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he has used; for he did not say, that it “had” righteousness, but, “attained.” For this is what is especially new and paradoxical, that the one who pursued did not attain, but the one who did not pursue, attained. And he seems at first to favor them by saying, Pursuing; but later he inflicts the fatal blow. For since he has a strong solution to bring forward, he is not afraid of making the contrast more difficult. For this reason he does not discourse about faith, and the righteousness that comes from it, but shows that even before faith and on their own terms they were defeated and condemned. For you, O Jew, he says, did not even find the righteousness that is from the law; for you transgressed it, and became liable to the curse; but these who came not through the law, but by another way, found a righteousness greater than this, the one from faith; which is what he also said above. For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God; showing that this righteousness is greater than that one. Previously, then, I said that there were two difficulties, but now there have become three questions: that the Gentiles both found righteousness, and found it without pursuing it, and found a greater one than that from the law. These same things are again questioned from the opposite perspective in the case of the Jews: that Israel did not find it, and though striving did not find it, and did not find the lesser one. Having therefore cast the hearer into perplexity, he then brings forward a concise solution, and states the cause of all that has been said. What then is the cause? That it was not of faith, but as it were of the works of the law. This is the clearest solution of the whole passage, which if he had stated immediately from the beginning, would not have been so readily received; but since he has placed it 60.564 after many difficulties and preparations and proofs, and has used countless preliminary corrections, he has made it easier to learn and more readily received. For this he says is the cause of their destruction, "Because they sought to be justified not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law." And he did not say, "by works," but, "as it were by the works of the law," showing that they did not even have this righteousness. For they stumbled at the stumbling stone, as it is written: "Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and a rock of offense, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame." Do you see again how confidence comes from faith, and how universal is the gift? For it is not spoken of Jews only, but of the whole human race. For "everyone," he says, whether Jew or Greek, whether Scythian or Thracian, or whoever else believes, will enjoy much confidence. But the wonderful thing about the prophet is that he not only said that they will believe, but also that they will disbelieve; for to stumble is to disbelieve. Just as above, therefore, he indicated both those who are perishing and those who are being saved, saying, "Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, the remnant will be saved;" and, "Unless the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we would have become like Sodom;" and, "He called not only from the Jews, but also from the Gentiles;" so also here he says that some will believe, and others will stumble; and stumbling comes from not paying attention, from gaping at other things. Since, therefore, these also were paying attention to the law, they stumbled on the stone. And he calls it a stumbling stone and a rock of offense from the opinion and the end of those who did not believe. Have the things that were said become clear to you, or do they still need much clarification? I myself think that to those who have paid attention they are easy to understand; but if some things have escaped anyone, it is possible also to meet in private to ask and to learn. For on this account I have also extended the exposition of the discourse to greater length, so that I might not be forced, by cutting through the continuity of the sequence, to mar the clarity of what is said. Therefore, I will end the discourse here, having discussed nothing with you about more moral matters, as is our custom, so as not to obscure again in memory the multitude of things that have been said. It is now time to come to the fitting end, concluding the discourse, the doxology of the God of all, so let us all rest together

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κέχρηται· οὐδὲ γὰρ εἶπεν, ὅτι Ἔσχε δικαιοσύνην, ἀλλὰ, Κατέλαβε. Τὸ γὰρ καινὸν μάλιστα καὶ παράδοξον τοῦτό ἐστιν, ὅτι ὁ διώκων οὐ κατέλαβεν, ὁ δὲ μὴ διώκων κατέλαβε. Καὶ δοκεῖ μὲν αὐτοῖς χαρίζεσθαι τῷ λέγειν, ∆ιώκων· ὕστερον δὲ καιρίαν ἐπάγει τὴν πληγήν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἔχει ἰσχυρὰν λύσιν ἐπαγαγεῖν, οὐδὲν δέδοικε χαλεπωτέραν ποιῶν τὴν ἀντίθεσιν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὐδὲ περὶ πίστεως διαλέγεται, καὶ τῆς ἐντεῦθεν δικαιοσύνης, ἀλλὰ δείκνυσι πρὸ τῆς πίστεως καὶ ἐν τοῖς οἰκείοις ἡττηθέντας αὐτοὺς καὶ καταδεδικασμένους. Σὺ μὲν γὰρ, ὦ Ἰουδαῖε, φησὶν, οὐδὲ τὴν ἐκ τοῦ νόμου δικαιοσύνην εὗρες· παρέβης γὰρ αὐτὸν, καὶ ὑπεύθυνος γέγονας τῇ ἀρᾷ· οὗτοι δὲ οἱ μὴ διὰ τοῦ νόμου ἐλθόντες, ἀλλ' ἑτέρας ὁδοῦ, μείζονα ταύτης εὗρον δικαιοσύνην, τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς πίστεως· ὅπερ οὖν καὶ ἀνώτερον ἔλεγεν. Εἰ γὰρ Ἀβραὰμ ἐξ ἔργων ἐδικαιώθη, ἔχει καύχημα, ἀλλ' οὐ πρὸς τὸν Θεόν· δεικνὺς, ὅτι αὕτη ἡ δικαιοσύνη μείζων ἐκείνης ἐστίν. Ἔμπροσθεν μὲν οὖν ἔλεγον, ὅτι δύο ἐστὶ τὰ ἀπορούμενα, νυνὶ δὲ καὶ τρία τὰ ζητήματα γέγονεν· ὅτι τὰ ἔθνη καὶ εὗρε δικαιοσύνην, καὶ μὴ διώκοντα εὗρε, καὶ μείζονα εὗρε τῆς ἐκ τοῦ νόμου. Τὰ αὐτὰ δὴ ταῦτα καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν Ἰουδαίων διαπορεῖται πάλιν ἐξ ἐναντίας, ὅτι Ἰσραὴλ οὐχ εὗρε, καὶ σπουδάζων οὐχ εὗρε, καὶ τὴν ἐλάττονα οὐχ εὗρεν. Ἐμβαλὼν τοίνυν εἰς ἀπορίαν τὸν ἀκροατὴν, ἐπάγει λοιπὸν σύντομον τὴν λύσιν, καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν φησὶ τῶν εἰρημένων ἁπάντων. Τίς οὖν ἐστιν ἡ αἰτία; Ὅτι οὐκ ἐκ πίστεως, ἀλλ' ὡς ἐξ ἔργων νόμου. Αὕτη ἡ σαφεστάτη τοῦ χωρίου παντὸς λύσις, ἣν εὐθέως ἐκ προοιμίων εἰ εἶπεν, οὐκ ἂν οὕτως εὐπαράδεκτος ἐγεγόνει· ἐπειδὴ δὲ μετὰ πολλὰς ἀπορίας καὶ κατασκευὰς καὶ ἀποδείξεις αὐτὴν τέ 60.564 θεικε, καὶ προδιορθώσεσι μυρίαις ἐχρήσατο, εὐμαθεστέραν τε αὐτὴν λοιπὸν καὶ εὐπαράδεκτον μᾶλλον ἐποίησε. Τοῦτο γὰρ αἴτιον τῆς ἀπωλείας αὐτῶν φησιν, Ὅτι οὐκ ἐκ πίστεως, ἀλλ' ὡς ἐξ ἔργων νόμου ἠθέλησαν δικαιωθῆναι. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἐξ ἔργων, ἀλλ', Ὡς ἐξ ἔργων νόμου, δεικνὺς ὅτι οὐδὲ ταύτην ἔσχον τὴν δικαιοσύνην. Προσέκοψαν γὰρ τῷ λίθῳ τοῦ προσκόμματος, καθὼς γέγραπται· Ἰδοὺ τίθημι ἐν Σιὼν λίθον προσκόμματος, καὶ πέτραν σκανδάλου· καὶ πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων ἐπ' αὐτὸν οὐ καταισχυνθήσεται. Εἶδες πάλιν πῶς ἀπὸ τῆς πίστεως ἡ παῤῥησία, καὶ καθολικὴ ἡ δωρεά; Οὐ γὰρ περὶ Ἰουδαίων εἴρηται μόνον, ἀλλὰ περὶ παντὸς τοῦ τῶν ἀνθρώπων γένους. Πᾶς γὰρ, φησὶ, κἂν Ἰουδαῖος, κἂν Ἕλλην, κἂν Σκύθης, κἂν Θρᾲξ, κἂν ὁστισοῦν ἕτερος ᾖ πιστεύσας, πολλῆς ἀπολαύσεται τῆς παῤῥησίας. Τὸ δὲ θαυμαστὸν τοῦ προφήτου, ὅτι οὐχ ὅτι πιστεύσουσι μόνον εἶπεν, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ ἀπιστήσουσι· τὸ γὰρ προσκόψαι, τὸ ἀπιστῆσαί ἐστιν. Ὥσπερ οὖν ἀνωτέρω τούς τε ἀπολλυμένους τούς τε σωζομένους ἐδήλωσεν εἰπὼν, Ἐὰν ᾖ ὁ ἀριθμὸς τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ ὡσεὶ ἄμμος τῆς θαλάττης, τὸ ἐγκατάλειμμα σωθήσεται· καὶ, Εἰ μὴ Κύριος Σαβαὼθ ἐγκατέλιπεν ἡμῖν σπέρμα, ὡς Σόδομα ἂν ἐγενήθημεν· καὶ, Ἐκάλεσεν οὐ μόνον ἐξ Ἰουδαίων, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐξ ἐθνῶν· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐνταῦθα λέγει, ὅτι οἱ μὲν πιστεύσουσιν, οἱ δὲ προσκόψουσι· τὸ δὲ προσκόπτειν ἐκ τοῦ μὴ προσέχειν γίνεται, ἐκ τοῦ πρὸς ἕτερα κεχηνέναι. Ἐπεὶ οὖν καὶ οὗτοι τῷ νόμῳ προσεῖχον, προσέκοψαν τῷ λίθῳ. Προσκόμματος δὲ λίθον καὶ πέτραν σκανδάλου φησὶν ἀπὸ τῆς γνώμης καὶ τοῦ τέλους τῶν μὴ πιστευσάντων. Ἄρα ὑμῖν δῆλα γέγονε τὰ εἰρημένα, ἢ πολλῆς ἔτι δεῖται τῆς σαφηνείας; Ἐγὼ μὲν οἶμαι τοῖς προσεσχηκόσιν εὐσύνοπτα εἶναι· εἰ δέ τινας διέλαθεν, ἔξεστι καὶ ἰδίᾳ συντυχόντας ἐρωτῆσαι καὶ μαθεῖν. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο καὶ εἰς μακρότερον ἐξήνεγκα τοῦ λόγου τὴν ἐξήγησιν, ἵνα μὴ ἀναγκασθῶ, διατεμὼν τὸ συνεχὲς τῆς ἀκολουθίας λυμήνασθαι τὴν σαφήνειαν τῶν λεγομένων. ∆ιὸ δὴ καὶ ἐνταῦθα καταλύσω τὸν λόγον, οὐδὲν περὶ τῶν ἠθικωτέρων ὑμῖν διαλεχθεὶς, ὅπερ ἔθος ἡμῖν ποιεῖν, ὥστε μὴ πάλιν ἐπισκοτίσαι τῇ μνήμῃ τὰ πλήθη τῶν λεγομένων. Ὥρα δὴ λοιπὸν καταλῦσαι εἰς τὸ προσῆκον τέλος, κατακλείσαντας τὸν λόγον, τὴν δοξολογίαν τοῦ τῶν ὅλων Θεοῦ, κοινῇ τοίνυν ἀναπαυσάμενοι ἡμεῖς