Thomas Aquinas

After the Apostle had instructed the Romans with general admonitions, here he begins to write to them certain more personal matters. And first, certain things pertaining to himself; second, certain things pertaining to others, at chapter 16: "And I commend to you Phoebe," etc. Concerning the first he does three things. First, he excuses the presumption involved in the fact that he had instructed and reproved them; second, he excuses his slowness concerning visiting them, at "for which cause I have been much hindered"; third, he asks for the support of their prayers, at "And I beseech you, brethren," etc. And concerning the first he does two things. First he excludes the opposite reason for instructing and arguing with them; second he assigns the true reason, at "For I have written to you, brethren, more boldly in some sort," etc.

Concerning the first it must be considered that someone could believe that the Apostle wrote to the Romans for this reason, that he reckoned himself to be, among the Romans, one who was able to instruct and correct them. But this he himself excludes, saying "For I am certain, my brethren, through the things which I have heard concerning you, that you yourselves are full and are fit to admonish one another." For someone to admonish rightly, two things are required, of which the first is that he admonish not out of hatred or anger, but out of love, according to that saying of Psalm 140:6: "The just man shall correct me in mercy." And Galatians 6:1: "You who are spiritual, instruct such a one in the spirit of meekness." And as to this he says "because you yourselves also are full of love." Ezekiel 10:2: "Fill your hand with coals of fire which are among the Cherubim" — which is the fire of charity. Secondly, knowledge of the truth is required, since some have a zeal for God in correcting, but not according to knowledge, as was said above, chapter 10:2. And therefore he adds "filled with all knowledge" — namely, human and divine, and of the Old and the New Law. 1 Corinthians 1:5: "In everything you have been made rich in him, in all utterance and in all knowledge." And from this he concludes thus: "so that you are able, fittingly, on account of love and knowledge, to admonish one another." For since in many things we all offend, as is said in James 3:2, it is fitting that we admonish one another; because, as is said in Ecclesiasticus 17:12, God has given to each one a charge concerning his neighbor.

Then, when he says "more boldly," etc., he assigns the true reason why he had admonished and corrected them. And concerning this he does two things. First he shows that this pertained to the authority of the apostolate committed to him; second he shows how he had used this power, at "I have therefore glory," etc.

He says therefore: "more boldly" — that is, more confidently — "I have written to you," arguing against your errors and defects; which indeed could be ascribed to a presumption of boldness, on account of the fact that I did not fear giving you offense. Job 39:21: "He goes forth boldly to meet armed men." But this presumption is excused on three counts.

First indeed from the condition of those to whom he was writing, because even if among the Romans there were some with respect to whom such a reproof might seem bold and presumptuous, there were nevertheless some who needed harsh reproof on account of the insolence of their contentions. Titus 1:13: "Rebuke them sharply." And this is what he means by saying "in part," as if he were saying: my writing does not seem bold with respect to all of you, but with respect to some part of you. Or it can be understood "in part" with respect to the letter, in which he reproves them. It can also be understood "in part" with respect to the Church, namely, which is with me.

Secondly, the aforesaid boldness is excused from the intention of the Apostle. For he did not write to them as though reckoning them ignorant, but as bringing them back to the memory of things known. And this is what he adds: "as putting you in mind," as though you had forgotten the things you knew — just as also is said in Philippians 4:10: "but you were busied." Hebrews 10:32: "Call to mind the former days, in which, being illuminated, you endured a great fight of sufferings."

Thirdly, it is excused from the authority of the Apostle, which required this. Hence he adds "through the grace" — namely, of the apostolate committed to me. 1 Corinthians 15:10: "By the grace of God I am what I am." Of this grace, first, he describes the authority, when he says "which is given to me by God," as if he were saying: not by men. Galatians 1:1: "Paul, an apostle, not from men, neither by man." Secondly he specifies this grace, when he says "that I should be the minister of Christ Jesus among the Gentiles," that is, that I should serve Christ in the conversion of the Gentiles. 1 Corinthians 4:1: "Let a man so account of us as of the ministers of Christ." Above, chapter 11:3: "as long as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I will honor my ministry." Thirdly he shows the act of this grace, when he says "sanctifying the Gospel of God," that is, showing it to be holy both by the word of truth and by the work of good conduct and of miracles. Colossians 1:5f.: "in the word of the truth of the Gospel which is come unto you, as also it is in the whole world, and bears fruit, and grows." Proverbs 8:8: "My words are right." Fourthly he sets down the end of this grace, when he says "that the offering of the Gentiles may be made," that is, the Gentiles converted through my ministry. In which, as it were, I offered a certain sacrifice and oblation to God, according to that saying of Philippians 2:17: "And if I be sacrificed upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and congratulate with you all." "May become acceptable" — namely to God, through rectitude of intention. Psalm 50:20: "Then you shall accept the sacrifice of justice, oblations and holocausts." "And sanctified in the Holy Spirit," that is, through charity and the other gifts of the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 6:11: "You are sanctified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God."

Then, when he says "I have therefore glory," etc., he shows how he had used his apostolic authority. And first he sets down the fruit which he made; second he shows the greatness of this fruit, at "so that," etc. Third he shows the difficulty, at "but so have I preached," etc. Concerning the first he does three things.

First he gives glory to God for the fruit which he made, saying "therefore" — because I have received such a grace and have diligently carried out that for which this grace was given to me, "I have glory," that is, a merit worthy of glory, as a faithful minister. 1 Corinthians 9:15: "It is good for me to die, rather than that any man should make my glory void." But this glory I do not attribute principally to myself, but I have it "in Christ Jesus," that is, through Jesus Christ, by whose power I was able to bear fruit. John 15:5: "Without me you can do nothing." And because all things have been delivered to him by the Father, as is said in Matthew 11:27, and the Father, abiding in him, himself does the works, John 14:10, therefore he further refers this glory to the Father, saying "toward God" — namely, the Father. Psalm 113:9: "Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory." Now he assigns the reason for what he had said, adding "for I dare not speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me," as if he were saying: I will report nothing of the fruit made through me which was not made through me. Otherwise I would not have glory before God, even if I had it before men. These things indeed I relate, not as things done principally by me, but as things which Christ did through me. And therefore I said that I have this glory in Christ Jesus. Isaiah 26:12: "You have wrought all our works in us."

Secondly he sets down the fruit itself, saying "unto the obedience of the Gentiles," as if he were saying: this is my glory, that I have made the Gentiles obey the faith. Above, 1:5: "unto obedience of the faith in all nations." Psalm 17:44: "At the hearing of the ear he has obeyed me." Thirdly he shows how he brought the Gentiles to this obedience. Now because above, 10:17, it was said "faith is from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ," therefore he says "in word," that is, through the word of the preaching of the faith. Now the proofs of the faith preached are the good conduct of the preacher, and as to this he adds "and in deeds," as if to say: through right works I drew you to the faith. Matthew 5:16: "that they may see your good works," etc.; and the works of miracles, by which God gives testimony to the doctrine preached, according to that saying of Mark, last chapter: "the Lord cooperating, and confirming the word with signs that followed." Hence he adds "in the power of signs," that is, of the lesser miracles, such as healings of sicknesses; and "of wonders," that is, of the greater miracles, which by their magnitude portend, that is, show, something great. But all this would not suffice unless the Holy Spirit moved the hearts of the hearers from within to the faith. Hence it is said in Acts 10:44 that, while Peter was speaking the words of the faith, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were hearing the word. And therefore he adds "in the power of the Holy Spirit." Hebrews 2:4: "God also bearing witness, by signs and wonders and various distributions of the Holy Spirit."

Then, when he says "so that from Jerusalem," he shows the greatness of the fruit from the multitude of places in which he preached, saying "so that, beginning from Jerusalem," where at the beginning of his conversion he preached in the synagogues of the Jews, as is said in Acts 9:28 — so that thus he might fulfill what is said in Isaiah 2:4: "The law shall go forth from Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem." "Even unto Illyricum," which is the Adriatic Sea on the side opposite Italy, "I have fully preached the Gospel of Christ," that is, I filled all those places with the preaching of the Gospel. And lest anyone should understand that he preached the Gospel only by going along the straight road from Jerusalem to Illyricum, he adds "round about," because, namely, he preached to the nations round about on every side and converted them to the faith. Hence there can fittingly apply to him what is said in Job 38:25: "Who has given a course to the most violent rain-storm?"

Then, when he says "but so have I preached," etc., he shows the difficulty of making this fruit: for it is difficult to convert those who are entirely ignorant to the faith. First therefore he shows that he underwent this difficulty, saying "but so have I preached this Gospel, not where Christ was named," that is, not among those who had heard the name of Christ. Psalm 17:44: "A people which I have not known has served me." Isaiah 55:5: "Behold, you shall call nations that you did not know, and nations that did not know you shall run to you." Now he adds the reason, saying: "lest I should build upon another man's foundation." Now "another's foundation" can be understood in two ways.

In one way, as heretical doctrine, which is foreign to the foundation of the true faith; and in this way, what he says — "lest" — is put causally. For it was with this intention that the Apostle wished to preach to those who had not heard the name of Christ: lest, if they had been forestalled by the doctrine of the false apostles, it would be more difficult to bring them back to the truth. Hence in Matthew 7:27 it is said, "foolish is he who builds his house upon sand" — to which false doctrine is compared.

In another way, by "another's foundation" can be understood the doctrine of the true faith preached by others; and in this way "lest" can be taken consecutively. For the Apostle did not avoid preaching to those to whom it had already been preached by others — just as he preached specially to the Romans themselves, whom Peter had previously instructed — but, since he was preaching to those who had heard nothing of Christ, it followed that he did not build upon another's foundation, but himself laid the first foundations of the faith, according to that saying of 1 Corinthians 3:10: "As a wise architect, I have laid the foundation."

Secondly, to confirm what he had said, he brings in an authority, saying "as it is written," Isaiah 52:15, "because they to whom it was not told concerning him shall see, and they who have not heard shall behold." In these words the prophet seems to foretell that the Gentiles would arrive at the knowledge of God in a more excellent way than the Jews, who had known before. He shows, therefore, first, the excellence as to the cause of knowledge, which is namely twofold: namely, words heard and things seen. For these two senses are the ones capable of being taught. The Jews, therefore, came to the knowledge of the mysteries of Christ through words announced to them by the prophets. 1 Peter 1:10f.: "the prophets, who prophesied of the grace to come in you, searching what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ in them signified, foretelling those sufferings that are in Christ, and the glories that should follow." But the Gentiles see these mysteries of Christ already really fulfilled; therefore it is said that the Gentiles, to whom it was not announced by the prophets concerning him — that is, concerning Christ — as it was announced to the Jews, will see the things already fulfilled. Luke 10:24: "Many kings and prophets have desired to see the things which you see, and have not seen them."

Secondly he shows the excellence as to the manner of knowing, because the Jews, from the announcement of the prophets, had only hearing. Obadiah 1:1: "We have heard a report from the Lord, and he has sent ambassadors to the nations." But the Gentiles perceived understanding from sight. Hence it is said "and" — namely, the Gentiles, who beforehand did not hear Christ foretold through the prophets — "shall understand," namely, the truth of the faith. Psalm 2:10: "And now, O kings, understand," etc.