Divine Mercy and Justice
Regarding foreknowledge. Romans 9:14: What then shall we say? Is there injustice with God? May it never be! For He says to Moses: I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion (Rom 9:15). Therefore, it is not of the one running or of the one willing, but of the God who shows mercy (Rom 9:16). No one should suppose, he says, that those things which do not belong to the logic of justice are to have injustice in God, but rather, those things being administered according to the administration of mercy, have injustice in God; for God is faithful and there is no injustice in Him, nor is it unrighteous to show mercy to those whom He may seem to show mercy to, and others not, whom He may not wish to show mercy to.
For he has said, he says, through Moses, and has made known the manner of mercy, not by the counter-measurement of human standards, but according to the wisdom of God which encompasses it, so that it is not of our works that mercy is shown, but of God who has mercy by sovereign authority. For it is stated that to judge is to show mercy, and each man becomes the cause of himself regarding the responses he is obligated to, reaping that which he sows, according to the Apostle. But for those given out of mercy, God is the cause, knowing with wisdom and administering to whom He must and must not.
And this is not in vain; for nothing is in vain or irrational on the part of God, but each thing is pre-ordained by wonderful words, just as He has made known concerning Pharaoh; for the Scripture says to Pharaoh: 'I raised you up for this very purpose, so that I might show My power in you, and so that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth' (Ex 9:16). Behold, the not showing mercy to Pharaoh. It has been shown that it happens through the benefit of the whole cosmos, so that all, perceiving the judgment against the impious as much as possible, are seized with fear and wonder toward Him who has judged these things and has done them.
So also, God foreknowing the impiety of Pharaoh, because of this He has also made him exist, and He handed over his kingdom, so that the judgment against him [...]
Greek
προαιρέσει. Rom 9,14 21 Τί οὖν ἐροῦμεν; μὴ ἀδικία παρὰ τῷ θεῷ; μὴ γένοιτο. τῷ γὰρ Μωϋσεῖ λέγει· ἐλεήσω ὃν ἂν ἐλεῶ, καὶ οἰκτειρήσω ὃν ἂν οἰκτείρω. ἄρα οὖν οὐ τοῦ τρέχοντος οὐδὲ τοῦ θέλοντος, ἀλλὰ τοῦ ἐλεοῦντος θεοῦ. μηδεὶς νομιζέτω, φησί, τὰ μηδὲν προσήκοντα τῷ τῆς δικαιοσύ νης λόγῳ, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὴν οἰκονομίαν τὴν τοῦ ἐλέου διαταττόμενα ταῦτα ἀδικίαν ἔχειν θεοῦ· θεὸς γὰρ πιστὸς καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἀδικία ἐν αὐτῷ, οὐδὲ ἄδικον ἐλεεῖν οὓς τῷ ἐλεοῦντι δοκοίη, ἑτέρους δὲ μή, οὓς οὐκ αὐτὸς ἐλεεῖν ἐθέλοι. εἴρηκε γάρ, φησί, διὰ τοῦ Μωϋσέως καὶ δεδήλωκεν τὸν τοῦ ἐλέου τρόπον, οὐ πρὸς τὴν τῶν μέτρων τῶν ἀνθρω πίνων ἀντιμέτρησιν, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ σοφίαν χωροῦντα, ὥστε οὐ τῶν ἔργων τῶν ἡμετέρων τὸ ἐλεεῖσθαι, ἀλλὰ τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ κατ' ἐξουσίαν τὸ ἐλεεῖν ἔχοντος. διῄρηται γὰρ τοῦ κρίνειν τὸ ἐλεεῖν, καὶ τῶν μὲν ἀποκρίσεως ὀφειλομένων ἕκαστος αἴτιος ἑαυτῷ καθίσταται, τοῦτο θερίζων ὅπερ ἂν σπείρῃ, κατὰ τὸν ἀπόστολον. τῶν δὲ ἐξ ἐλέου διδομένων ὁ θεὸς αἴτιος, εἰδὼς τῇ σοφίᾳ καὶ διατάττων ὅτῳ δέον καὶ μή. τοῦτο δὲ οὐ μάτην· οὐδὲν γὰρ παρὰ θεῷ μάταιον οὐδὲ ἄλογον, ἀλλὰ θαυμασίοις ἕκαστα προδιατέτακται λόγοις, οἷον δὴ καὶ περὶ τοῦ Φαραὼ δεδήλωκεν· λέγει γὰρ ἡ γραφὴ τῷ Φαραώ, ὅτι εἰς αὐτὸ τοῦτο ἐξήγειρά σε, ὅπως ἐνδείξωμαι ἐν σοὶ τὴν δύναμίν μου, καὶ ὅπως διαγγελῇ τὸ ὄνομά μου ἐν πάσῃ τῇ γῇ. ἰδοὺ τὸ μὴ ἐλεεῖσθαι τὸν Φαραώ. δέδεικται διότι γίνεται διὰ τὴν τοῦ σύμπαντος εὐεργεσίαν κόσμου, ἵνα τῆς κατὰ τοῦ δυσσεβοῦς κρίσεως αἰσθανόμενοι πάντες ὡς δυνατῆς, φόβῳ καὶ θαύματι κατέχωνται πρὸς τὸν ταῦτα δικάσαντα καὶ πεποιηκότα. ὥστε καὶ προεγνωκὼς ὁ θεὸς τὴν τοῦ Φαραὼ δυσσέβειαν, διὰ τοῦτο καὶ πεποίηκεν αὐτὸν καὶ τὴν βασιλείαν ἐνεχείρισεν, ἵνα ἡ κατ' αὐτοῦ
About this text
Apollinaris of Laodicea on Romans (catena fragments).
Catalogue & scope
Khazarzar scan
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG (Khazarzar) (Greek)
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