Commentary on Romans 4.1–5.10

“What, then, shall we say that Abraham our father found according to the flesh?” After showing that no one can be justified before God through the works of the law, he added that not even Abraham could merit anything according to the flesh. By saying “flesh” he signified circumcision, because Abraham sought nothing through circumcision. For he was justified before he was circumcised.

“For if Abraham was justified by the works of the law, he has glory, but not before God.” This is the voice of one proposing a case. For that Abraham was justified by faith no one doubts; therefore he has glory before God. But because those who keep the law, whether of Moses or the natural law, are justified for the present, so as not to be guilty at the present judgment, he says: if Abraham was justified by the works of the law, he does not have glory before God; because “he who does the law,” it says, “will live in it,” that is, he will not die as a guilty man; yet he will not have merit from this before God, but because of faith.

“For what does Scripture say? Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him for righteousness” (Gen 15:6). He has made plain that Abraham has glory before God not because he was circumcised or because he abstained from iniquity, but because he believed God; hence he was also justified, and will obtain the reward of his praise in the future.

“But to one who works, the reward is not reckoned according to grace but according to debt.” It is plain that for one who is subject to the law of deeds, that is, of Moses, or to the natural law, merit is not reckoned for reward so that he has glory before God. For he is a debtor to do the law, because necessity has been imposed through the law, so that, willing or unwilling, he does the law, lest he be condemned; as he says in another place: “But those who despise it acquire condemnation for themselves” (Rom 13:2), because they are guilty for the present. But to believe or not to believe is a matter of the will. For no one can be compelled to what is not manifest; he is invited, because it is not extorted but persuaded. Therefore one who assents is to be rewarded, as Abraham was, who believed what he did not see.

“But to one who does not work,” that is, to one who is liable to sins, who does not do what the law commands; “but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned for righteousness.” He says this because the faith of the ungodly man, that is, the gentile, who believes in Christ without the works of the law, is reckoned to him for righteousness, as it was to Abraham. How, then, do the Jews think that they are justified through the works of the law with the justification of Abraham, when they see that Abraham was justified not through the works of the law but by faith alone? There is no need, then, of the law, when the ungodly is justified before God through faith alone. “According to the purpose of the grace of God.” He says that it was so decreed by God that, the law ceasing, the grace of God should require faith alone for salvation.

“As David also says.” He fortifies this very point with the example of the prophet. “The blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness without works.” He calls them blessed concerning whom God decreed this, that without labour and any observance we are justified before God by faith alone. He proclaims, then, the blessedness of the time in which Christ was born, as the Lord himself says: “Many righteous men and prophets desired to see what you see, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it” (Matt 13:17). (Verses 7 and 8.) “Blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord has not reckoned sin” (Ps 32:1–2). Plainly they are blessed to whom, without labour or any work, iniquities are forgiven and sins covered, no works of repentance being required of them, except only that they believe. Blessed too is this man to whom the Lord has not reckoned sin. To forgive, to cover and not to reckon are one principle and one sense; for all are obtained and given in one way. Some, however, think there is a threefold principle in these words, because the prophet used different words and descended from the plural to the singular. For when he wishes to set out the words of God for the liberality of grace, he spoke more broadly, using the terms for offences, because the names of sin are various; yet the words are of one form and meaning; because when he covers, he forgives, and when he forgives, he does not reckon. For he speaks at greater length to the praise of the grace of God, to magnify grace. For he made three grades because of the variety of offences: the first grade is iniquity or ungodliness, when the Creator is not acknowledged; the second is in the works of grave sins; the third of light ones; yet all these are wiped out in baptism. By these three grades he signified the whole body of sin. But how can it pertain to the person of penitents, when he says, “Blessed are those whose sins are covered,” since it is agreed that penitents acquire remission of sins with labour and groaning? Or how does it fit martyrdom, when he says, “Blessed is the man to whom the Lord has not reckoned sin,” since we know that the glory of martyrdom is acquired by sufferings and pressures? The prophet, however, foreseeing the happy time of the Saviour’s coming, calls those blessed to whom, without labour or any work, sins are forgiven, covered and not reckoned through the washing. The apostle, however, because of the fullness of the times, and because there is more grace in the apostles than there was in the prophets, testifies to greater things which we obtain from the gift of baptism; for he declares that we not only receive remission of sins but are justified and become sons of God, so that this blessedness may have perfect security and glory.

“Does this blessedness, then, remain only in the circumcision, or also in the uncircumcision?” That is, has this blessedness been granted only to the sons of Abraham, or also to those who are uncircumcised? For if at that time the nations were not forbidden to come to the law and the promise of Abraham, how could it be that in the time of Christ those coming to grace should be forbidden, when God has fully invited them by grace? “For we say,” that is, we speak in the sense of the law, “that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.” He begins from the origin in order to shut out every evasion of cavilling; for one who is shut out at the head has nowhere to begin raising a question. (Verses 10 and 11.) “How, then, was it reckoned? When he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of faith which is in uncircumcision, so that he might be father of all who believe through uncircumcision, so that it might be reckoned to them also for righteousness” (Gen 17:10–11). Abraham, while he was in uncircumcision, believed God. What did he believe? That he would have a seed, that is, a son, in whom all nations would be justified through faith in uncircumcision, as Abraham too was justified. For he received circumcision as a sign of the righteousness of faith: for believing that he would have a son, he received a sign of the thing he believed, so that it might be seen that he had been justified by believing. Circumcision, then, has no dignity, but is only a sign. The sons of Abraham received this sign so that they might be known to be sons of him who, believing God, had received this sign; so that they might be emulators of their father’s faith and believe in Jesus, who was promised to Abraham, in whose figure Isaac was born. For not in Isaac are all nations blessed, but in Christ: “For there is no other name given under heaven in which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12), says the apostle Peter.

“And that he might be father of circumcision, not only of those who are of the circumcision, but also of those who follow the footsteps of the faith which our father Abraham had in uncircumcision.” He says this because Abraham, by believing, first became father of circumcision, but of the heart; not only of those who are of his descent, but also of those from the gentiles who believe in like manner. For according to the flesh he is father of the Jews, but according to faith of all who believe. (Verse 13.) “For not through the law was the promise to Abraham or to his seed that he should be heir of the world, but through the righteousness of faith.” It is plain, since the law had not yet been given, nor was there yet circumcision, that the promise had already been made to Abraham when he believed, and to his seed, which is Christ, who would wash away the sins of people, as John the Baptist says: “Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). He was made heir of the world, then, not by the merit of keeping the law but of faith; and the heir of the world is heir of the earth, which he obtained in his sons. But Christ is heir of the nations, as David sings: “And I will give you the nations as your inheritance, and the ends of the earth as your possession” (Ps 2:8); for we ourselves will die and live with him.

“For if those who are of the law are heirs,” that is, if those who are of the law or under the law are heirs by the law, “faith has been made void, the promise abolished.” It is plain that if the inheritance is from the law, the promise which was made to Abraham from faith comes to nothing. But the promise was not made through the law; the inheritance is through the righteousness of faith; for the apostle has shown what evil it is to hope for the inheritance from the law. (Verse 15.) “For the law works wrath.” To show completely that a person cannot be justified before God through the law, nor could the promise have been made through the law, he says, “it works wrath”; for it was given for this, to make offenders guilty. But faith is the gift of the mercy of God, so that those made guilty through the law may obtain pardon; therefore faith is at work. Nor does he speak against the law, but places faith before it; for those who could not be saved through the law are saved by the grace of God through faith. The law, then, is not wrath, but works wrath for the sinner, that is, punishment, since it does not pardon but punishes. For punishment is produced by wrath, and wrath is born of sin; and therefore he wants the law to be left behind, so that refuge may be taken in faith, which pardons offences in order to save. “For where there is no law, there is no transgression.” He says this because when the guilty have been taken out of the power of the law and pardon has been given, there is no transgression; for those have been justified who through transgression of the law had been sinners. For the law of deeds ceases, that is, the observance of sabbaths, new moons, circumcision, the distinction of foods, the observance concerning a dead animal or the blood of a weasel. (Verse 16.) “Therefore it is from faith, so that according to grace the promise may be firm for all the seed.” The promise cannot be firm for all the seed, that is, for every person from every nation, unless it is from faith; for the origin of the promise is from faith, not from the law; because those who are under the law are guilty, and the promise cannot be given to the guilty; and therefore they must first be purified through faith, so that they may become worthy to be called sons of God, and the promise may be firm. For if they call themselves sons of God when they are guilty, that is, under the law, it is not firm; for the sons of God are free from sin. … that they may deserve to receive the promise; how much more those who are under it! It is not expedient, then, for one to put himself under the law, so that he may find the cure of his wound by the short way. “Not only to him who is of the law, but also to him who is of the faith of Abraham.” This is what he said above, “to all the seed,” both of the Jews, who came from the law, and of the gentiles, who follow the faith of Abraham, which he had as a gentile in order to be righteous. For Abraham believed without the law, and therefore he is joined more to the gentiles; so that the promise may be firm for them, as they believe the one in whom he himself believed.

“Who is the father of us all, as it is written: For I have made you father of many nations” (Gen 17:5). He has confirmed by the example of the law that Abraham is father of all, but of those who believe; and that the promise is firm only if one withdraws to faith. “Who gives life to the dead, and calls the things that are not as the things that are.” By saying this he invites the nations to the faith of Abraham; because, while he was in uncircumcision, believing God, whose faith is now preached in Christ, he was given life together with his wife. For when they were of worn-out age, the old couple revived; so that he did not distrust that he would have a son by Sarah, whom he knew to be barren and in whom the flow of woman’s nature had already ceased; so that by these things they may care neither about uncircumcision nor about circumcision, and be ready for faith, secure because they believe him who gives life to the dead, and that there is no other who has this power; and when he wills things that are not to be, at once they exist by his will. Therefore Abraham, when he was not yet a father, was called father of many nations, and believed, secure in God’s … (Gen 15:5). It is plain that, when Abraham had no hope of begetting, he believed God, having faith against hope that he would beget, knowing that God can do all things. “So that he might become father of many nations, according to what was said: So shall your seed be” (Gen 15:5). This is in Genesis; for showing him the stars of heaven he said, “So shall your seed be”; and believing this he was justified. For he believed what seems impossible to the world, since it does not fall within the nature of things, that old people could beget, and that their seed would be multiplied in such abundance that it could not be counted. Faith is therefore precious, because against what it knows or sees it believes that it will be; it consoles itself with this hope, that it is God who promises, of whom it is fitting to think more than human weakness grasps.

“And he did not weaken in faith, nor did he consider his own body already dead, since he was already about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He did not waver in distrust at the promise of God, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, being certain that what he promised he is able also to do; and therefore it was reckoned to him for righteousness.” He proclaims Abraham worthy of praise in this, that, knowing he could not, he strengthened his weakness by faith, so as to believe that he could through God what he knew could not be done by the decrees of the world. He is of great merit, then, before God, who believed God against his own knowledge, not doubting that he, being God, could do what he knows cannot happen according to the reckoning of the world. For he holds for certain that God is beyond the reckoning of the world; for no one is to be said to be inside what he created. Therefore such a one is to be rewarded by God, because he attributes more to his Author than he himself understands. This would indeed be of no value if all thought alike; but by the distrust of many the faith of believers is commended before God. He exhorts the nations, then, to this firmness of faith, so that they may receive God’s promise and grace without any hesitation, secure by the example of Abraham that praise grows for the believer if what is incredible and seems foolish to the world is believed; because the more what is believed is thought impossible, the more honourable the believer will be. And yet it would truly be foolish to believe this if it were said to happen without God. And therefore the faith of Abraham is so much more praiseworthy than the faith of others, because it was drawn by no signs and wonders. But since the world is governed by a fixed law and power, and ruled in a manner set by God, while people, out of love of the flesh, zealous about reasoning, neglected God its Maker, God, to take away the error and show himself Lord of all, willed that it should be proclaimed that he could do, and had done, what is impossible for the world; so that those who believed this, set apart from those condemned who, puffed up by the reckoning of the world, neglected God, might be saved, made over to God’s lordship.

“But it was not written for his sake alone that it was reckoned to him for righteousness, but also for ours, to whom it will be reckoned, who believe in him who raised Jesus Christ our Lord from the dead, who was handed over for our sins and rose for our justification.” He says that in Abraham a pattern was given to Jews and gentiles, so that by his example we may believe in God, and in Christ, and in the Holy Spirit, and righteousness may be reckoned to us. Though what is now believed differs, faith has one gift. We obtain, then, what we believe: for believing that Christ is the Son of God, we are adopted by God as sons; for he could give believers nothing beyond being called sons of God, the faithless being disowned. For we are called sons of God, while they are not worthy even to be called servants. For out of his infinite magnificence God has given those who love him what is worthy of his majesty, not what people deserve; because in a gift the loftiness of the giver is considered more than that of the receiver, and he receives more praise from this when he bestows great gifts on little ones through Christ, who allowed himself to be killed for our sake, so that, having given pardon, he might rescue us from the second death, that is, from the punishment of hell; and he rose, so that through the joy of the triumph of death overcome he might give us the grace of justification, that we might be worthy to be called sons of God. For those who were baptized before the passion received only remission of sins, out of jealousy over which Satan killed the Saviour; but after the resurrection, both those who were baptized before and those baptized afterwards were all justified through the pattern of faith in the Trinity that was given, and through receiving the Holy Spirit, who is the sign of believers that they are sons of God. And so that it might profit us to the full measure of justification, when he rose he gave authority to his precepts; so that, emulating their merits, we may increase ourselves, through which, having obtained glory, we may appear illustrious in the kingdom of God, with this confidence, by which, being justified, we cannot be held by death. For death, conquered by the Saviour’s passion, which before ruled because of sin, does not dare to hold those whom he has justified.

(Verse 1.) “Justified, then, from faith, let us have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” It is faith, not the law, that brings about peace with God; for faith reconciles us to God, the sins that had made us God’s enemies being taken away. And because the Lord Jesus is the minister of this grace, through him we have been made at peace with God. For faith is greater than the law; for the law is for our sake, faith for God’s; and the law pertains to present discipline, but faith to perpetual salvation. But one who does not think of Christ as he ought will not be able to come to the rewards of faith, because he does not hold the truth of faith.

“Through whom we also have access through faith into this grace, in which we stand and boast in the hope of the glory of the sons of God.” It is plain that through Christ we have access to the grace of God; for he is the arbiter between God and men, who, raising us up by his teaching, has made us hope for the gift of the grace of God, standing in faith in him. He says “standing” because before we lay prostrate; but by believing we have been raised up, boasting in the hope of the glory which God has promised us.

“And not only that, but we also boast in our tribulations.” Since “through tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22), he teaches that we must boast in these too. Tribulation added to hope increases the reward; for tribulation is the proof of a fixed hope, and it bears witness for the crown. Hence the Lord says: “Blessed will you be when they persecute you and say every evil against you for the righteousness of God. Rejoice and exult; for behold, your reward is great in heaven” (Matt 5:11–12). For to despise present things and those that are delightful, and in distress not to give way in the hope of things to come, is of great merit with God. And therefore one must boast in tribulations; because one believes that he will receive the more, the stronger he sees himself in tribulation. “Knowing that tribulation produces patience.” Tribulation produces patience if the tribulation itself suffers no movement of weakness or doubt.

“And patience, proof.” It is plain that patience, if it is such as we have said, will be seen as firm proof. “And proof, hope.” Hope is not undeservedly said to be in one who is seen to be proved; for he is known to be worthy, being about to receive his reward in the kingdom of God.

“And hope does not put to shame, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” Hope does not put to shame when we are judged foolish and dull by the faithless for believing things that lack worldly reason; for we have in us as a pledge of the love of God the Holy Spirit given to us. For the Holy Spirit, given to the apostles and to us, proves the promise of God faithful, he who enabled the unlearned to speak in various tongues, with interpretations, to confirm hope, so that he might commend the love of God in us (Acts 2:4); so that, since it is impossible for those who are dear to be deceived, he might make us secure about the promise; for it is God who promised, and he promised to those whom he wishes to hold dear. For since human words cannot establish the reason of our faith except by the testimony of mighty works, which cry out while they are silent, it is approved as reasonable, to the confusion of the wise of the world, who with boldness of words fight with earthly weapons against heavenly things, and with carnal things against spiritual ones, and are not ashamed to call themselves wise. For as the origin of a foreigner in a strange land cannot be proved, so the truth of our faith is a foreigner on earth; and since its nature cannot be explained by words, it is commended by the testimony of power, which is the greater thing. (Verses 6 and 7.) “For why did Christ, while we were still sinners, die in his time for the ungodly? For scarcely does anyone die for a righteous man; for perhaps for a good man someone might dare to die.” If Christ gave himself to death for a time for unbelievers and enemies of God (for he died for a time, since he rose on the third day), how much more, when we believe in him, will he defend us with his help? For he died for us for this purpose, to acquire both life and glory for us. And so, if he died for enemies, it should be understood how much he will give to friends. Among people, then, that is, according to time, he was seen to die; for in the underworld he was judging the irreverent and wicked spirits for the salvation of souls. Times are in the world, where the sun rises and sets, and the moon waxes and wanes, and day and night do not remain in their state; for a thing subject to time and age is always changeable. To this time, then, Christ died, when he departed from the body. But where there is no time and age, there he was found not only alive but also victor. Hence he wished to commend the Saviour’s affection toward us when he says: “Scarcely does anyone die for a righteous man; but Christ died for the ungodly.” For if scarcely anyone dies for a righteous man, how can it happen that someone dies for the ungodly? And if for one good man someone might perhaps dare to die, or perhaps not dare, since he signifies that both are difficult, how can it be seen that someone would dare to die for the ungodliness of many? For if someone might perhaps dare to die for a righteous or good man, drawn by a certain pity or by affection for his good works, for the ungodly there is lacking not only what might persuade one to die but even what might move one to tears. But Christ died for the ungodliness of a people that was not yet his own, so as to make credible all that the world distrusts. He made, then, two grades, the righteous and the good; for though the righteous too must be called good, yet he set down the kinds themselves, signifying the righteous by practice and the good by nature, one who is called innocent by simplicity. Hence, though as far as this place is concerned the righteous is of better merit than the good, yet “for a good man,” he says, “someone might perhaps dare to die”; signifying that, because the cause of innocence is more pitiable, someone might perhaps be driven to this. Indeed parents wish to die for good sons, not to mention wives for good husbands. For if we wish to set out the case of the good and the righteous, sometimes we find the righteous better, sometimes the good to be preferred. For according to the law of God the one who is righteous is better than the good, that is, than one who has not yet laboured with himself to enlarge himself with good things; for by practice the righteous will improve his good nature. But if he is righteous according to the world, the good is preferred to him because of innocence, since such righteousness is not without severity. And so every nature is good, but righteousness is the fruit of the law of God fitting to nature; and therefore righteousness is goodness, whence the righteous are always called good too. Yet the good are not always righteous, because they are called good not because of works but because of innocence; for righteousness is perfect goodness when by work it fulfils the good things of its nature.

“But God commends his love toward us.” He commends his love in this way, that he is still kind to his enemies and sends one to save them, though they certainly do not deserve it. (Verse 9.) “For if, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us, much more, justified now in his blood, will we be saved from wrath through him.” He says this because, if God allowed his Son to be killed for sinners, what will he do for the justified but keep them from wrath, that is, make them safe from the mockery of the devil, so that they may be secure on the day of judgment, when vengeance begins to lay waste the faithless? For since the goodness of God wills that no one perish, he gave a most worthy death, so that to those who understand the grace of God toward them he might add dignity and glory, and heap punishment on the ungrateful. Ungrateful are those who, when God calls, disagree, refusing the grace of God, so as to remain in their purpose of error and malice.

“For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, will we be saved in his life.” It is plain that if God handed his Son over to death in order to reconcile us to himself, how much more will he save those reconciled in his life? For he who does good to enemies cannot fail to love friends. For if the death of the Saviour profited us while we were still ungodly, how much more will his life profit the justified, now that he has risen from the dead? For as his death snatched us from the devil, so his life will free us from the day of God’s judgment. (Verse 11.) “And not only this, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” He teaches that thanks must be given to God not only for the salvation and security received, but that we must also boast in God through Christ Jesus, who deigned to call us, from ungodly enemies, his friends; so that we may rejoice that we have obtained all benefits through Christ; so that, since through him we have known God, boasting in him, we may render him honour equal to God the Father, as he himself, a fit witness for himself, declares: “That they may honour the Son,” he says, “as they honour the Father” (John 5:23). After the providence of God the Father, then, and the gift he gave through Christ, so as to make the person of the Son pleasing to us, since through one Christ we have been redeemed by one God the Father, he added: