ACC ~ Romans 3 v28

THE THIEF ON THE CROSS AS JUSTIFIED BY FAITH. ORIGEN: It remains for us who are trying to affirm everything the apostle says, and to do so in the proper order, to inquire who is justified by faith alone, apart from works. If an example is required, I think it must suffice to mention the thief on the cross, who asked Christ to save him and was told: “Truly, this day you will be with me in paradise.” … A man is justified by faith. The works of the law can make no contribution to this. Where there is no faith which might justify the believer, even if there are works of the law these are not based on the foundation of faith. Even if they are good in themselves they cannot justify the one who does them, because faith is lacking, and faith is the mark of those who are justified by God. COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS.

WITHOUT WORKS OF THE LAW. AMBROSIASTER: Paul says that a Gentile can be sure that he is justified by faith without doing the works of the law, e. g., circumcision or new moons or the veneration of the sabbath. COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES.

THE DOORS OF FAITH OPEN TO THE WORLD. CHRYSOSTOM: Paul does not say a “Jew” or “one under the law” but widens the discussion and opens the doors of faith to the world, saying a “man,” i.e., the name common to our race. HOMILIES ON ROMANS 7.

APART FROM WORKS OF THE LAW. THEODORE OF MOPSUESTIA: Paul did not say “we hold” be-cause he was himself uncertain. He said it in order to counter those who concluded from this that anyone who wished to could be justified simply by willing faith. Note carefully that Paul does not say simply “without the law,” as if we could just perform virtue by wanting to, nor do we do the works of the law by force. We do them because we have been led to do them by Christ. PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH.

[PSEUDO-]CONSTANTIUS: Paul says this because we cannot be justified by the works of the law but only by faith. THE HOLY LETTER OF ST. PAUL TO THE ROMANS.

AUGUSTINE: This must not be understood in such a way as to say that a man who has received faith and continues to live is righteous, even though he leads a wicked life. QUESTIONS 76.1.

FAITH WITHOUT WORKS? PELAGIUS : Some people misinterpret this verse in order to do away with the works of righteousness, saying that faith by itself is enough, even though Paul says elsewhere: “If I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.”If this seems to contradict the sense of the other [verses], what works did the apostle mean when he said that a man is justified by faith, without works? Obviously, these are the works of circumcision, the sabbath and so on, and not the works of righteousness about which St. James says:

“Faith without works is dead.” [In this verse] Paul is speaking about the man who comes to Christ and is saved when he first believes by faith alone. But by adding the works of the law Paul is saying that there are also works of grace which believers ought to perform. PELAGIUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS.

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