Thomas Aquinas

After the Apostle has shown that Jews and gentiles are equal as regards the preceding state of guilt, he here shows that they are equal as regards the subsequent state of grace. And concerning this he does three things. First he sets forth his proposal; second he shows a certain thing which he had presupposed, at the words "Is he the God of the Jews only?"; third he answers an objection, at the words "Do we then destroy the law?" Concerning the first he does three things. First he proposes what he intends; second he manifests his proposal, at the words "there is no distinction"; third he infers the intended conclusion, at the words "Where is then your boasting?" Concerning the first he does three things. First he sets forth the relation of justice to the law; second he assigns the cause of justice, at the words "but the justice of God"; third he assigns the community of this kind of justice, at the words "unto all," and so on.

He sets forth, then, first, a twofold comparison or relation of justice to the law. First indeed, that it is not caused by the law. And this is what he says: it has been said that formerly, through works of the law, the justice of God could not exist — either because he himself is just, fulfilling the promises concerning the justification of men (below, chapter 15:8: "For I say that Christ was minister of the circumcision for the truth of God"); or rather the justice of God by which someone is justified by God, of which it is said below, 10:3: "not knowing the justice of God." This justice of God, I say, is now, that is, in the time of grace, made manifest — both through the teaching of Christ, and through his miracles, and also through the evidence of fact, inasmuch as it is evident that many have been divinely justified. And this without the law, namely, without the law causing justice. Galatians 5:4: "You are made void of Christ, you who are justified in the law; you are fallen from grace." Isaiah 56:1: "My salvation is near to come, and my justice to be revealed." And lest anyone believe this justice to be contrary to the law, second, he sets forth another relation of justice to the law when he says, "being witnessed by the law and the prophets." The law indeed testified to the justice of Christ by foretelling and prefiguring it: John 5:46: "If you did believe Moses, you would perhaps believe me also; for he wrote of me" — and also through its effect, because, since it could not itself justify, it bore witness that justice was to be sought elsewhere. The prophets, however, testified to it by foretelling it. Acts 10:43: "To him all the prophets give testimony."

Consequently he assigns the cause of this justice, and says: "but the justice of God is by faith of Jesus Christ," that is, the faith which he himself handed down. Hebrews 12:2: "Looking on Jesus, the author of faith," and so on. Or also the faith which is held concerning him. Below, 10:9: "For if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised him up from the dead, you shall be saved." Now the justice of God is said to be by faith of Jesus Christ, not as though by faith we merit to be justified, as if faith itself existed of ourselves and through it we merited the justice of God, as the Pelagians said, but because in the very justification by which we are justified by God, the first movement of the mind toward God is through faith. For "he that comes to God must believe," as is said in Hebrews 11:6. Whence faith itself is, as it were, the first part of the justice which is from God in us. Ephesians 2:8: "By grace you are saved through faith," and so on.

This faith, however, from which justice comes, is not unformed faith, of which it is said, James 2:26: "Faith without works is dead," but it is faith formed by charity, of which it is said, Galatians 5:6: "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision avails anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith that works by charity" — through which Christ dwells in us. Ephesians 3:17: "That Christ may dwell by faith in your hearts," which does not happen without charity. 1 John 4:16: "He that abides in charity, abides in God, and God in him." This is also the faith of which it is said, Acts 15:9: "purifying their hearts by faith" — which purification indeed does not happen without charity. Proverbs 10:12: "Charity covers all sins."

And lest anyone say that by this faith only the Jews are justified, third, he shows the community of this justice, when he adds "unto all" — namely, this justice is in the heart, not in carnal observances, of which it is said, Hebrews 9:10, that carnal observances pertained to the justification of the flesh, until the time of correction imposed. And "upon all," because it evidently exceeds human capacity and merits. 2 Corinthians 3:5: "Not that we are sufficient to think." He adds, however, "who believe in him," which pertains to formed faith, through which man is justified, as has been said.

Then, when he says "for there is no distinction," he manifests what he had said, and first as to the community of justice; second as to its cause, at the words "being justified freely"; third as to its manifestation, at the words "for the shewing." He says therefore first: it has been said, the justification of God is unto all and upon all who believe in Christ; for there is no distinction, as to this, between Jew and gentile. Colossians 3:11: "In Christ Jesus there is neither gentile nor Jew," namely, having any distinction, as if the Jew did not need to be justified by God as did the gentile. For "all have sinned," as has been shown above. Isaiah 53:6: "All we like sheep have gone astray," and through this "they need the glory of God," that is, the justification which redounds to the glory of God. Man, however, ought not to ascribe this glory to himself. Psalm 113:1: "Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory." Psalm 65:2: "Give glory to God." Thus, then, because all have sinned, and cannot be justified of themselves, it remains that they be justified by another cause, which he consequently shows when he adds "being justified." Here he first shows that this kind of justification is without the law, that is, that it is not from works of the law, when he says "being justified freely," that is, without merit of preceding works. Isaiah 52:3: "You were sold for nothing, and you shall be redeemed without money." And this "by his grace," namely, God's, to whom on this account glory is owed. 1 Corinthians 15:10: "By the grace of God I am what I am."

Second, he shows what the cause of justification is. And first he sets forth the cause itself, when he says, "through the redemption": for as is said, John 8:34, "he who commits sin is the servant of sin" — from which servitude man is redeemed if he makes satisfaction for sin. Just as if someone, on account of a fault committed, were bound to a king to pay money, he who paid the money for him would be said to redeem him from the offense. Now this offense pertained to the whole human race, which was infected through the sin of the first parent. Whence no one else could make satisfaction for the sin of the whole human race, except Christ alone, who was immune from all sin. Whence he adds, "that is in Christ Jesus," as if to say: in another there could not be for us redemption. 1 Peter 1:18: "not with corruptible things, as gold or silver." Second, he shows whence this redemption had its efficacy, when he says, "whom God has proposed to be a propitiation." For from this Christ's satisfaction had efficacy to justify and to redeem, because God had ordained him to this according to his own purpose, which he designates when he says, "whom God has proposed to be a propitiation." Ephesians 1:11: "who works all things according to the counsel of his will." Or "proposed," that is, he set forth on behalf of all, because the human race had no means by which it could make satisfaction, unless God himself gave them a redeemer and one who could make satisfaction. Psalm 110:9: "He has sent redemption to his people." And thus, while by making satisfaction he redeems us from the offense of sin, he renders God propitious to our sins, which the Psalmist was asking for when he said, "Be propitious to our sins" — and therefore he calls him "a propitiation." 1 John 2:2: "propitiation." In figure of which, Exodus 25:17, it is commanded that a propitiatory be made, that is, that Christ be set upon the ark, that is, the Church.

Third, he shows through what means the effect of the redemption reaches us, when he says, "through faith in his blood," that is, the faith which is concerning his blood shed for us. For that he might make satisfaction for us, it was fitting that he undergo for us the penalty of death, which man had incurred through sin, according to Genesis 2:17: "In what day soever," and so on. Whence it is said, 1 Peter 3:18: "Christ died once for our sins." Now this death of Christ is applied to us through faith, by which we believe that through his death he redeemed the world. Galatians 2:20: "I live in the faith of the Son of God, who loved me," and so on. For even among men the satisfaction of one for another would not avail unless he to whom it is owed holds it as valid. And thus it is clear how justice is through faith of Jesus Christ, as has been said above.

But because he had also said above that the justice of God is now made manifest, he consequently deals with this manifestation, and first he touches on the manner of the manifestation, saying "for the shewing," as if to say: this, I say, has been done, that we might be justified through the redemption of Christ and through faith in his blood, "for the shewing of his justice," that is, to the end that God might show forth his justice, and this "for the remission of former sins." For in this, that God remitted former sins, which the law could not remit, nor could men by their own power guard themselves against them, he shows that justice is necessary for men, by which they may be justified by God. Now only through the blood of Christ could sins be remitted — not only present sins, but past ones — because the power of Christ's blood operates through the faith of man, which faith indeed those had who preceded the passion of Christ, just as we also have it. 2 Corinthians 4:13: "having the same spirit of faith, we believe." Whence it is also read otherwise, so that it is said "for the remission of sins," which sins are those of men who preceded the passion of Christ. Whence it is said, Micah, last chapter: "he will put away our iniquities and cast them," and so on.

Second, he shows the time of its manifestation, when he adds "in the forbearance of God, for the shewing of his justice in this time." As if he were saying: the former sins were, before the passion of Christ, in the forbearance of God, as it were in a certain divine sustaining of God — because he neither condemns those who, for those sins, believe and repent, nor does he render them wholly absolved from them, so that, these not standing in the way, they may enter into glory. Or, according to another reading, it can be understood that the holy fathers themselves were in the forbearance of God, because they were detained in Limbo, not indeed suffering sensible punishment, but awaiting to enter into glory through the passion of Christ. Ecclesiasticus 2:3: "Wait on the sustainings of God." To this end, I say, the former sins, or the former fathers, were in the forbearance of God, namely for the shewing of his justice in this time, that is, that in this time of grace he might perfectly show forth his justice, granting the full remission of sins. Psalm 101:14: "The time has come," and so on. And 2 Corinthians 6:2: "Behold, now is the acceptable time," and so on. And this is what he had said above, that the justice of God is now made manifest. It was fitting, however, that the former sins, up to this time, should be in the forbearance of God, so that man might first be convinced of a defect of knowledge, because in the time of the law of nature he fell into errors and shameful sins; and also of a defect of power, because after the written law, which produced the knowledge of sin, man still sinned through weakness.

Third, he shows that through the remission of sins the justice of God is shown forth, whether the justice of God be taken as that by which he himself is just, or as that by which he justifies others. Whence he adds, "that he himself may be just," that is, that through the remission of sins God may appear to be just in himself — both because he remits sins as he had promised, and because it pertains to the justice of God that he destroy sins, bringing men back to the justice of God. Psalm 10:8: "The Lord is just, and has loved justice." And also, that he may be "the justifier of him who is of the faith of Jesus Christ," that is, of him who through faith of Jesus Christ approaches God. Hebrews 11:6: "For he who comes to God must believe."