Thomas Aquinas

Above he showed the truth of the apostolic doctrine preached by him, from the authority of the other apostles; here he shows the same thing from their manner of life and example. And concerning this he does two things. First he shows his proposition through the manner of life of the apostles; second, the objection of adversaries, that "if, seeking to be justified," etc. Concerning the first he does three things. First he sets forth beforehand the condition of the apostles; second he touches upon their manner of life, at the place "but knowing that a man is not justified," etc.; third, the condition intended, at the place "wherefore by the works of the law," etc.

Now the condition of the apostles, and also of Paul himself, is this: that according to natural origin they proceeded from the Jews. And this is what he says: "we," namely I and the other apostles, "are by nature," that is, by natural origin, "Jews," not proselytes. 2 Corinthians 11:22: "They are Hebrews, so am I," etc. And this is great praise, because, as is said in John 4:22, salvation is from the Jews. And "not sinners of the Gentiles," that is, we are not sinners, as the idolatrous and unclean Gentiles are.

But against this is what is said in 1 John 1:8: "If we shall say that we have no sin," etc.; therefore the Jews are sinners. I respond. It must be said that to be sinning is one thing, to be a sinner another. For the first denominates an act, but the second a readiness, or habit, toward sinning. Whence Scripture is accustomed to call the wicked, and those burdened with grave loads of sins, "sinners." The Jews, therefore, growing proud on account of the law, as it were restrained by it from sins, called the Gentiles, who were without the rein of the law and prone to sin, "sinners." Ephesians 4:14: "let us not be carried about by every wind of doctrine," etc. When therefore the Apostle says "not sinners of the Gentiles," it is explained thus: that is, we are not of the number of the sinners who are among the Gentiles, etc.

Consequently, when he says "but knowing that a man is not justified," etc., he sets forth the manner of life of the apostles, which indeed is not in the things of the law, but in the faith of Christ. And concerning this he does two things. First he expresses the reason for the apostolic manner of life; second he sets forth the apostolic manner of life itself, at the place "and we in Christ," etc.

The apostolic manner of life, then, was in faith, and not in the things of the law. The reason for this is that although we were Jews by nature and nourished in the things of the law, nevertheless, knowing for certain that a man is not justified by the works of the law, that is, through the legal works, except through the faith of Jesus Christ, therefore, forsaking those things, we conduct our lives in the precepts of faith. Romans 3:28: "For we reckon a man to be justified by faith without the works of the law." Acts 4:12: "there is no other name," etc.

But against this: for in Romans 2:13 it is said: "For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified," etc. It seems, therefore, that a man is justified by the works of the law.

I respond. It must be said that "to be justified" can be taken in two ways: namely, to carry out justice, and to become just. Now in the first way, a man is justified who does works of justice. But no one becomes just except from God, through grace. It must be known, therefore, that of the works of the law, some were moral, and some indeed ceremonial. But the moral works, although they were contained in the law, nevertheless could not properly be called "works of the law," since man is led to them by natural instinct, and by the natural law. But the ceremonial works are properly called "works of the law." However much, therefore, a man is justified — as regards the carrying out of justice — by the moral works, and also by the ceremonial works, insofar as to observe them is a work of obedience, so far as they pertain to the sacraments; and it is taken in this way according to the saying of the Apostle in Romans 2:13.

As to becoming just, however, a man is seen not to be justified by these, from the works of the law, because the sacraments of the old law did not confer grace. Below, 4:9: "you are turned again to the weak elements," that is, elements not conferring grace, nor containing grace in themselves. But the sacraments of the new law, although they are material elements, are nevertheless not weak elements, because they contain grace in themselves, whence they are also able to justify.

But if any in the old law were just, they were not just from the works of the law, but only from the faith of Christ, whom God set forth as a propitiator through faith, as is said in Romans 3:20. Whence also the sacraments themselves of the old law were nothing but certain professions of the faith of Christ, just as our sacraments also are; but differently, because those sacraments configured the grace of Christ as it were future; but our sacraments make profession as containing, as it were, present grace. And therefore he says pointedly, that a man is not justified by the works of the law, except through the faith of Jesus Christ, because even if formerly some who kept the works of the law were justified, this nevertheless was not except through the faith of Jesus Christ.

Now from this knowledge which the apostles had, that justification is not through the working of the law, but through the faith of Christ, he concludes the manner of life of the apostles, choosing the faith of Christ and leaving aside the works of the law. Whence there follows, "and we believe in Christ Jesus," because, as is said in Acts 4:12, "there is no other name given," etc. Whence there follows, "that we may be justified by the faith of Christ." Romans 5:1: "Being justified therefore by faith," etc. And lest anyone believe that, together with the law of Christ, the works of the law also justify, he adds, "and not by the works of the law." Romans 3:28: "For we reckon that a man is justified by faith," etc.

From this he concludes the principal point intended, saying that if the apostles, who are Jews by nature, do not seek to be justified through the works of the law, but through faith, that "no flesh is justified by the works of the law," nor can any man whatsoever be justified through the works of the law. For here "flesh" is taken for man, namely a part for the whole, as in Isaiah 40: "all flesh shall see the salvation of our God." But in saying "wherefore," etc., he concludes as it were from the greater. For it seems more natural or reasonable that the Jews, rather than others, should be justified through the works of the law, not through faith; but this is not so: wherefore, etc.