Justification by Faith Alone: The Cross as Sole Ground of Boasting and the Law Upheld, Not Nullified

Boasting in legal observance has no place; Paul declares, 'Far be it from me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the world is crucified to me, and I to the world.' He affirms that he will glory in nothing else. Thus we conclude that a person is justified by faith, independent of works of the law. The law of faith is sufficient for justification, even for those who have done nothing. We demonstrate this through the thief on the cross and the woman who anointed Jesus’ feet with perfume, whose sins were forgiven not by deeds but by faith, and to whom he said, 'Your faith has saved you; go in peace' RomansAfter coming to know the truth, sin destroys grace, as Paul will later make clear. He also maintains that even works done before faith, if they appear commendable, do not justify unless grounded in faith. Is God the God of Jews alone? Certainly not; he is also God of the Gentiles, since there is one God who justifies the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. What advantage then does the circumcised person justified by faith have over the uncircumcised justified through faith? Not that Paul exercised his privileges differently. Just as a wife says she comes from her husband and the husband says he comes through his wife—she originates from him first, not through him; he originates from his ancestors first, then through her—so circumcision holds a position of priority, and the uncircumcised seeks justification through faith to be justified, not having originated from faith; but the believer approaches circumcision, especially the hidden kind Paul refers to, making justification by faith superior to justification through faith, just as being from a man is preferable to being through a woman. Regarding the Savior, it is not said that he came through a woman, for although all people come through women after coming from men, the Savior did not come from a man, so he came from a woman but not through her. Do we then abolish the law by faith? Certainly not! We uphold the law. Why did he say 'through faith' rather than 'by faith'? The one justified by faith is circumcision; if the law were annulled by faith, then circumcision justified by faith would be annulled; but the uncircumcised justified through faith would annul the law. Yet we received the Mosaic law through faith, not annulled, for faith establishes the law as originating from God. This is evident when speaking of genuine faith. If someone objects from 2 Corinthians about the ministry of death inscribed in stone being glorious, so that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its radiance, we ask: Is it that the law is annulled, or that we annul the law? Paul does not annul the law; if it is annulled, it is by the surpassing glory of Christ, of whom it is said he is Lord of the Sabbath, and the fading glory was not glorified in comparison to the surpassing glory. The enduring he named Christ’s; the fading, the law annulled, since the law serves as a guardian until the fullness of time. If Abraham had been justified by works, he would have had something to boast about—but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? He believed, and it was credited to him as righteousness Romans.

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Greek

ἐκκλείεται δὲ ἡ ἐκ πίστεως καύχησις, ὁποία ἦν ἡ Παύλου λέγοντος ἐμοὶ δὲ μὴ γένοιτο καυχᾶ θαι εἰ μὴ ἐν τῷ ταυρῷ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰη οῦ Χρι τοῦ, δι' οὗ ἐμοὶ κό μο ἐ ταύρωται κἀγὼ τῷ κό μῳ· μονονουχὶ γάρ φησιν ἐμοὶ δὲ μὴ γένοιτο καυχᾶ θαι ἐπ' οὐδεμίᾳ τῶν ἀρετῶν ἢ ἐν μόνῳ τῷ ταυρῷ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰη οῦ Χρι τοῦ. 18 ιιι 28 λογιζόμεθα οὖν πίστει δικαιοῦσθαι ἄνθρωπον χωρὶς ἔργων νόμου. ὅτι δὲ ἀρκεῖ εἰς δικαίωσιν ὁ τῆς πίστεως νόμος καθόλου μηδὲν ἐργασαμένοις ἡμῖν, ἔχομεν δεῖξαι τὸν συσταυρωθέντα λῃστὴν τῷ Ἰησοῦ καὶ τὴν ἐν τῷ κατὰ Λουκᾶν ἁμαρτωλὸν γυναῖκα τὴν κομί α αν ἀλάβα τρον μύρου καὶ τᾶ αν παρὰ τοὺ πόδα τοῦ Ἰη οῦ καὶ διαπραξαμένην ἅπερ ἀναγέγραπται πεποιηκέναι. ἐξ οὐδενὸς γὰρ ἔργου ἀλλ' ἐκ τῆς πίστεως ἀφέωνται ταύτης αἱ ἁμαρτίαι, καὶ ἤκουσεν τὸ ἡ πί τι ου έ ωκέν ε πορεύου εἰ εἰρήνην. ὅτι δὲ μετὰ τὴν ἐπίγνωσιν ἀδικία γενομένη ἀθετεῖ τὴν χάριν τοῦ δικαιώσαντος σαφῶς αὐτὸς ἐν τοῖς ἑξῆς παραστήσει. ἐγὼ δὲ οἶμαι, φησίν, ὅτι καὶ τὰ πρὸ τῆς πίστεως ἔργα κἂν δοκῇ εἶναι δεξιά, ὡς μὴ ἐποικοδομηθέντα καλῷ θεμελίῳ τῇ πίστει, οὐ δικαιοῖ τὸν ποιήσαντα αὐτά. 19 iii 29, 30 ἢ Ἰουδαίων ὁ θεὸς μόνον; οὐχὶ δὲ καὶ ἐθνῶν; ναί, καὶ ἐθνῶν· ἐπείπερ εἷς ὁ θεὸς ὃς δικαιώσει περιτομὴν ἐκ πίστεως καὶ ἀκροβυστίαν διὰ τῆς πίστεως. τίνι διαφέρει ἡ ἐκ πίστεως δικαιουμένη περιτομὴ τῆς δικαιουμένης διὰ τῆς πίστεως ἀκροβυστίας; οὐ γὰρ νομιστέον ὡς ἔτυχεν Παῦλον ταῖς προθέσεσι διαφόρως κεχρῆσθαι. οἷον καὶ ἐν τῇ πρὸς Κορινθίους ἡ γυνή φησιν ἐκ τοῦ ἀνδρὸ ὁ δὲ ἀνὴρ διὰ τῆ γυναικό . δοκεῖ δέ μοι οἰκειότερον εἶναι τὸ ἔκ τινος τῷ ἐξ οὗ <ἤ>περ τὸ διά τινος τῷ δι' οὗ· ἡ μὲν γὰρ γυνὴ πρώτως ἐξ ἀνδρός ἐστιν, οὐδέποτε δι' ἀνδρός· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐξ ἄλλου ποτὲ γυνὴ ἵνα γένηται δι' ἀνδρός· καὶ μάλιστα ἐπὰν ἀκούῃ τούτων κατὰ τὸν Ἀδὰμ καὶ τὴν Εὖαν, διὰ τὸ τοῦτο νῦν ὀ τοῦν ἐκ τῶν ὀ τῶν μου καὶ ὰρξ ἐκ τῆ αρκό μου. ὁ δὲ ἀνὴρ οὐδέποτε ἐκ τῆς γυναικός· ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸς πρώτως ἐξ ἀνδρὸς ὢν μετὰ ταῦτα γίνεται διὰ γυναικός· ἀλλὰ τοῦτο οὐκέτι ἁρμόζει ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἀδὰμ ἀλλ' ἐπὶ παντὸς ἀνδρὸς μετ' ἐκεῖνον. ἐπεὶ τοίνυν εὐγενέστερον περιτομὴ ἀκροβυστίας, δικαιοῦται περιτομὴ ὡσπερεὶ βέλτιον τῆς ἀκροβυστίας ὑπάρχον, τὸ δὲ ὑποδεέστερον ἡ ἀκροβυστία ὁδεύει διὰ τῆς πίστεως ἵνα δικαιωθῇ, οὐκ ἐλθοῦσα ἐκ πίστεως· πιστεύσας γάρ τις ἔρχεται εἰς τὴν περιτομήν, καὶ μάλιστα ἥν φησιν ὁ ἀπόστολος τὴν ἐν κρυπτῷ· ὥστε βέλτιον ἐκ πίστεως δικαιωθῆναι ἢ διὰ πίστεως, ὡς βέλτιον νοεῖται τὸ ἐξ ἀνδρὸ καθὸ ἐξ ἀνδρός, <ἢ> τὸ διὰ γυναικὸ καθὸ διὰ γυναικός. περὶ δὲ τοῦ σωτῆρος οὐκ εἴρηται διὰ γυναικὸ ὅτι ἐπὶ παντὸς μὲν ἀνθρώπου χώραν ἔχει τοῦτο, ἐπεὶ πρὸ τοῦ διὰ γυναικὸς γέγονεν ἐξ ἀνδρός, ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ σωτῆρος μὴ γενομένου ἐξ ἀνδρὸς οὐκ ἔχει τὸ γεγονέναι αὐτὸν διὰ γυναικό · διόπερ ἐκεῖ, ἐπεὶ τὸ γεγενημένον ἐκ τῆ αρκὸ άρξ ἐ τιν, ἡ σὰρξ αὐτοῦ, μὴ γενομένη ἐξ ἀνδρός, γέγονεν ἐκ γυναικὸ καὶ οὐ διὰ γυναικός. 20 iii 31 νόμον οὖν καταργοῦμεν διὰ τῆς πίστεως; μὴ γένοιτο, ἀλλὰ νόμον ἱστάνομεν. ζητοῦμεν διατί μὴ εἶπεν Ἐκ πίστεως ἀλλὰ διὰ τῆς πίστεως. τὸ ἐκ πίστεως δικαιούμενον ἡ περιτομή ἐστιν, καὶ οὐκ ἀμφιβάλλομέν φησιν εἰ μὴ καταργεῖται ἐκ πίστεως νόμος, δικαιουμένης ἐκ τῆς πίστεως τῆς περιτομῆς· τῆς δὲ ἀκροβυστίας διὰ τῆς πίστεως δικαιουμένης καταργεῖται ὁ νόμος. ἀλλὰ νῦν νόμον ἐλάβομεν τὸν Μωσέως διὰ τῆς πίστεως οὐ καταργούμενον· ἡ γὰρ πίστις ἵστησι καὶ τὸν νόμον ὡς ἐκ θεοῦ ὄντα· πρόδηλον δὲ ὡς περὶ τῆς ὀρθῆς πίστεως φαμέν. εἰ δέ τις ἀντιθήσει ἐκ τῆς δευτέρας πρὸς Κορινθίους ἐπιστολῆς τὸ εἰ δὲ ἡ διακονία τοῦ θανάτου ἐν γράμμα ιν ἐντετυπωμένη λίθοι ἐγενήθη ἐν δόξῃ ὥ τε μὴ δύνα θαι ἀτενί αι τοὺ υἱοὺ Ἰ ραὴλ εἰ τὸ πρό ωπον Μωυ έω διὰ τὴν δόξαν τοῦ προ ώπου αὐτοῦ τὴν καταργουμένην, ἐροῦμεν ὅτι οὐ ταὐτόν ἐστι τὸ Νόμος οὖν καταργεῖται; τῷ νόμον οὖν καταργοῦμεν; οὐδὲ γὰρ αὐτὸς ἐνεργεῖ ὁ Παῦλος τὸ καταργεῖν τὸν νόμον. εἰ γὰρ καὶ καταργεῖται, ὑπὸ τῆς ὑπερβαλλού η δόξη τοῦ Χριστοῦ· κύριο γάρ ἐ τι τοῦ αββάτου φησίν· καὶ οὐ δεδόξα ται τὸ δεδοξα μένον ἐν τούτῳ τῷ μέρει ὡς πρὸς σύγκρισιν τῆς ὑπερβαλλού η δόξη . μένον γοῦν ὠνόμασε τὸ Χριστοῦ· τὸ δὲ μὴ μένον καταργούμενον, ἐπεὶ ὁ νόμο παιδαγωγὸ ἕως ἂν ἔλθῃ τὸ πλήρωμα τοῦ χρόνου. 21 iv 2, 3 εἰ γὰρ Ἀβραὰμ ἐξ ἔργων ἐδικαιώθη, ἔχει καύχημα· ἀλλ' οὐ πρὸς τὸν θεόν· τί γὰρ ἡ γραφὴ λέγει; ἐπίστευσε δὲ

About this text

Origen of Alexandria, Commentarii in epistulam ad Romanos (catena Greek) (Greek).

Catalogue & scope

Khazarzar scan

Witnesses

Copy-text PG 14 (Khazarzar) (Greek)

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