπαντα ἔπραττεν; Ὥστε δίκαιον ποιῆσαι τὸν ἄνθρωπον. Ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνος μὲν τοῦτο οὐκ ἴσχυσε· Πάντες γὰρ, φησὶν, ἥμαρτον· ἡ πίστις δὲ ἐλθοῦσα αὐτὸ κατώρθωσεν· ὁμοῦ γάρ τις ἐπίστευσε καὶ ἐδικαιώθη. Οὐκοῦν ἔστησε τοῦ νόμου τὸ θέλημα, καὶ δι' ὃ πάντα ἔπραττεν ἐκεῖνος, τοῦτο αὕτη εἰς τέλος ἤγαγεν. Οὐκ ἄρα αὐτὸν κατήργησεν, ἀλλ' ἀπήρτισε. Τρία τοίνυν ἐνταῦθα ἀπέδειξε, καὶ ὅτι χωρὶς νόμου δυνατὸν δικαιωθῆναι, καὶ ὅτι τοῦτο οὐκ ἴσχυσεν ὁ νόμος, καὶ ὅτι ἡ πίστις αὐτῷ οὐ μάχεται. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τοῦτο μάλιστα τοὺς Ἰουδαίους ἐθορύβει, τὸ δοκεῖν ἀπεναντίας αὐτῷ τὴν πίστιν εἶναι, δείκνυσι πλέον οὗ βούλεται ὁ Ἰουδαῖος, οὐ μόνον οὐκ οὖσαν ἐναντίαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ σφόδρα σύμμαχόν τε καὶ συνεργὸν οὖσαν· ὃ μάλιστα ἐπόθουν ἀκοῦσαι. εʹ. Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ μετὰ τὴν χάριν ταύτην, δι' ἧς ἐδικαιώθημεν, καὶ πολιτείας χρεία, ἀξίαν ἐπιδειξώμεθα τῆς δωρεᾶς τὴν σπουδήν· ἐπιδειξόμεθα δὲ, ἂν τὴν μητέρα τῶν ἀγαθῶν τὴν ἀγάπην μετὰ πολλῆς φυλάττωμεν τῆς σπουδῆς. Ἀγάπη δέ ἐστιν, οὐ ψιλὰ ῥήματα οὐδὲ προσρήσεις ἁπλῶς, ἀλλὰ προστασία καὶ δι' ἔργων ἐπίδειξις· οἷον, τὸ πενίαν λύειν, τὸ νοσοῦσι συναμύνειν, τὸ κινδύνων ἀπαλλάττειν, τὸ ἐν περιστάσεσιν οὖσι παρίστασθαι, τὸ κλαίειν μετὰ κλαιόντων, τὸ χαίρειν μετὰ χαιρόντων· καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο ἀγάπης· καίτοι δοκεῖ μικρὸν εἶναι τοῦτο, τὸ χαίρειν μετὰ χαιρόντων· σφόδρα μέντοι μέγα ἐστὶ καὶ φιλοσόφου δεόμενον γνώμης· καὶ πολλοὺς ἂν εὕροιμεν τὸ μὲν πικρότερον ἀνύοντας, πρὸς τοῦτο δὲ ἀτονοῦντας· πολλοὶ γὰρ κλαίουσι μὲν μετὰ