Lectio 4 Lecture 4 Justificemur ex fide Justified by faith ^2:15 Nos natura Judaei, et non ex gentibus peccatores. [n. 90] ^2:15 We by nature are Jews: and not of the gentiles, sinners. [n. 90] ^2:16 Scientes autem quod non justificatur homo ex operibus legis, nisi per fidem Jesu Christi: et nos in Christo Jesu credimus, ut justificemur ex fide Christi, et non ex operibus legis: propter quod ex operibus legis non justificabitur omnis caro. [n. 93] ^2:16 But knowing that man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, we also believe in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by the faith of Christ and not by the works of the law: because by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified. [n. 93] 90. Supra ostendit veritatem doctrinae apostolicae praedicatae per eum ex auctoritate aliorum apostolorum, hic ostendit idem ex eorum conversatione et exemplo. Et 90. Having manifested the truth of the apostolic doctrine preached by him because of the authority of the other apostles, he now shows the same thing from their manner of life and example. circa hoc duo facit. About this he does two things. Primo ostendit propositum per apostolorum conversationem; First, he proves his proposition from the manner of life of the apostles; secundo adversantium obiectionem quod si quaerentes iustificari, et cetera. second, he raises an objection posed by his adversaries, at but if, while we seek to be justified (Gal 2:17). Circa primum tria facit. As to the first he does three things. Primo praemittit apostolorum conditionem; First, he sets forth the status of the apostles; secundo insinuat eorum conversationem, ibi scientes autem quod non iustificatur, etc.; second, their manner of life, at but knowing that man is not justified; tertio intentam conditionem, ibi propter quod ex operibus legis, et cetera. third, the intended conclusion, at because by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified. 91. Conditio autem apostolorum et etiam ipsius Pauli haec est, quod secundum naturalem originem ex Iudaeis processerunt. Et hoc est quod dicit nos, scilicet ego et apostoli alii, sumus natura, id est naturali origine, Iudaei, non proselyti. II Cor. XI, v. 22: Hebraei sunt, et ego, et cetera. Et haec est magna laus, quia, ut dicitur Io. IV, 22, salus ex Iudaeis est. 91. The status of the apostles and even of Paul is that according to natural origin they were born Jews. That is why he says, we, namely, I and the other apostles, are by nature, i.e., by natural origin, Jews, not proselytes: they are Hebrews: so am I (2 Cor 11:22). And this is a great compliment, because, as it is said: salvation is of the Jews (John 4:22). Et non ex gentibus peccatores, id est, non sumus peccatores, ut gentes idololatrae et immundae. And not of the gentiles, sinners, i.e., we are not sinners as are the gentiles, idolatrous and unclean. 92. Sed contra est quod dicitur I Io. I, v. 8: si dixerimus quoniam peccatum non habemus, etc., ergo Iudaei sunt peccatores. 92. But against this can be set this word: if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves (1 John 1:8). Therefore, the Jews were sinners. Respondeo. Dicendum est, quod aliud est peccantem esse, aliud peccatorem. Nam primum denominat actum, secundum vero promptitudinem, sive habitum ad peccandum. Unde Scriptura iniquos et gravibus peccatorum sarcinis oneratos peccatores appellare consuevit. Iudaei ergo propter legem superbientes, quasi per eam coerciti a peccatis, gentes quae sine fraeno legis erant, et ad peccandum pronae, peccatores vocabant. Eph. IV, 14: non circumferamur omni vento doctrinae, et cetera. I answer that it is one thing to sin and another to be a sinner. For the first names an act, but the second a readiness or habit of sinning. Hence Scripture is wont to call the impious and those loaded down with the heavy burden of sin, sinners. The Jews therefore, being haughty on account of the law, and as it were, restrained from sin by it, called the gentiles sinners, living as they were without the laws’ restraint and being prone to sin: be no more carried about with every wind of doctrine (Eph 4:14). Cum ergo dicat Apostolus non ex gentibus peccatores, exponitur, id est, non sumus de numero peccatorum qui sunt inter gentiles, et cetera. When, therefore, the Apostle says, not of the gentiles, sinners, he means we are not of that number of sinners that exist among the gentiles. 93. Consequenter cum dicit scientes autem quod non iustificatur homo, etc., ponit apostolorum conversationem, quae quidem non est in legalibus, sed in fide Christi. Et 93. Then when he says, but knowing that man is not justified by the works, he sets forth the apostles’ manner of life, which consists not in the works of the law but in the faith of Christ. circa hoc duo facit. About this he does two things. Primo exprimit rationem apostolicae conversationis; First, he gives the reason for the apostles’ manner of life; secundo ponit ipsam apostolicam conversationem, ibi et nos in Christo, et cetera. second, he sets forth their manner of life, at we also believe in Christ. 94. Erat ergo apostolica conversatio in fide, et non in legalibus. Cuius ratio est, quia licet fuerimus Iudaei natura et in legalibus nutriti, tamen scientes pro certo, quod non iustificatur homo ex operibus legis, id est, per opera legalia, nisi per fidem Iesu Christi, ideo deserentes illa conversamur in praeceptis fidei. Rom. III, 28: arbitramur enim hominem iustificari per fidem sine operibus legis. Act. IV, 12: non est aliud nomen, et cetera. 94. Therefore the apostolic life rested on the faith of Christ and not on the works of the law. The reason for this is that although we were Jews by nature and were nourished in the works of the law, yet knowing for certain that man is not justified by the works of the law, i.e., through the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, for that reason we have left the law and are living according to the precepts of the faith: for we account a man to be justified by faith, without the works of the law (Rom 3:28); for there is no other name under heaven given to men whereby we must be saved (Acts 4:12). Sed contra, Rom. enim II, 13 dicitur: non enim auditores legis iusti sunt apud Deum, sed factores legis iustificabuntur, et cetera. Videtur ergo quod ex operibus legis iustificetur homo. However, it is said: for the hearers of the law are not just before God; but the doers of the law shall be justified (Rom 2:13). Therefore, it seems that a man would be justified by the works of the law. Respondeo. Dicendum est, quod iustificari potest dupliciter accipi, scilicet iustitiam exequi, et iustum fieri. Primo autem modo homo iustificatur, qui opera iustitiae facit. Non autem iustus fit aliquis nisi a Deo, per gratiam. I answer that ‘to be justified’ can be taken in two senses, namely, doing what is just, and being made just. In the first sense, one is justified when he does the works of justice. But, in the second sense, no one is made just save by God through grace. Sciendum est ergo, quod opera legis quaedam erant moralia, quaedam vero caeremonialia. Moralia autem licet continerentur in lege, non tamen poterant proprie dici opera legis, cum ex naturali instinctu, et ex lege naturali homo inducatur ad illa. Sed caeremonialia dicuntur proprie opera legis. Quantumcumque ergo homo quoad executionem iustitiae ex moralibus iustificetur, et etiam ex caeremonialibus, inquantum servare ea est opus obedientiae, ut ad sacramenta pertineant, et sic accipitur secundum dictum Apostoli ad Rom. II, 13. It should be known, therefore, that some works of the law were moral and some ceremonial. The moral, although they were contained in the law, could not, strictly speaking, be called works of the law, for man is induced to them by natural instinct and by the natural law. But the ceremonial works are properly called the works of the law. Therefore, to that extent is man justified by the moral laws, so far as the execution of justice is concerned, and also by the ceremonial laws that pertain to the sacraments, as their observance is a work of obedience. And this is the way it is taken in the word of the Apostle to the Romans (Rom 2:13). Quantum tamen ad iustum fieri, ex operibus legis non iustificari homo per haec videtur, quia sacramenta veteris legis non conferebant gratiam. Infra IV, 9: conversi estis ad egena elementa, id est, gratiam non conferentia, neque gratiam in se continentia. Sacramenta vero novae legis, licet sint elementa materialia, non tamen sunt elementa egena, quia in se gratiam continent, unde et iustificare possunt. Si qui autem in veteri lege iusti erant, non erant iusti ex operibus legis, sed solum ex fide Christi, quem Deus proposuit propitiatorem per fidem, ut dicitur Rom. III, 20. Unde et ipsa sacramenta veteris legis non fuerunt nisi quaedam protestationes fidei Christi, sicut et nostra sacramenta, sed differenter, quia illa sacramenta gratiam Christi configurabant quasi futuram; nostra autem sacramenta protestantur quasi continentia gratiam praesentem. Et ideo signanter dicit, quod ex operibus legis non iustificatur homo, nisi per fidem Iesu Christi, quia etsi olim aliqui servantes opera legis iustificarentur, non tamen hoc erat nisi per fidem Iesu Christi. But with respect to being made just by the works of the law, a man does not seem to be justified by them, because the sacraments of the old law did not confer grace. How do you turn again to the weak and needy elements? (Gal 4:9) i.e., that neither confer grace nor contain grace in themselves. The sacraments of the new law however, although they are material elements, are not needy elements; hence they can justify. Again, if there were any in the old law who were just, they were not made just by the works of the law but only by the faith of Christ whom God has proposed to be a propitiation through faith (Rom 3:25). Hence the sacraments of the old law were certain protestations of the faith of Christ, just as our sacraments are, but not in the same way, because those sacraments were configured to the grace of Christ as to something that lay in the future; our sacraments, however, testify as things containing a grace that is present. Therefore, he says significantly, that it is not by the works of the law that we are justified, but by the faith of Christ, because, although some who observed the works of the law in times past were made just, nevertheless, this was effected only by the faith of Jesus Christ. 95. Ex hac autem scientia apostolorum quam habebant, quod iustificatio non est per operationem legis, sed per fidem Christi, concludit conversationem apostolorum eligentium fidem Christi et dimittentium opera legis. Unde sequitur et nos in Christo Iesu credimus, quia, ut dicitur Act. IV, 12, non est aliud nomen datum, et cetera. Unde sequitur ut iustificemur ex fide Christi. Rom. V, 1: iustificati ergo ex fide, et cetera. 95. From this knowledge which the apostles had, namely, that justification is not by the works of the law but by the faith of Christ, he concludes to their manner of life, in which they chose the faith of Christ and gave up the works of the law. Hence he adds, we also believe in Christ Jesus, because as it is said: there is no other name under heaven given to men, whereby we must be saved (Acts 4:12). Therefore he continued, that we may be justified by the faith of Christ. Being justified, therefore, by faith, let us have peace with God (Rom 5:1). 96. Et ne aliquis credat quod simul cum lege Christi opera legis iustificent, subiungit et non ex operibus legis. Rom. III, 28: arbitramur enim iustificari hominem per fidem, et cetera. 96. But lest anyone suppose that the works of the law along with the faith of Christ justify, he adds, and not by the works of the law: for we account a man to be justified by faith, without the works of the law (Rom 3:28). Ex hoc concludit principale intentum, dicens quod si apostoli, qui sunt naturaliter Iudaei, non quaerunt iustificari per opera legis, sed per fidem, quod non iustificatur omnis caro ex operibus legis, nec homo quicumque potest iustificari per opera legis. Sumitur enim hic caro pro homine, scilicet pars pro toto, sicut Is. XL: videbit omnis caro salutare Dei nostri. From this he derives his main proposition, saying that if the apostles, who are Jews by nature, do not seek to be justified by the works of the law but by faith, then by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified, i.e., no man whatsoever can be justified by the works of the law. For flesh is taken here to stand for man, i.e., the part for the whole, as does all flesh shall see the salvation of the Lord (Isa 40:5). Dicens autem propter quod, etc., concludit quasi a maiori. Magis enim videtur naturale vel rationabile de Iudaeis, quod per opera legis, non per fidem, iustificarentur, quam alii; sed hoc non est: quare, et cetera. Then by saying, because by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified, he concludes, as it were, a fortiori. For it seems more natural or reasonable for the Jews, more than anyone else, to be justified by the works of the law rather than by faith. But this is not the case. Therefore, etc. Lectio 5 Lecture 5 Christus non est minister peccati Christ not the minister of sin ^2:17 Quod si quaerentes justificari in Christo, inventi sumus et ipsi peccatores, numquid Christus peccati minister est? Absit. [n. 97] ^2:17 But if, while we seek to be justified in Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is Christ then the minister of sin? God forbid! [n. 97] ^2:18 Si enim quae destruxi, iterum haec aedifico: praevaricatorem me constituo. ^2:18 For if I build up again the things which I have destroyed, I make myself a prevaricator. 97. Postquam Apostolus ostendit per conversationem apostolorum legalia non esse observanda, quod ipse dicebat, hic movet quaestionem in contrarium. 97. After proving by the apostles’ manner of life that the works of the law ought not to be observed, the Apostle raises a question to the contrary. Et circa hoc tria facit. About this he does three things.