Thomas Aquinas

Above, the Apostle showed the power of faith; here he consequently shows the defect of the law. And first through the authority of the law; second through human custom, where he says, "Brethren, I speak according to man," etc. Concerning the first he does three things. First he shows the harm that occasionally followed from the law; second, the insufficiency of the law to remove that very harm, where he says, "But that in the law," etc.; third, the sufficiency of Christ, by which that harm was removed, where he says, "But Christ has redeemed us," etc.

Concerning the first he does two things. First he sets forth what he intends; second he proves his proposition, where he says, "For it is written: Cursed," etc. He says therefore: "For as many as," etc. For since he had said that those who are of faith will be blessed, since they are sons of Abraham, someone could say that they are blessed on account of the works of the law as well as on account of faith; and therefore, excluding this, he says: "as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse."

But on the contrary: the ancient fathers were in the works of the law; therefore they are cursed, and consequently damned — which is the error of Mani. Therefore this must be soundly understood. And it must be noted that the Apostle does not say: "as many as keep the works of the law are under a curse," because this would be false for the time of the law; but he says "as many as are of the works of the law," etc., that is, as many as trust in the works of the law and think themselves to be justified through them, are under a curse. For it is one thing to be in the works of the law, and another to keep the law; for this latter is to fulfill the law, and he who fulfills it is not under a curse. But to be in the works of the law is to trust in them and place one's hope in them. And those who are in them in this way are under a curse, namely of transgression — which indeed the law does not cause, since concupiscence does not come from the law, but rather knowledge of sin, to which we are prone through concupiscence, which is prohibited by the law. Insofar, therefore, as the law produces knowledge of sin, and does not furnish help against sin, they are said to be under a curse, since they are unable to escape it through the works themselves.

Now there are certain works of the law that are ceremonial, which consisted in observances. Other works are those that pertain to morals, concerning which there are the moral commandments. Hence, according to the Gloss, what is said here — "as many as are of the works of the law," etc. — is to be understood of the ceremonial works, and not of the moral ones. Or it must be said that the Apostle here speaks of all works, both ceremonial and moral. For works are not the cause of someone being just before God, but rather they are the executions and manifestations of justice. For no one is justified before God through works, but through the habit of faith — not indeed an acquired habit, but an infused one. And therefore whoever seeks to be justified from works is under a curse, because through them sins are not removed, nor is anyone justified as regards God, but through the habit of faith formed by charity. Hebrews 11:39: "All these by the testimony of faith," etc.

Consequently, when he says "For it is written," etc., he proves his proposition, and this is shown, first, according to the Gloss, by the fact that no one can keep the law in the way that the law commands, Deuteronomy 28:15, that everyone who does not remain in all the things that are written in the book of the law, so as to do them — that is, whoever does not fulfill the whole law — is cursed. But to fulfill the whole law is impossible, as it is said in Acts 15:10: "Why do you tempt, to impose a yoke, which neither we nor our fathers were able to bear?" Therefore no one is of the works of the law without being cursed.

It can also be taken that what is said, "For it is written," etc., is not as a proof of the proposition, but so that its exposition may be shown; as if he were saying: I say that they are under the curse, namely under that curse of which the law speaks when it is written: "Cursed is everyone," etc.: so that it be understood concerning sin, that is, concerning the curse. For the law commands that good things be done or evil things avoided, and by commanding it obligates, but it does not give the power of obeying. And therefore it says "cursed," as if joined to evil, "everyone," excepting no one, because, as it is said in Acts 10:34, there is no acceptance of persons with God.

"Who does not remain unto the end." Matthew 24:13: "He who perseveres unto the end." "In all things" — not in certain ones only, because, as it is said in James 2:10, whoever keeps the whole law, but offends in one point, has become guilty of all. "Which are written in the book of the law, so as to do them" — not only that he believe or merely will it, but that he fulfill it in deed. Psalm 110:10: "Good understanding to all who do it."

But the holy fathers, even though they were in the works of the law, were nevertheless saved in the faith of him who was to come, trusting in his grace, and fulfilling the law at least spiritually. For Moses, as is said in the Gloss, indeed commanded many things that no one could fulfill, in order to tame the pride of the Jews who said: "It is not the one to fulfill it who is lacking, but the one to command it."

But here there is a question about what is said, "cursed is everyone," etc. For it is said in Romans 12:14: "Bless, and do not curse." I respond. It must be said that to curse is nothing other than to speak evil; I can, therefore, say that good is evil, and evil is good, and again, that good is good, and evil is evil. And the Apostle indeed forbids the first, saying: "do not curse," that is, do not say that good is evil, and vice versa; but the second is permitted, and therefore when we censure sin, we do indeed curse, but not by calling good evil — rather we say that evil is evil. And therefore it is permitted to curse the sinner, that is, to say that he is given over to evil or that he is evil.

Consequently, when he says "But that in the law," etc., he shows the insufficiency of the law, which was not able to snatch anyone away from that curse, from the fact that it could not justify. To show this, he uses a certain syllogism in the second figure, and it is this: justice is from faith; but the law is not from faith; therefore the law cannot justify. Concerning this, then, he first states the conclusion, when he says "But that in the law no one is justified"; second, the major premise, when he says "because the just man lives by faith"; third, the minor premise, when he says "but the law is not of faith."

He says therefore: I say that through the law a curse was introduced, and yet the law does not deliver from that curse, because it is manifest that no one is justified in the law before God, that is, through the works of the law. Concerning this it must be understood that those who denied the Old Testament took an occasion from this saying. And therefore it must be said that no one is justified in the law, that is, through the law. For through it, indeed, knowledge of sin was had, as is said in Romans 5, but justification was not had through it. Romans 3:20: "By the works of the law no one shall be justified."

But on the contrary, it is said in James 2:21: "Was not Abraham justified by works?" I respond. It must be said that "to justify" can be taken in two ways: either as regards the execution and manifestation of justice, and in this way a man is justified, that is, shown to be just, from the works performed. Or as regards the infused habit of justice, and in this way no one is justified from works, since the habit of justice by which a man is justified before God is not acquired, but infused through the grace of faith. And therefore the Apostle pointedly says "before God," because the justice that is before God is in the interior heart; but the justice that is from works, that is, that manifests the just man, is before men. And in this way the Apostle takes "before God." Romans 2:13: "For not the hearers, but the doers," etc. Romans 4:2: "If Abraham was justified by works, he has glory, but not before God," etc. Thus, therefore, the conclusion of the argument is clear, namely that the law cannot justify.

Consequently, when he says "because the just," etc., he states the major premise, which is from the authority of Scripture, Habakkuk 2:4, and it is also introduced in Romans 1:17 and Hebrews 10:38. Concerning this it must be noted that in man there is a twofold life, namely the life of nature and the life of justice. The life of nature indeed is through the soul; hence, when the soul departs from the body, the body remains dead. But the life of justice is through God dwelling in us through faith. And therefore the first thing by which God is in the soul of man is faith. Hebrews 11:6: "He who comes to God must believe." Ephesians 3:17: "That Christ may dwell through faith," etc.

And thus we say that in the soul the first indications of life appear in the works of the vegetative soul, because it is the vegetative soul that first comes to the generated animal, as the Philosopher says. So, because the first principle by which God is in us is faith, therefore faith is called the principle of living. And this is what is said here: "My just one lives by faith." And it must be understood of faith working through love.

But the minor premise is stated where he says "but the law is not," etc. And first the minor itself is stated; second it is proved, where he says "but he who shall have done," etc. He says therefore, "the law is not of faith." But on the contrary, the law commands one to believe that God is one, and this pertains to faith; therefore the law had faith. But that God is one is commanded in Deuteronomy 6: "Hear, O Israel, the Lord your God," etc.

I respond. It must be said that here he speaks of the observances of the commandments of the law, according as the law consists in ceremonial mandates and precepts, and he says that such a law is not of faith. For faith, as is said in Hebrews 11:1, is the substance of things to be hoped for, the evidence of things not appearing. And therefore he properly fulfills the commandment concerning faith who does not hope thereby to obtain any present and visible things, but invisible and eternal goods. The law, therefore, because it promised earthly and present things, as it is said in Isaiah 1:19: "If you be willing and will hearken to me, you shall eat the good things of the land," is therefore not of faith, but rather of cupidity, or of fear, especially according to those who kept the law carnally. Some, however, lived spiritually in the law, but this was not from it, but from faith in the mediator.

And that the law is not of faith he proves when he says "but he who shall have done them," that is, the works of the law, "shall live in them," namely, in the present life, that is, he will be immune from temporal death, and will be preserved in the present life. Or otherwise: I say that the law is not of faith, and this is clear, because "he who shall have done," etc.; as if he were saying: the precepts of the law are not about things to be believed, but about things to be done, although it announces something to be believed. And therefore its force is not from faith, but from works; and this he proves, because when the Lord wished to confirm it, he did not say: "he who shall have believed," but: "he who shall have done them shall live in them." But the new law is of faith. Mark, last chapter: "he who shall have believed and been baptized," etc.

The law, however, is a certain thing figured and made from faith, and therefore the old law is compared to the new law, as the works of nature to the works of intellect. For in the very works of nature certain works of intellect appear, not because natural things understand, but because they are moved and ordered by an intellect so that they may attain their end. So also in the old law certain things are contained that belong to faith, not that the Jews possessed them as things of faith, but they possessed them only in a figure of the faith of Christ, and as an attestation, by the power of which faith the just were saved.