Chapter 20.—Why the Righteousness Which is of the Law is Valued Slightly by Paul.

Therefore the blessed Paul casts away those past attainments of his righteousness, as “losses” and “dung,” that “he may win Christ and be found in Him, not having his own righteousness, which is of the law.” Wherefore his own, if it is of the law? For that law is the law of God. Who has denied this, save Marcion and Manicheus, and such like pests? Since, then, that is the law of God, he says it is “his own” righteousness “which is of the law;” and this righteousness of his own he would not have, but cast it forth as “dung.” Why so, except because it is this which I have above demonstrated,229    See above, ch. 6. that those are under the law who, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and going about to establish their own, are not subject to the righteousness of God?230    Rom. x. 3. For they think that, by the strength of their own will, they will fulfil the commands of the law; and wrapped up in their pride, they are not converted to assisting grace. Thus the letter killeth231    2 Cor. iii. 6. them either openly, as being guilty to themselves, by not doing what the law commands; or by thinking that they do it, although they do it not with spiritual love, which is of God. Thus they remain either plainly wicked or deceitfully righteous,—manifestly cut off in open unrighteousness, or foolishly elated in fallacious righteousness. And by this means—marvellous indeed, but yet true—the righteousness of the law is not fulfilled by the righteousness which is in the law, or by the law, but by that which is in the Spirit of grace. Because the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in those, as it is written, who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. But, according to the righteousness which is in the law, the apostle says that he was blameless in the flesh, not in the Spirit; and he says that the righteousness which is of the law was his, not God’s. It must be understood, therefore, that the righteousness of the law is not fulfilled according to the righteousness which is in the law or of the law, that is, according to the righteousness of man, but according to the righteousness which is in the Spirit of grace, therefore according to the righteousness of God, that is, which man has from God. Which may be thus more clearly and briefly stated: That the righteousness of the law is not fulfilled when the law commands, and man as it were of his own strength obeys; but when the Spirit aids, and man’s free will, but freed by the grace of God, performs. Therefore the righteousness of the law is to command what is pleasing to God, to forbid what is displeasing; but the righteousness in the law is to obey the letter, and beyond it to seek for no assistance of God for holy living. For when he had said, “Not having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is by the faith of Christ,” he added, “Which is from God.” That, therefore, is itself the righteousness of God, being ignorant of which the proud go about to establish their own; for it is not called the righteousness of God because by it God is righteous, but because man has it from God.

20. Abjicit ergo illa beatus Paulus praeterita justitiae 0603 suae tanquam detrimenta et stercora, ut Christum lucrifaciat, et inveniatur in illo non habens suam justitiam, quae ex lege est. Quare suam, si ex lege est ? Neque enim lex illa Dei non est: quis hoc nisi Marcion et Manichaeus et aliae similes pestes dixerunt? Cum ergo lex illa Dei sit, justitiam suam dicit esse quae ex lege est: quam justitiam suam noluit habere, sed projecit ut stercora. Cur ita, nisi quia hoc est, quod etiam superius demonstravimus, eos esse sub lege, qui ignorantes Dei justitiam, et suam volentes constituere, justitiae Dei non sunt subjecti (Rom. X, 3)? Putant enim se arbitrii sui viribus implere legem jubentem, et ista implicati superbia, ad gratiam non convertuntur juvantem. Sic eos littera occidit, aut aperte etiam sibi reos, non faciendo quod praecipit; aut putando se facere, quod spirituali, quae ex Deo est, non faciunt charitate. Ita remanent aut aperte iniqui, aut fallaciter justi; in aperta iniquitate evidenter elisi, in fallaci justitia insipienter elati. Ac per hoc miro quidem modo, sed tamen vero, justitiam legis non implet justitia quae in lege est, vel ex lege, sed quae in spiritu gratiae. Justitia quippe legis impletur in eis, sicut scriptum est, qui non secundum carnem ambulant, sed secundum spiritum (Id. VIII, 4). Secundum justitiam vero quae in lege est, se fuisse sine querela in carne, non in spiritu, dicit Apostolus; et justitiam quae ex lege est, suam dicit fuisse, non Dei. Intelligendum est igitur justitiam legis non impleri secundum justitiam, quae in lege est, vel ex lege, id est, secundum justitiam hominis; sed secundum justitiam quae est in spiritu gratiae: ergo secundum justitiam Dei, hoc est, quae homini ex Deo est. Quod planius et brevius ita dici potest: Justitiam legis non impleri cum lex jubet, et homo quasi suis viribus facit; sed cum spiritus adjuvat, et hominis libera , sed Dei gratia liberata voluntas facit. Legis itaque justitia est, jubere quod Deo placet, vetare quod displicet: in lege autem justitia est, servire litterae, et extra eam nullum Dei adjutorium ad recte vivendum requirere. Cum enim dixisset, Non habens meam justitiam, quae ex lege est, sed eam quae est per fidem Christi: addidit, quae est ex Deo. Ipsa est ergo justitia Dei, quam superbi ignorantes, suam volunt constituere. Non enim propterea justitia Dei dicitur, quoniam Deus ea justus est; sed quia homini ex Deo est.