Commentary on Romans 3.5-5.7 (P. Cair. 88748 & Cod. Vat. gr. 762) [Papyrus Cairensis 88748 & Codex Vatican Library Greek 762], Translated by ChatGPT from Greek
Origen's Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans, Volume 5. [Rom. 3, 5–8] "But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God." Sometimes... to the nations speaking, and... proclaiming to all nations, and other things concerning the Jews...
We say that through the entire epistle it is designed for him to display the salvation of Israel before the advent of Christ in accordance with the Law... but also concerning those after the advent of our Savior... how for Israel by their transgression salvation has come to the nations...
"Let God be true, but every man a liar." Now addressing this paradox... it is justly applied against men... their unrighteousness demonstrates God's righteousness; for he sets forth the paradox and prevents those using it...
For it is impossible and unjust to say that God is lying and claiming that He judges the world, in... immediately conceiving nothing of injustice... those who reflect poorly upon these arguments deny falsely concerning us, saying that we report by implication that if the truth of God abounds in the lie of men, and His righteousness is established by our unrighteousness, we desire the good to come which cannot arrive before our evils, we should do the worse so that the good may come after it...
"Is God unjust who inflicts wrath upon men?" If, as we have found elsewhere, "Is God unjust who inflicts wrath? I speak as a man."
"May it never be," such would be the meaning of the phrase: to say that God is unjust for bringing wrath because our injustice establishes God's righteousness, is not spoken according to God nor according to His wisdom but according to human nature and because "every man is a liar" ... concerning him, the sciences of opposites, like the medical art which is about the sick and the healthy and not because it deals with health it is able to deal with the sick, but wisdom is bestowed knowledge of good and evil, and prudence of desirable and undesirable, courage of fearful and non-fearful; they say to use terms apophatically due to the deficiency of names signifying opposites, not against them … it is necessary for one who takes up the science of righteousness to know also the injustice … Therefore, our injustice establishes the righteousness of God and shows the beauty and excellence of what is deemed good by it; without it existing at all there would be no excellence … For wrath first comes upon injustice and through it upon those who use it … unjust … enduring wrath because of injustice … it speaks not according to man who … bringing wrath … For all men by nature are children of wrath from being gods and sons of the Most High but after ... and I might dare to say that when God becomes all in all, then there will no longer be man when all have become gods … when all become one God according to "As I and you are one" in order that they also may be one in us … And in the Epistle to the Corinthians … we became to the world, that is, in the earthly place … to angels and men … multiplied destructively there … if not such falsehoods and persuasions had intruded, therefore … how the truth of God in human falsehood has abounded … Likewise understand concerning other doctrines in which it is said there are three kinds of goods, those of the soul, those of the body, and those that are external, and that happiness is fulfilled by these three kinds. These also having cut off providence establish it up to the borders of the moon, handing over what is below to disorder and taking God and providence from here … and from these it is clear how it is said "The truth of God in my falsehood abounded." But the truth of God abounds in much and varied human falsehood for the glory of God … not only as a man am I reviled but lest I ever blaspheme as God … it shall be in justice … (Rom. 3:9–18) After these, as is his custom to teach from the scriptures, he desires to explicitly gather how both Jews and Greeks are all under sin, beginning from "As it is written that there is none righteous, not even one," and to me, it seems for the sake of rendering it necessary not only here but also if anywhere else the servants of Jesus Christ of the new covenant remember legal or prophetic sayings to carefully attend to where it is written what they cite, and whether they use the very words written or sometimes having altered them …
Then, "There is none who understands, there is none who seeks God," we do not find written in these very words, but we think that the apostle paraphrased the sayings from the thirteenth psalm and the fifty-second. For in the thirteenth psalm it is said, "The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, or seek God," and in the fifty-second, "God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, or seek God." Therefore, it seems he considered the phrase "to see if there were any that did understand, or seek God" equivalent to "there is none who understands, there is none who seeks God." And I believe the "There is none righteous, no, not one" is derived from "There is none that does good, no, not one." Thus, he places it twice, once paraphrasing, once using the same words and leaving out the second "there is none." After this, he places, "The poison of asps is under their lips," as if this... is borrowed from some psalm. The following phrase, "Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness," seems to be taken from the ninth psalm where it is said, "Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness and deceit." Then, it continues, "Their feet are swift to shed blood," which you will find in Isaiah or in other versions of the Proverbs, in the phrase "Quick to shed blood," which was added with asterisks in the Septuagint version. But "Destruction and misery are in their ways" up to this point I do not know where it has been read; I think it is written in some of the prophets. For I think it is written in some of the prophets, "The way of peace they have not known," and in the psalms, "There is no fear of God before their eyes." Therefore, it seems he used many quotations to teach how the scripture has accused both Jews and Greeks that all are under sin. And if he called all non-Jews Greeks, the name "Jew" is not a name of a nation but of a choice. For even if someone is not from the nation of the Jews, but a foreigner embracing the things of the Jews and becoming a proselyte, it is reasonable that he would be called a Jew if he embraced those things. Likewise, if someone born among the Jews embraces the things of the Gentiles, this one would be called a proselyte if he renounced Judaism and embraced the laws and word of the latter. And if one intends to live according to the letter of the law, he is openly a Jew; but if according to the spiritual law, he would be called a Jew secretly. Concerning Greeks, one may reasonably inquire how they have come under sin, Paul saying, "Sin is not imputed when there is no law." But to this we will say... just as nations without law by nature do the things of the law and show the work of the law written in their hearts. This law by nature is the law of God, but the written one in cities is not by nature but by statute, especially when it contradicts the law of nature. If one assumes the law of Moses is meant, obviously sin would not be imputed before Moses neither to Cain, who killed his brother, nor to those who perished in the flood because of their sins, nor to the wicked and sinful in Sodom who were condemned by fire and brimstone according to what is written. Some Greeks also reasonably declared that it was necessary for evil to exist in a rational and mortal race with the advent of reason, then over time, with care and attention, to dismantle this and establish virtue. Righteous men are just before those inferior to them and often in comparison with worse ones, even the unjust are called just.
Thus, indeed, it is said to Jerusalem regarding Sodom: "Sodom was justified by you." Therefore, when the scriptures testify to some as being righteous and then say again, "No one living shall be justified in your sight," do not think that they contradict themselves, nor that Paul was unaware of those praised for righteousness, saying, "There is none righteous, not even one." For you might say that the same person is righteous compared to others, but not righteous before God. So, Aaron is not justified before Moses, being surpassed by Moses' righteousness. Mary is justified before many but not before Aaron and Moses. How, then, is there none righteous, not even one, whether Jewish, even a prophet, or Greek, even someone apostolic, like Titus, who was taught by Paul? What are the things laid up or when is fulfilled the saying, "The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet"? For how does one understand if, as it is said, "If anyone thinks they know something, they do not yet know as they ought to know"? The one who understands sees face to face, but one who does not yet see face to face but through a mirror and dimly does not yet understand. Perhaps then all turned aside when they were going forth and weeping, carrying their seeds, and did what caused the Babylonian captivity. One might reasonably take "they turned aside" in the sense of sin that is contrary to nature. Those who have done only what was commanded are unworthy servants. We therefore became unworthy then too, and perhaps it is not a boast to say, "We have done what we ought to have done." For the one in the Gospel who received the talent, along with his fellow servant who received five talents, gave back what he owed, saying to his master, "See, you have what is yours." Nevertheless, having paid what he owed, he is called an unworthy servant by his master who says, "And cast the unworthy servant into the outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." So, they all turned aside and became unworthy. The Savior to the one who said, "What good thing shall I do to inherit eternal life?" said, "Why do you ask me about what is good? One is good, God alone." We have found goodness to be the same as kindness in "Give thanks to the Lord, for He is kind, for His mercy endures forever," while elsewhere it says, "for He is good, for His mercy endures forever." And if you set yourself to examine each person and the one deemed to be the most righteous, you would not quickly find them pure from all deceit. So, swords are the sharp feet of those who shed blood, just as the feet of those who bring good news are beautiful. Feet here symbolize paths, and in their ways, nothing is whole; instead, there is ruin and every hardship. It is the same to have the fear of God before one's eyes as to have knowledge of the fear of God, which the Word desires to teach us, saying, "Come, children, listen to me." Seeming to have the fear of God but not having that fear properly called the fear of God. Or would we not say that those who abstain from marriage out of the pretense of fearing God and do not use food and drink, seem to have the fear of God? Yet a sensible person would say that there is truly no fear of God in them, nor truth. Though there are many sins, not everyone is guilty of all, but some of this sin, others of that, so that all who are under sin are guilty, not each one of all, but each one of some of all. Knowing, therefore, that whatever the law says it speaks to those under the law, if we consider the law here to only refer to Moses, the Apostle would not reasonably say that for this reason, the law speaks to those under the law so that no person would have an excuse concerning their sins, for it is such that "Every mouth may be stopped."
For what commonality to all flesh the works of the law of Moses? How then is the knowledge of sin through the law of Moses, when many knew their own sins even before Moses? For Cain said: "My guilt is more than can be forgiven." And the patriarchs going down into Egypt to Joseph said in response to Joseph’s words to them: "We are in sin concerning our brother, because we did not listen to the anguish of his soul." And if Job indeed is shown to have existed before Moses, he says: "If I have concealed my sin as men do..." and so forth. It seems to me that from these it has been moderately demonstrated that "law" now to the apostle does not signify the law of Moses; and if it is not that of which he now speaks, what other could it be about which he teaches these things, except the natural law, which is also written in the hearts of men? Who then would be under the law if not every man who fulfills the word? For those living yet apart from the law, like Paul once was, are not under the law. For no place of defense is left for a man who has the knowledge of the law inherently in his heart. But when every mouth is shut, and the whole world becomes accountable to God, God alone is justified in His words and triumphs when He judges. For who, hearing the word comparable to "My people, what have I done to you, or how have I burdened you, or what have I harassed you? Answer me," would have the boldness to reply and escape the sentence to which the whole world is liable? "It said: You shall not covet. But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, deceived me, and through it killed me." Some are named by their relation to something else, like father of a son, a father, and son of a father, a son, and fellow citizen of a fellow citizen; others by a difference, like man and horse. For no man is man, nor horse, horse. So then we seek about the law, which now needs to be examined, whether it is named by difference like "man," or by relation as "father." And another might say that just as He is the only-begotten of God, He is also self-law. For those who live according to the flesh and fulfill the word are themselves the ones under the law, and their mouth is shut when the commandment comes, sin comes alive in them, and they become accountable to God as a part of the world. But the saints, whom He foreknew, predestined, called, justified, and glorified, are law and not under law; therefore their mouth will not be shut, nor will they be accountable to God (for they are not flesh). And if they are justified, they will not be justified by works of the law; for the law does not justify by works of the law, being righteous itself, and, if one may say so, a habit of righteousness. How then is knowledge of sin through the law, but not from the law?
For when someone inspects the law and examines it, considering both the commandments it prescribes and the prohibitions it enforces, he comes to know sin as existing in the omission of what ought to be done and in the failure to avoid what is forbidden. Thus, the law gives knowledge of sin, but it does not cause sin. For the doer of sin is an evil tree bearing bad fruit; the law, however, is not an evil tree, for the law is good. In this way, through the law comes the knowledge of sin just as through medical science comes the knowledge of disease, especially those diseases that escape even the notice of the patient and of those barely initiated into medical observation. Just as the medical art is good because it brings disease to light, so too is the law good because it reveals and reproves sin when knowledge of it is made through the law.
What it says [in Romans 3:21-24] is: just as the knowledge of sin comes through the law, the revelation of God's righteousness does not come through the law; for apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been made manifest. For the righteousness of God exceeds the precepts of nature, which are not sufficient to comprehend righteousness, not simply righteousness, but that of God, whose judgments that justify are unsearchable. Therefore, now apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been manifested, and Jesus Christ is the teacher of it, revealing it and in no way incorporating the natural law to represent God's righteousness (since the natural law is human, but God's righteousness surpasses and transcends all human measure), manifesting it apart from the natural law, being testified to by the prophetic words enigmatically said through the Holy Spirit, and by the Law of Moses. And do not be amazed if two meanings of the single term "law" are taken in the same context. For we will find this usage in other scriptures, as in "Do you not say that there are yet four months and then comes the harvest? Lift up your eyes and see that the fields are already white for harvest." There, the term "harvest" is used twice: first in a literal, physical sense and second in a spiritual sense. Similarly, you will find it in the case of the man born blind who was healed and to whom it is said in a physical sense, "For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind."
So now, also, apart from the nature-law, the righteousness of God has been manifested, being testified to by the law of Moses and the prophets. We might say to those still hesitant to accept that the law has two indications: if the same law is taken both in "Now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been manifested" and in "being testified to by the law and the prophets," if it is manifested apart from the law, it is not testified by the law; if it is testified by the law, it is not manifested apart from the law. Therefore, the righteousness of God revealed by Jesus Christ is in no way testified by the natural law (for it is lesser than it), but by Moses' law, not the letter but the spirit, and the prophets who are consistent with the spirit of the law and the spiritual word in them.
For we have natural inclinations towards propriety, social justice, prudence, and courage, but there is no natural inclination towards believing that Jesus is the Christ of God. Therefore, now apart from the law, God's righteousness has been manifested, and this righteousness revealed apart from the natural law, which I call Christ, is testified to by the law of Moses and the prophets. Another instance besides "Nothing is hidden except to be made manifest" is "Nothing covered but will be revealed," so that what is better is called hidden and what is worse is called covered, since everything becoming manifest is light.
But if we do not think such a thing about the place, it will seem to be tautology *** first the hidden things of the righteous will become apparent, then after this, the hidden and deceitful things of the adversaries will be revealed and in a sense refuted *** and believing in Jesus Christ or having the faith that Jesus Christ put in them towards the Father *** He justifies those who believe not according to owed repayment; for what has any Jew or Greek done or accomplished that is worthy of the doer being justified? *** I stand still lest Solomon in the Proverbs might also thus be able to say, "The ransom of a man's soul is his own wealth"; for just as the wisdom of God and righteousness and peace and word and the other virtues are a man's own wealth, so also can "The ransom of a man's soul is his own wealth" mean "The ransom of a man's soul is virtue" and "The ransom of a man's soul is Jesus Christ who is the power of God and the wisdom of God and the rest" *** [Rom. 3, 25–26] Thus this atonement to be made for those who have sinned at the end of the ages towards the nullification of the nature of sins long ago, God set forth to become a propitiation for those who use it in faith towards the atonement needed *** previously not yet doing the work of being a propitiation; for it awaited the now time so that becoming a propitiation for a few not soon may happen *** and it became then the work of propitiation and the display of God's righteousness, needing from things mutual benefit after countless sins having come about due to the covering of numbers *** Indeed, the Apostle frequently brings thoughts from the treasures of the law and prophets *** and it seems that the propitiation in Exodus refers to no other than the Savior; for God set Him forth as a propitiation *** and keeping pure gold symbolically many times as the clean and unmixed with material mind, thus our propitiation is at the beginning to God the Word or perhaps more so the soul of Jesus, since He did not commit sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth, nor did He know sin *** For he says, "That you may be strong to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and breadth and depth and height"; thus of great intellectual, so to say, strength and power are needed to be able to comprehend the length and breadth of the propitiation, the length and breadth and depth of the steadfastness like the Ark and the table, the length and breadth and depth and height of those who receive the steadfastness of the bodily nature height of the intellectual nature *** interpretation of Cherubim is abundant knowledge, and these Cherubim are engraved for representation, from the engraving and exactness, of divinity *** What thus might be the Ark lying under the propitiation and the Cherubim or, as I think, the holy and blessed and accommodating powers of both the Only-begotten and the Holy Spirit dwelling in bodies ***, including the soul of Jesus as the propitiation lying above the figuratively said Ark *** Concerning the knowing of the one speaking in the midst of the two Cherubim, take the express statement from Habakkuk thus: “Lord, I’ve heard your report and was afraid; Lord, I considered your works and was astounded; between two living creatures you will be known, and when the time comes, you will be revealed” *** and it suits “Whom he set forth” more to the soul of Jesus than to the Only-begotten and firstborn of all creation; for God sets forth the things not yet present, but God set in the church first apostles (not set forth; for they already were), then prophets, third teachers and so on *** it is right to place those propitiations made with blood according to the law so that it may be found among the things placed and the written things which are symbols.
It is written then after the sacrifice of the high priest in Leviticus: “And if the whole assembly of Israel sins unintentionally and the matter escapes the notice of the assembly, and they do any of the things that by the Lord's commandments ought not to be done, and realize their guilt, when the sin which they have committed becomes known, the assembly shall offer a bull from the herd for a sin offering. After a little while, “And the anointed priest shall bring some of the blood of the bull to the tent of meeting.” And again, after a little while, “And he shall do with the bull as he did with the bull of the sin offering. Thus shall he do with it. And the priest shall make atonement for them, and they shall be forgiven.”
Therefore, with blood the priest shall make atonement for the whole assembly in order to be forgiven. In it is both the mercy seat and the high priest and the sacrifice on behalf of the people. Whom God presented as a propitiation through faith in His blood, a propitiation for the remission of past sins, in order to make provision for the remission of past sins, that is, pardon and remission, for those who believe. From the context of the words about the riches of His goodness and forbearance and long-suffering and the interim named tolerance, it constitutes praise for His bearing. And justifying the one who has faith, that is, the one believing in Jesus and through Jesus to God. It is not unreasonable to say in anticipation of “justifying the one who has faith in Jesus,” as Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness, in the same way to those who believe in Jesus or in God through Jesus, does God credit their faith as righteousness, and thus He justifies the one who has faith in Jesus.
If indeed his substance is propitiation and his action is expiation. Therefore, the order of these things I think Leviticus represents, first legislating about offerings, second about sacrifices for salvation, and third about a soul sinning unintentionally. [Rom. 3:27-28] for they first were entrusted with the oracles of God, presenting thereupon the Jewish boast against the nations. Now He defines it in that it exceeds that of the Jew and the benefit from circumcision, as if one true God exists; and every man is a liar.
Therefore, all the boasting of Jews is nullified and prohibited, when the Law of faith justifies the one justified, and not the Law of works. For neither do both laws justify together, nor does the Law of works. For it is enough for justification the Law of faith, since it is possible sometime once to obtain the justification by believing only and working nothing at all generally. Thus, we can present the one justified by faith without works, such as the thief crucified with Jesus and the sinful woman in the Gospel of Luke who brought an alabaster jar of ointment and stood behind at Jesus’s feet, weeping and performing all that is written about her. Not by any work of the Law but by faith her sins were forgiven when He said to her: “Your sins are forgiven” and “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
And in many places of the Gospel it is said, "Your faith has saved you," so that we may learn that it is right to consider a person justified by faith apart from the works of the law. But it is likely that someone, having heard this, will neglect the life according to God, thinking that faith alone suffices for justification. We will respond to this that after justification, any injustice done nullifies the grace of the justifier. Therefore, the deeds following the justification by faith are anticipated by the justification from God by faith alone, so that the one justified does not boast before God as if having received nothing from God as a gift, but being justified by the works of the law. I think, however, that even the works prior to faith, though they may seem to be good, as they are not built upon the good foundation of faith, do not justify the one who performs them. And since all boasting from works is excluded for all people, therefore everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, even if he truthfully says, "God, I thank you that I am not like other men, robbers, unjust, adulterers" and so on. By the law of faith, every boasting which those who do not understand justification by faith might have is excluded, but the boasting from faith itself is not excluded, such as Paul's saying, "But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." For he nearly says that he should not boast of his sobriety, nor of his righteousness, nor of his piety or the other virtues, but only in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Who then, seeing the purity of sobriety, not needing... to address desires and passions that disrupt the reasoning, in danger of boasting as being a sober person clad in flesh? For it is desirable if someone takes up the habit of self-control, as some experts on these matters say, achieving less than sobriety. And who, reading "Whoever looks at a woman with lust..." Who is so capable that he thinks sometimes what is not wise to be wise and what is wise not to be wise? Understanding the proportion among the other virtues, you will see how all boasting is excluded from the human race and truly all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace. Therefore, "Where then is boasting?" and answering his own prideful question, he says to himself, "It is excluded." Therefore, perhaps he adds, "Is God the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles?" For the law of God, more authoritative than the law of the letter, written on human hearts by God, is not for the Jews only, but also for the Gentiles.
But he who does not know that boasting has been excluded by the law of faith will boast out of ignorance, unaware even of what Solomon said, discernible to one having such a condition: "Who will boast to have a pure heart, or who will dare to say that they are clean from sins?"
What kind of God would He be, not just of the Jews hiddenly but also of the Gentiles outside of those? For if, according to their view, He is unbegotten, how would He also be the God of those not knowing Him spiritually? But if, as they distinguish, He is the Creator, how would He be the God of the spiritual ones? How, then, according to their views, could He be a God, not of the dead, but of the living, including the Gentiles or how would He be, as they might call it, a God of the psychic not attaining the denomination of those living?
It seems also through these things to represent that believing in Jesus, whether the circumcised or the uncircumcised, are saved while the former still perform what's in Moses' law as far as they can, the latter live according to Christ's freedom.
After this, let us consider in what way circumcision justified by faith differs from uncircumcision not from faith but by faith being justified. For it should not be assumed that Paul used "from" in the case of circumcision and "through" in the case of uncircumcision without reason. Nor does it appear elsewhere that he used these distinctions without purpose (such as in Corinthians where he says "The woman is from man, the man, however, through the woman"), and also speaking somewhere about God, "Through Him and from Him and to Him are all things." It seems to me that more closely related is "from something" to "from whom" than "through something" to "through whom" and more appropriate is "from something" to "from whom" than "through something" to "through whom." For the woman is primarily from the man and never through the man; indeed, a woman never comes from another to be through a man, especially when you hear these things concerning Adam and Eve because of "This is now bone from my bones and flesh from my flesh." But the man is never from the woman; rather, he too, being primarily from a man, subsequently comes to be through a woman; however, this no longer applies to Adam but to every man after him.
Again, the scripture would not have said, "All things came through God," but "All things came through the Word" and not from the Word, nor by the Word.