I doubt it will be worth spending too much time exposing the value of this epistle, my uncertainty is based on the simple fear that commenting on it will affect or minimize its greatness, and that my observations will not simply obscure it, rather than also because, in its early days, the epistle is increasingly explained, in much clearer terms , than any comment could describe, so I would better introduce myself. This fact will show, without a doubt, that among the many remarkable virtues, the epistle has one, in particular, that is never sufficiently appreciated, namely: if we achieve a true understanding of this epistle, we will have opened a very wide door to the deepest treasures of the scriptures.
The whole epistle is so methodical that the beginning itself is artistically composed. The writer’s art is well known in many respects, which we will notice as we move forward in reading, but it is particularly evident in the way the main plot unfolds. Having begun with the evidence of her apostolate, she departs from this subject to enhance the Gospel, but since this elevation [of the Gospel] is inevitably accompanied by a controversy over faith, she goes through it by taking the text as therefore enters into the main theme of the whole epistle, which is justification for faith.
- In the discussion on this subject.
- “justification by faith.
- ” included chapters one through five.
- Therefore.
- The theme of these chapters can be formulated in the following way: man only finds his justification in the mercy of God.
- In Christ.
- When it is offered in the Gospel and received by faith; but man sleeps in his sins.
- And there he will be content to err on the false idea of justice.
- An idea that makes him believe that there is no need to obtain justice by faith.
- Unless he has already awakened to the futility of self-confidence.
- On the other hand.
- He is so intoxicated by the pleasures of his lust.
- And so deeply immersed in his reckless state.
- That he is unlikely to wake up to pursue [divine] justice.
- Unless he is stung by the fear of divine judgment.
- Therefore.
- It does two things.
- Namely: it convinces man of his wickedness; then wakes him up from his laziness.
In the first place, it condemns the entire human race, from the moment of the creation of the world, for its ingratitude, because there is no one who recognizes the Supreme Artificer in the immeasurable excellence of his works. In fact, when men are forced to acknowledge him, they do not honor his majesty with due respect; on the contrary, in their madness, they defile and dishonor it. He accuses all men of this evil, which is the most detestable of all crimes. To prove more precisely that all mankind has turned away from the Lord, the apostle reports the putrid and terrifying acts that men everywhere can commit. It is a conclusive argument that they have apostatized from God, because such wicked acts are proof of divine wrath and are only found in the wicked. However, the Jews and some Gentiles hid their inner wickedness with a cloak of outer holiness, and it does not appear in any way that they were condemned for such wrongdoing, and therefore assumed they were exempt from the common condemnation. that weighs on all men. That is why the apostle addresses his statements against this secret holiness. Since such a mask of sanctity could hardly be removed from sanctuaries [sanctulis? inferior saints], Paul calls them to appear before the court of God, whose eyes never fail to see even the most secret desires of men.
Then he divided his speech, placing Jews and Gentiles separately before the divine tribunal; in the case of the Gentiles, it deprives them of the pretext of ignorance, which they defend, because their conscience, he said, was a law for them. and for that reason they were fully convinced that they were guilty; As for the Jews, he strongly urges them to accept the very fact for which they have defended themselves, namely the Scriptures, once they turned out to be lawbreakers. Scripture, they could no longer justify their wickedness, because the divine lips had already pronounced the sentence against them; at the same time, the apostle warns against the objection that they could do well to him, that is, that the divine covenant, which was for them the emblem of holiness, would have been violated if no distinction had been made between them and others.
This shows, first of all, that his possession of the pact was more excellent than in reference to others, as they bet on him in his infidelity. However, in order not to damage the fidelity of divine promise, he also affirms that the covenant gave them a privilege, but that it consisted of God’s mercy and not his own merits. Therefore, with regard to their particular qualifications, they have remained at the same level as the Gentiles. Then prove, by the authority of the scriptures, that Jews and Gentiles are all sinners. At this point, reference is also made to the use of the law.
By openly stripping all mankind of confidence in his own virtue and boasting of his own righteousness, as well as letting it succumb to divine judgment, he returns to his previous proposition, that is, we are justified by faith. Explain what faith means and how we can achieve the righteousness of Christ through faith itself.
To this, he adds, at the end of the third chapter, an excellent conclusion, to stifle the impetus of human pride, and hinder his daring to go against the grace of God, lest the Jews come to restrict the immeasurable divine favor for their own nation, also claimed it for the Gentiles.
In Chapter IV, in order to confirm his opinion, he presents a clear and remarkable example, therefore, without the possibility of reply: since Abraham is the father of the faithful, he must be considered the standard and general model, having proved so that Abraham was justified by faith, teaches us that we must continue on this path. Unlike opponents, the Apostle adds that justice [to proceed] from the works disappears where we give way to justice [to proceed] from the faith. confirmed by David’s testimony that, once man’s bliss depended on divine mercy, he deprives human works of virtue to make man happy.
He then more consistently addresses the subject he touched on only a little, namely: the Jews had no reason to rise above the Gentiles, for this bliss is common to both. Take advantage to make some comments in this passage about the use of circumcision, then add that the promise of salvation depends only on divine munficence; If it were up to the law, then it would not bring peace to human consciences, where it must be firmly established and will never be consolidated, so for our salvation to be solid and guaranteed, we must embrace and take into account only the truth of God, and nothing in ourselves, in this it is urgent that He follows the example of Abraham, who deviated his attention from himself and directed it only to the power of God. At the end of the chapter, compare two things, which have similar comparison points, to make an application broader. example he quoted.
Chapter five highlights the fruit and effects of the justice [procedure] of the faith, but is almost entirely dedicated to broadening what the Apostle said, to further clarify his point of view. He has had much discussion to show how we, who have been redeemed and reconciled with God, must expect from his love, which he has spread so richly about sinners, that he has given us his only and beloved Son. He then makes a comparison between sin and free justice, Christ and Adam. , death and life, law and grace. Hence, however many our mistakes may be, they are destroyed by infinite divine munoficence.
In chapter six he takes another look at the sanctification we obtain in Christ. It is natural that our flesh, as soon as it has tasted a little of the knowledge of grace, surrenders to its vices and desires, without any disturbance, as if it were already totally free from all dangers. Against this, the apostle affirms that we cannot receive the righteousness of Christ without, at the same time, also receiving his sanctification. He presents his argument based on baptism, by which we are initiated into the participation of Christ [per Quem in Christi participationem initmur]. In baptism we are buried with Christ to die to ourselves and be resurrected through his life for a new life. Therefore, no one can put on the righteousness of Christ without first being regenerated. Paul uses this fact as the basis of his admonition to the purity and sanctity of life. Such purity and holiness must be demonstrated in those who have renounced the ruthless indulgence of the flesh, which seeks in Christ a greater freedom from sin; yes, those who have passed from the kingdom of sin to the kingdom of righteousness. Paul also briefly mentions the annulment of the law, in which the New Testament shines, because the Holy Spirit is promised to us in him, with the remission of sins.
In Chapter Seven, she begins an impartial discussion about the usefulness of the law, mentioned that when we talk about another topic beforehand, we have freed ourselves from the law, she says, because she, in herself, can only condemn us. So that his argument does not expose the law to disapproval, he strongly insists that he is free from all charges, it is our fault, he explains, if the law, which was given to us for life, turned out to be a vehicle of death; at the same time, it explains how the law inflates sin; from this topic, he goes on to describe the battle that unfolds between the Spirit and the flesh, lived by God’s children when they are trapped. through the chains of our mortal bodies. Believers carry with them the remnants of greed, for which they are continually lost by their obedience to the law.
Chapter Eight contains consolations that come to the rescue of the conscience of the believers, lest she be strangled by terror or succumb, discovering that she has broken the law or recognizing that her obedience is too much. imperfect, to what we already were. accused before. But, so that the wicked have no reason to be angry, he first affirms that this benefit belongs only to the regenerate, in whom the Spirit of God lives and whom it enriches. Therefore, it explains two truths. First, those who are grafted onto Christ our Lord by His Spirit are out of danger or face condemnation, even though they are held responsible for their [current] sins. Second, if those who remain in the flesh lack the sanctification of the Spirit, none of them have a part in this great blessing. Then he explains how the assurance of our faith is immeasurable, since, by the very witness of the Spirit of God, he removes all our doubts and fears. It also shows, anticipating objections, that our assurance of eternal life cannot be interrupted or disturbed by the anxieties of this present life, to which we are subject in our earthly life. Rather, our salvation is aided by such tribulations and, compared to the excellence of our salvation, all our present suffering is considered nothing. He affirms it from the example of Christ, that is to say: as he is the Firstborn and the Head of the family of God, he is the image to which we must conform. . Therefore, seeing that our salvation is guaranteed, he concludes on a splendid note of praise, in which he joyfully triumphs over the power and device of Satan.
Were most men terribly upset when they looked at the Jews?Who were the main guardians and heirs to the pact?They rejected Christ, because this fact showed them that the covenant had been removed from the posterity of Abraham, that he snlayed its realization, or that Christ was not the promised Redeemer, for he had made no better arrangements for the people of Israel.
Paul therefore begins to answer this objection at the beginning of chapter nine. He begins by speaking of divine love for the people of the covenant, so that he does not give the impression that he has spoken mischievously. At the same time, he makes a kind reference to the distinctions by which Jews stand out over other nations, and gradually overlooks his task of eliminating the scandal emanating from Israel’s blindness. He divides the children of Abraham into two lineages, in order to show that all those who were his physical descendants should not be considered as his descendants and participate in the grace of the covenant. On the contrary, even strangers become his children once entered into the covenant by faith. There is an example of this truth in the case of Jacob and Esau, so Paul refers us here to divine choice, which we have to consider as the source of all this problem. Since our choice is based solely on divine mercy, we seek its cause in human dignity for nothing. However, on the other hand, we have divine rejection. Although the justice of this rejection is beyond question, there is no other cause than the will of God. Towards the end of the chapter, it shows that the prophets witnessed the pagan call and the rejection of the Jews.
In chapter ten, he repeats his love for the Jews, and declares that the trust infused in his works was the cause of his destruction, deprives them of using the law as an excuse, saying that the law also guides us to justice [by this righteousness, he adds, is offered indiscriminately to all nations by divine munacence, but is accepted only by those whom the Lord enlightens with special grace. Although more Gentiles than Jews obtained this blessing, it shows that it was also prophesied by Moses and Isaiah: the first prophesied of the call of the Gentiles; and the last, about the hardening of the Jews.
However, the question remained whether the divine covenant made a difference between Abraham’s seed and the other nations. In search of an answer, Paul first reminds us that God’s work should not be limited to what the eye can see, because the choice is sometimes beyond our comprehension. Elijah was initially wrong when he concluded that religion had perished in Israel, because there were still seven thousand alive. The apostle also invites us not to worry about the large number of unbelievers, for whom the gospel is nothing but disgusting. Finally, it states that the covenant persists even among the physical descendants of Abraham, but is only effective among those whom the Lord predestined by his sovereign choice. Therefore, he returns to the Gentiles and warns them not to forget not to boast of their adoption. They cannot exclude the Jews as if they had been peremptorily rejected, since the Lord accepts them only through the prism of grace, which must be the cause of their humility. The divine covenant has not been completely erased from the progeny of Abraham, because the Jews are, in a way, challenged to emulate by the faith of the Gentiles, so that God can draw all Israel to him.
The following three chapters are plant-based, but each is different from the other. Chapter Twelve contains general guidelines for Christian life. Chapter Thirteen deals, for the most part, with the authority of the magistrates. Some agitated people were likely to have imagined that there could be no Christian freedom without the first destruction of civilian power. To avoid the appearance of imposing duties on the Church beyond those related to love, Paul shows that this obedience is also part of love. Then add the precepts that govern our lives, that you’ve already talked about.
Chapter Fourteen addresses an exhortation especially necessary for this period: there were some, whose stubborn superstition led them to insist on observance of mosaic rites, because they could not bear to see them neglected without feeling even more offended. On the other hand, those who were aware of their cancellation, in order to destroy such superstition, deliberately suggested that they did not respect them. Both sides were offended by their excesses. The superstitious despised others as mockers of divine law; while mocking their naivety, so the Apostle recommends both this judicious discretion and invites the former to contain their contempt and exaggeration, and the latter to avoid any kind of scandal; at the same time, it prescribes the best way to exercise Christian freedom, which remains within the limits of love and building. To the weak, he gives them good advice by forbidding them from doing anything that offends their own conscience.
Chapter Fifteen begins with a repetition of his general argument as the conclusion of his entire subject, namely: the strong must use his strength to confirm the weak. Since Jews and Gentiles lived in a permanent controversy over mosaic ceremonies, he resolved any rivalry. among them, suppressing the cause of their pride, which shows that their salvation is based solely on divine mercy; in it they must place their trust and they must set aside all thoughts in their own exaltation, because it is by divine mercy that they remain united in the hope of a single inheritance and can embrace each other with all warmth.
Finally, wanting to deviate to excel his own apostolate, which ensured with little authority his doctrine, he took the opportunity to defend himself and reproach the suspicion of having assumed among them the position of teacher with too much confidence. some reasons to await his visit among them, although, as he said at the beginning of the epistle, until now he had sought and tried in vain to do so, explains why he had previously been prevented from visiting them, that is, the churches of Macedonia and Aaya entrusted him with the task of bringing to Jerusalem the gifts they collected to provide for believers living in that city.
Chapter Sixteen is devoted almost entirely to greetings, although there are some admirable precepts here and there, and ends with a remarkable prayer.
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