ACC ~ Romans 4 v16

THE PROMISE RESTS ON GRACE. ORIGEN: It might appear from this that faith is not a free gift of God but that it must first be offered to him by man in order for grace to be given in return. But consider what the apostle teaches about this elsewhere. For when he lists the gifts of the Spirit, which he says are given to believers according to the measure of faith, there among the rest he asserts that the gift of faith is also given. Therefore faith is given by grace. . . .

If the promise rested on works, it would not be guaranteed. But now it is guaranteed because it rests on grace, not on works. I think this can be understood to mean that the things of the law are external to us, but the things of grace are internal … and therefore they have a firmer foundation. COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS.

ONLY BY FAITH IS THE PROMISE MADE ACCESSIBLE TO ALL HUMANITY. AMBROSIASTER: The promise could not be certain to every offspring, that is, to everyone from every nation, unless it was by faith. The source of the promise is faith and not the law, because those who are under the law are guilty, and the promise cannot be given to those who are guilty. For this reason they must first be purified by faith, so that they may become worthy to be called the children of God, so that the promise may be certain. For if they say they are children of God when they are still guilty (that is to say, under the law), then the promise is not certain. First the children of God must be set free from sin. So those who are under the law must be rescued from the law in order to deserve to receive the promise, which is all the greater because it is apart from the law. COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES.

THE CERTAINTY AND EXTENT OF THE BLESSING. CHRYSOSTOM: It is not only the law which faith upholds but the promise also. … But the law when kept after its expiry date makes even faith of no effect and blocks the promise. In saying this Paul shows that faith, far from being superfluous, is necessary to the extent that without it there is no salvation.

Here Paul mentions two blessings. The first is that the things which have been given are secured. The second is that they are given to all Abraham’s descendants, including the Gentiles who believe and excluding the Jews who do not. HOMILIES ON ROMANS 8.

FORGIVEN BY GRACE. PELAGIUS: The law does not forgive sins but condemns them, and therefore it cannot make all nations children of Abraham, because in the end all must be punished since all are found under sin. But faith makes all believers children of Abraham, because their sins have been forgiven by grace. PELAGIUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS.

SEED OF ABRAHAM NOT MERELY A RACIAL DEFINITION. THEODORET OF CYR: Paul humbled the pride of the Jews by calling all those who imitated Abraham’s faith “the seed of Abraham,” even if they were of a different race. For if the law punishes those who break it, grace gives forgiveness of sins and confirms the promise of God, giving a blessing to the Gentiles. INTERPRETATION OF THE LETTER TO THE ROMANS.

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