From the early Church Fathers to now.
7 Patristic · 1 Orthodox · 1 Catholic
“Moses did not say that the man who practices the righteousness of the law will live forever but only that he will live by it in this life. For Christ is the end of the law, as the apostle says, and without Christ it is impossible to fulfill the righteousness of the law.”
“Paul says that the man who fulfilled the law would enjoy the good things promised by it, that is to say, "a land flowing with milk and honey."”
“"For Moses," he says, "describeth the righteousness which is of the Law." What he means is this. Moses showeth us the righteousness ensuing from the Law, what sort it is of, and whence. What sort is it then of, and what does it consist in? In fulfilling the commandments. "He (the man), that doeth these things," He says, "shall live by (or in), them." And there is no other way of becoming righteous in the Law save by fulfilling the whole of it. But this has not been possible for any one, and therefore this righteousness has failed them. But tell us, Paul, of the other righteousness also, that which is of grace. What is that then, and of what does it consist? Hear the words in which he gives a clear sketch of it. For after he had refuted the other, he next goes on to this.”
“Scripture says not that he will find life through the law, in the sense that through it he will live in heaven but that he will find life through it to the extent that what he will reap what he deserves in this world.”
“Moses distinguished between two kinds of righteousness, the righteousness of faith and the righteousness of works. The latter justifies the suppliant by deeds, but the former justifies by belief alone.… In this age no one keeps the law perfectly without Christ. Believing in him is also implied in the law. On account of this passage some think that the Jews have earned only this present life by the works of the law, but the words of the Lord show that this is not true. When he was asked about eternal life the Lord stipulated the commandments of the law: "If you would enter life, keep the commandments." From this we understand that one who kept the law at that time had everlasting life.”
“Comparing the law with the glory of grace, Paul says that even Moses could not have been justified by the law unless he fulfilled all the commandments of the law.”
“He confirms what was said: what the law did not accomplish, Christ accomplished, and says: Moses reasons about the justification of man by means of works. But since there was not a single person who fulfilled the works, justification by the law is impossible.”
“Then when he says, for Moses wrote, he proves the truth of those things about which the Jews were ignorant, namely, that God's justice is more perfect than that of the law; and this he shows on the authority of Moses, the lawgiver of the old law. First, therefore, he shows by his words the condition of legal justice; second, he shows the condition of the justice of faith, at but the justice which is of faith. First, therefore, he says: I have correctly distinguished human justice from God's justice, for Moses wrote that the man who practices the justice which is based on the law shall live by it, where my text has: keep my laws and judgments, which if a man do, he shall live in them and: they cast away my judgments, which if a man do, he shall live in them (Ezek 20:13), namely because by observing the law a man obtained the advantage of not being killed as a transgressor of the law: a man who has violated the law of Moses dies without mercy (Heb 10:28); everyone who curses his father or his mother shall be put to death (Lev 20:9), and so on for the other commandments. We can also say that by observing the law a man was regulated in the present life, for the law promised temporal goods and commanded things which were bodily regulations imposed until a time of reformation (Heb 9:10). But all this seems contrary to what the Lord answered the person asking him: what good deed must I do to have eternal life? (Matt 19:16ff.); for he answered: if you would enter life, keep the commandments (Matt 19:17). Hence, a Gloss on Romans 5:20: law entered in, says that justice based on the law conferred not only temporal benefits but also eternal life. But Christ's words must be understood according to the spiritual sense of the law, a sense which refers to faith in him. But Paul's words refer to the inward sense of the law according to which the law makes no mention of eternal life.”
“Paul says this because the righteousness of the law of Moses did not make people guilty as long as they kept it.”
The in-app commentary runs from the Fathers to the early-modern record, then stops — that's where the public-domain sources end, not where the reading does. For the modern reading, follow the sources directly.