Fragments on the Epistle to the Romans

Ro+m 1,1 But some are perplexed in vain, whether the epithet "called" should be added to the preceding word, so that it would be "servant, called," or to the following, as "apostle, called," with the sense not being discordant in either case, since indeed all are called, both those commonly called to this faith and grace, and those raised by election to the apostolic order. Therefore, he is "called" in one way as a servant and in another as an apostle. ρο̈μ 1,21 It seems, therefore, more simply to raise the argument against the Greeks, as making the refutation concerning idolatry as only one form of impiety; yet to those who consider more accurately what he says, he does not appear to be doing this, but much rather broadening the rebuke against them, as lacking no form of impiety. ρο̈μ 3,2 "First," he says, not in order to say a second and a third thing, but because this first thing is comprehensive of all good things; for what could be better than to believe the words of God? ρο̈μ 3,4 But perhaps someone might interpret the saying more simply and more appropriately to the context, taking what is said not as a negation but as a hypothesis by the addition of one syllable, that even if all men love falsehood before the truth, nonetheless God remains true and just, both promising such things as are fitting for God, and accomplishing all that was said, when it was fitting

Fragmenta in epistulam ad Romanos

Ro+m 1,1 ∆ιαποροῦσι δέ τινες μάτην, πότερον τῷ ἡγουμένῳ προσθετέον τὸ κλητὸς πρόσρημα ἵνα εἴη δοῦλος, κλητός, ἢ τῷ ἑπομένῳ ὡς ἀπόστολος κλητός, κατ' οὐδέτερον ἀπᾳδούσης τῆς ἐννοίας, ἅτε δὴ κλητῶν ὄντων ἁπάντων καὶ κοινῶς τῶν εἰς τὴν πίστιν καὶ τὴν χάριν ταύτην κεκλημένων καὶ τῶν κατ' ἐκλογὴν εἰς τὴν ἀποστολικὴν τάξιν ἀνηγμένων. καθ' ἕτερον τοίνυν κλητὸς καὶ ὡς δοῦλος καὶ ὡς ἀπόστολος. ρο̈μ 1,21 ∆οκεῖ μὲν οὖν ἁπλούστερον τὸν πρὸς Ἕλληνας ἐνίστασθαι λόγον, ὡς καθ' ἓν μόνον εἶδος ἀσεβείας τὴν εἰδωλολατρείαν ποιούμενος τὸν ἔλεγχον· οὐ μὴν καὶ τοῖς ἀκριβέστερον θεωροῦσιν ἃ λέγει τοῦτο φαίνεται ποιῶν, ἀλλὰ πολὺ μᾶλλον πλατύνων τὴν κατ' αὐτῶν ἐπιτίμησιν ὡς οὐδὲν ἐλλειπόντων ἀσεβείας εἶδος. ρο̈μ 3,2 Τὸ μὲν πρῶτον οὐχ ἵνα, φησί, δεύτερόν τι εἴπῃ καὶ τρίτον, ἀλλ' ὅτι τοῦτο πρῶτον πάντων ἐστὶ καλῶν περιεκτικόν· τοῦ γὰρ πιστεῦσαι τοῖς τοῦ θεοῦ λόγοις τί κρεῖττον ἂν εἴη; ρο̈μ 3,4 Τάχα δ' ἄν τις ἁπλούστερον καὶ τοῖς προκειμένοις οἰκειότερον ἑρμηνεύσειε τὸν λόγον, μὴ κατ' ἀπόφασιν ἀλλὰ καθ' ὑπόθεσιν ἐκδεξάμενος τὸ ῥηθὲν προσθήκῃ μιᾶς συλλαβῆς, ὅτι κἂν πάντες ἄνθρωποι πρὸ τῆς ἀληθείας ἀγαπῶσι τὸ ψεῦδος, οὐδὲν ἧττον ὁ θεὸς ἀληθὴς διαμένει καὶ δίκαιος, ὑπισχνούμενός τε οἷα θεῷ προσῆκεν, καὶ πᾶν τὸ λεχθὲν ἐπιτελῶν, ἡνίκα προσῆκεν