ACC ~ Romans 15 v8

IDENTIFYING WITH AND TRANSCENDING CIRCUMCISION. ORIGEN: There are two ways in which “Christ became a servant to the circumcised.” First, he was himself circumcised and so identified himself with them. Second, he fulfilled the promises of the law, so that now neither those who are circumcised nor Gentile believers are obliged to keep it any more. COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS.

TO CONFIRM THE PROMISES TO THE PATRIARCHS. CHRYSOSTOM: When Paul says that “Christ became a servant to the circumcised” he means that by coming to fulfill the law, by being circumcised and born of the seed of Abraham, Christ undid the curse, held back God’s wrath and made those who were meant to obtain the promises fit to receive them. … It was because you had transgressed the law that Christ came to fulfill it, not so that you might then keep it but so that he might confirm to you the promises which were made to the fathers, which the law had caused to be suspended because you offended and were unworthy of the promise. HOMILIES ON ROMANS 28.

THE WORD SPOKEN FIRST TO ISRAEL. AUGUSTINE: Paul said this so that the Gentiles would understand that the Lord Christ had been sent to the Jews and so they would not be proud. Since the Jews rejected what had been sent to them, it happened that the gospel was also preached to the Gentiles, as is most clearly written in the Acts of the apostles, when the apostles say to the Jews: “It was necessary that the Word of God should be spoken first to you. Since you … judge yourselves unworthy … behold, we turn to the Gentiles.”

It also agrees with the Lord’s own testimony, when he said: “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel”and: “It is not right for the children’s bread to be thrown to the dogs.” If the Gentiles think carefully, they will realize by their own faith, by which they now believe that to the pure all things are pure, that they should not offend those Jewish converts who, perhaps from weakness, dare not touch certain kinds of meat, fearing that it has been in contact with idols. AUGUSTINE ON ROMANS 82.

NOW JEWS AND GENTILES CALLED TO BE ONE. PELAGIUS: Once more Paul urges both Jews and Gentiles to unity with each other. He agrees with the Jews that Christ was promised to them and came to them first and that the Gentiles were called later on, because of God’s mercy. Nevertheless, both peoples have now been made into one. PELAGIUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS 82.

Rom