Thomas Aquinas, on Rom 3:22

“Even the justice of God, by faith of Jesus Christ, unto all and upon all them that believe in him: for there is no distinction:”

“Then he assigns the cause of this justice, and says the justice of God is through the faith of Christ Jesus, i.e., which he delivered: looking to Jesus the perfecter of our faith (Heb 12:2); or which is held concerning him: for if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you shall be saved (Rom 10:9). God's justice is said to exist through faith in Christ Jesus, not as though by faith we merit being justified, as if faith exists from ourselves and through it we merit God's justice, as the Pelagians assert; but because in the very justification, by which we are made just by God, the first motion of the mind toward God is through faith: whoever would draw near to God must believe (Heb 11:6). Hence faith, as the first part of justice, is given to us by God: by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing; for it is the gift of God (Eph 2:8). But this faith, out of which justice exists, is not the unformed faith about which James says, faith without works is dead (Jas 2:26), but it is faith formed by charity: for in Christ Jesus neither circumcision avails any thing without faith (Gal 5:6), through which Christ dwells in us. That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith (Eph 3:17), which does not happen without charity: he who abides in love abides in God and God in him (1 John 4:16). This is the faith about which it is said, he cleansed their hearts by faith (Acts 15:9), a cleansing that does not occur without charity: love covers all offenses (Prov 10:12). And lest anyone suppose that only the Jews are made just through this faith, third, he shows that this justice is common, when he adds unto all. In other words, this justice is in the heart, not in fleshly observances, about which Hebrews says that carnal observances were directed to the justification of the flesh, being regulations for the body and imposed until the time of reformation (Heb 9:10). And upon all, because it transcends human power and merit: not that we are sufficient of ourselves to claim anything as coming from us (2 Cor 3:5). He adds, who believe in him, which refers to the living faith, by which man is justified, as has been said. Then when he says for there is no distinction, he manifests what he had said: first, in regard to the common availability of justice; second, as to its cause, at being justified freely; third, as to its manifestation, at to the showing of his justice.”

Imported from an open dataset — not yet checked against the printed edition.