Thomas Aquinas

After the Apostle has confuted human judgment, by which the gentiles and the Jews mutually judged one another, and has commended the divine judgment, here he proceeds to show that those things in which the Jews gloried do not suffice for salvation; and first he shows his proposition, second he resolves the things that could be said to the contrary, in chapter 3, at the words "What then is the advantage," and so on. The Jews gloried in two things, namely the law and circumcision, which was not from the law of Moses but from the fathers, as is said in John 7:22. First, therefore, he shows that the law heard or received did not suffice for salvation. Second, he shows the same concerning circumcision, at the words "Circumcision indeed," and so on. Concerning the first he does two things. First he proposes what he intends, second he manifests his proposition, at the words "For when the gentiles." Concerning the first he proposes two things, one by excluding, the other by asserting. For he excludes what the Jews supposed, namely that they were justified by the mere hearing of the law. Hence he says: thus it has been said, "they that have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; for not the hearers of the law," by the very fact that they hear the law, "are just before God," even if they are reputed just before men. Matthew 7:26: "He that heareth my words and doth them not, shall be like a foolish man." James 1:23: "If any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer," and so on. Second, he affirms that the doers of the law are just, when he says "but the doers of the law shall be justified." Matthew 7:24: "Every one therefore that heareth my words and doth them shall be likened to a man," and so on. James 1:22: "Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only," and Psalm 110:10: "A good understanding to all that do it."

But concerning this second point there seems to be a difficulty, since below, at 3:20, it is said: "By the works of the law no flesh shall be justified before him." Therefore no one is justified by the fact that they do the works of the law. But it must be said that "to be justified" can be taken in three ways. In one way it can be taken as to reputation, so that someone is then said to be justified when he is reputed just. Ezekiel 16:51: "Thou hast justified thy sisters," namely by reputation. And according to this, "the doers of the law shall be justified" can be understood, that is, they shall be reputed just before God and men. Second, by the execution of justice, inasmuch as they carry out works of justice. Luke 18:14: "This man went down into his house justified," namely because he had done the public work of justice by confessing his sin. And in this way is verified what is here said, "the doers of the law shall be justified," namely by carrying out the justice of the law. Third, justification can be taken as to the cause of justice, so that he is said to be justified who newly receives justice, as below, 5:1: "Being justified therefore by faith," and so on. But it is not understood here in this sense, that the doers of the law are justified as though they acquired justice through the works of the law. For this indeed cannot be, neither as to the ceremonial works, which did not confer justifying grace, nor even as to the moral works, from which the habit of justice is not acquired, but rather it is through the infused habit of justice that we do works of this kind.

Then, when he says "For when the gentiles," he manifests his proposition. And first he shows that the doers of the law, even if they are not hearers, are justified; second, that the hearers of the law without observance of the law are not justified, at the words "But if thou art called a Jew." Concerning the first he does three things. First he sets forth the dignity of those who observe the law without having heard it; second he manifests what he had said, at the words "who show the work of the law"; third he proves it, at the words "their conscience bearing witness to them." Concerning the first he touches three things as regards the gentiles. First, their lack of the law, saying "for when the gentiles who have not the law," namely the divine law, which they have not received. For the law was not given to the gentiles, but to the Jews, according to Ecclesiasticus 24:33: "Moses commanded a law in the precepts of justices, and an inheritance to the house of Jacob, and the promises to Israel." And Psalm 147:20: "He hath not done in like manner to every nation." Deuteronomy 33:4: "Moses commanded us a law, the inheritance of the multitude of Jacob." From which it is clear that the gentiles did not sin by not observing the ceremonial precepts of the law. Second, he commends in them the observance of the law, when he says "do by nature those things that are of the law," that is, the things which the law commands, namely as to the moral precepts, which pertain to the dictate of natural reason, just as it is also said of Job that he was just and upright and fearing God and withdrawing from evil. Hence he himself says: "My foot hath followed his steps, I have kept his ways."

But what he says, "by nature," presents a difficulty. For it seems to lend support to the Pelagians, who said that man could keep all the precepts of the law by his own natural powers. Hence "by nature" must be expounded as meaning through nature reformed by grace. For he is speaking of gentiles converted to the faith, who by the help of the grace of Christ had begun to keep the moral precepts of the law. Or "by nature" can be said to mean through the natural law showing them what is to be done, according to Psalm 4:7: "Many say: who sheweth us good things? The light... is signed," etc., which is the light of natural reason, in which is the image of God. And yet this does not exclude that grace is necessary to move the affection, just as also through the law is the knowledge of sin, as is said below, 3:20, and yet further grace is required to move the affection.

Third, he shows their dignity, in this namely, that although not having such a law, they "are a law to themselves," inasmuch namely as they perform toward themselves the office of the law, instructing themselves and inducing themselves to the good, because, as the Philosopher says in the Ethics, law is speech having coercive force, proceeding from a certain prudence and intellect. And therefore it is said in 1 Timothy 1:9, that "the law is not made for the just man," that is, he is not compelled by an exterior law, but "is laid down for the unjust," who need to be compelled from without. And this is the highest degree of dignity among men, namely that they are induced to the good not by others but by themselves. The second degree is of those who are induced by another, but without coercion. The third is of those who need coercion in order to become good. The fourth is of those who cannot even be directed to the good by coercion. Jeremiah 2:30: "In vain have I struck your children, they have not received discipline."

Then, when he says "who show," he shows how they are a law to themselves, which indeed we can take by way of a likeness to the law that is proposed by an exterior man, which is customarily, on account of weakness and for the sake of memory, committed to writing; and likewise those who observe the law without exterior hearing of the law "show the work of the law written," not indeed in ink, but, first and principally, "by the Spirit of the living God," as is said in 1 Corinthians 3:3. Second, also by human diligence, Proverbs 3:3: "Write them in the tables of thy heart," namely the precepts of wisdom. Hence here too it follows "in their hearts," not on parchment, nor on tables of stone or bronze. Jeremiah 31:33: "I will give my law in their bowels, and in their heart will I write it."

Then, when he says "their conscience bearing witness," he proves what he had said, namely that the work of the law is inscribed in their hearts, through certain works which announce a writing of this kind. And, first, he sets down those works, of which one is the testimony of conscience, which he touches when he says "their conscience bearing witness to them," which indeed is nothing other than the application of knowledge one has to judging concerning some work, whether it has been well or ill done. Hence conscience of this kind sometimes gives testimony concerning good, according to 2 Corinthians 1:12: "This is our glory, the testimony of our conscience," but sometimes concerning evil, Ecclesiastes 7:23: "Thy conscience knoweth that thou also hast often spoken evil of others." But no one can bear testimony concerning some work, that it is good or evil, except through having knowledge of the law. Hence this very fact, that conscience bears testimony concerning good or evil, is an evident sign that the work of the law is inscribed in the heart of man.

Another work is accusation and defense, which cannot exist without knowledge of the law. And as to this he says "and of their thoughts," that is, by their thoughts, "accusing or also defending," that is, accusing them or defending them, after the manner of the Greeks, who use genitives in place of ablatives. And this "one among another." For there arises in a man, concerning some deed, a certain knowledge that accuses, when for some reason he thinks that he has done ill. Psalm 49:21: "I will reprove thee, and set before thy face." Isaiah 3:9: "The shew of their countenance hath answered them." Sometimes too there arises a certain knowledge that defends, when for some reason he thinks he has done well, according to Job 27:6: "My heart doth not reprehend me in all my life." And between this accusation and defense the testimony of conscience holds a place, by which one stands. It can also be read otherwise, so that it is said "their own conscience bearing witness to them," which conscience namely is not only of works, but also of thoughts, of which namely a man has conscience; but the first reading is better.

But because testimony, accusation, and defense have a place in judgment, he treats, second, of judgment of this kind, showing the time when he says "in the day," which he says not to designate a quality of time, but the manifestation of hidden things. 1 Corinthians 4:5: "He will bring to light the hidden things of darkness." Sometimes, however, it is called night on account of the uncertainty of that hour. Matthew 25:6: "At midnight there was a cry made." Now the thoughts accusing or defending are said to be "in the day of judgment," not those which will then exist, because then to each one salvation or damnation will be manifest, but the defense or accusation of the thoughts which now exist, and the testimony of conscience which now exists, will be represented to man on that day, the divine power bringing it about, as Augustine says, in Book 2 of the City of God. But the knowledge of those thoughts which remain in the soul seems to be nothing other, as the Gloss says, than the guilt of punishment or the merit that follows from them.

He also shows the author of the judgment, saying "when God shall judge." Psalm 95:13: "He shall judge the world in equity." He also determines concerning what things the judgment will be, when he says "the secrets of men," concerning which men now cannot judge. 1 Corinthians 4:5: "He will bring to light the hidden things of darkness." He also shows the teaching from which faith concerning this judgment is had, when he says "according to my gospel," that is, preached by me. Matthew 12:36: "Every idle word," and so on. Now he says "my gospel," although he could not say "his baptism," and he is a minister of both, because in baptism nothing of man's industry operates, but in preaching the gospel the industry of the preacher operates, Ephesians 3:4: "As you reading may understand my knowledge in the mystery," according as you are able. Afterward he sets down to whom the judgment has been given, when he adds "by Jesus Christ," who namely has been constituted by God "judge of the living and the dead," as is said in Acts 10:42, and John 5:21-22: "The Father hath given all judgment to the Son," who namely will appear in judgment to the good and to the evil: but to the good according to the glory of his divinity, Isaiah 33:17: "They shall see the king in his beauty," but to the evil according to the nature of his humanity, Revelation 1:7: "Every eye shall see him."