Augustine of Hippo — Commentary on Scripture

Romans 1:1

By these two words, called and set apart, Paul distinguishes between the church, which is acceptable to God, and the synagogue, whose glory has faded away. The church (i.e., ecclesia) is so called because it “calls forth”: the synagogue, because it “gathers together.”

RUDIMENTARY EXPOSITION OF THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS 2.1-3, 5

Romans 1:2

The prophets arose from the Jewish people, and Paul testifies that the gospel, in which believers are justified by faith, had been promised earlier through them.… For there are Gentile prophets as well, in whom also are found some things which they heard of Christ and prophesied. This sort of thing is even said about the Sibyl [Virgil, Eclogues 4.4] … but the writings of the Gentiles, so very full of superstitious idolatry, ought not to be considered holy just because they say something about Christ.

RUDIMENTARY EXPOSITION OF THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS 3

Romans 1:4

With respect to this predestination Christ was glorified before the foundation of the world, so that as a result of his resurrection from the dead he might have glory at the Father’s right hand, where he now sits. Thus, when he saw that his predestined glorification had come, in order that what had already been done by predestination might now also take place in fact, he prayed: “Father, glorify thou me in thy own presence with the glory which I had with thee before the world was made.”

COMMENTARY ON JOHN 105.8

Romans 1:4

Jesus was predestined, so that he who was to be the Son of David according to the flesh should nonetheless be in power the Son of God, according to the Spirit of sanctification, for he was born of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary. This is that unique act, performed in an ineffable manner, the assumption of a man by the Word of God, so that he might truly and properly be called at once the Son of God and the Son of Man—the Son of Man because of the man who was assumed, the Son of God because of the only begotten God who assumed him.

ON PREDESTINATION 15.31

Romans 1:4

Christ is the son of David in weakness according to the flesh but Son of God in power according to the Spirit of sanctification.… Weakness relates to David but life eternal to the power of God.

RUDIMENTARY EXPOSITION OF THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS 5

Romans 1:4

Paul had to oppose the unbelief of those who accept our Lord Jesus Christ only according to the man whom he put on but do not understand his divinity, which sets him apart from every other creature.

RUDIMENTARY EXPOSITION OF THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS 4

Romans 1:5

Paul preserves the main point of his case very well, so that no one would dare say that he has been led to the gospel because of the merits of his previous life. How could one claim this, when even the apostles themselves … could not have received their own apostleship unless they had first … received grace, which cleanses and justifies sinners?

RUDIMENTARY EXPOSITION OF THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS 6

Romans 1:6

Paul teaches here that this salvation had come not only to the Jews, as some Jewish Christians thought.

RUDIMENTARY EXPOSITION OF THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS 6

Romans 1:7

Instead of saying “greetings,” Paul says “Grace to you and peace.” Grace then is from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, by which our sins, which had turned us from God, are forgiven; and from them also is this peace, whereby we are reconciled to God. Since through grace hostilities dissolve once sins are remitted, now we may cling in peace to him from whom our sins alone had torn us.… But when these sins have been forgiven through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, we shall have peace with no separation between us and God.

RUDIMENTARY EXPOSITION OF THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS 8

Romans 1:7

Here again Paul has emphasized God’s grace rather than the saints’ merit, for he does not say “to those loving God” but rather “to God’s beloved.”

RUDIMENTARY EXPOSITION OF THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS 7

Romans 1:17

He who claims to be just without faith is a liar. Sermons for the Feast of the Nativity, Homily

Romans 1:17

What is now the church, prior to the appearance of what will be, lives in toils and afflictions, and in her the just live by faith.

Romans 1:17

This righteousness is the grace of the New Testament, by which the faithful are just as long as they live by faith, until by the perfection of righteousness they are brought to the face-to-face vision, as they are also brought to the immortality of the body itself, by the perfection of salvation.

THE SPIRIT AND THE LETTER 18.11

Romans 1:18

Those whom the apostle reproved knew but did not give thanks and, claiming to be wise, actually became fools and fell into idolatry. For when the apostle spoke to the Athenians, he showed plainly that the wise among the Gentiles had discovered the Creator.… He condemned the unbelief of the Gentiles first, in order to show that they could obtain grace if they converted. For it would be unjust for them to suffer a penalty for unbelief but not obtain the reward of faith.

AUGUSTINE ON ROMANS 3

Romans 1:20

How does Paul mean that they are without excuse, except by reference to a kind of excuse that usually prompts human pride to voice such protestations as: “If only I had known, I would not have done it.” … This kind of excuse is taken away from them when a precept is given or when the knowledge of how to avoid sin is made clear to them.

GRACE AND FREE WILL 2.2

Romans 1:20

Notice that Paul does not call them ignorant of the truth but says that they held the truth in iniquity, and he does not fail to answer the obvious question: How could those to whom God had not given the law have a knowledge of the truth? For he says that through the visible things of the creation they reached an understanding of the invisible things of the Creator.

THE SPIRIT AND THE LETTER 19.12

Romans 1:20

Invisible things are seen in a special and appropriate way. When they are seen they are much more certain than the objects of the bodily sense, but they are said to be invisible because they cannot be seen by mortal eyes.

LETTER 120

Romans 1:21

If they had given thanks to God who gave this wisdom, they would not have claimed any credit for their own ideas. Therefore they were given over by the Lord to the desires of their own hearts, and did improper things.

AUGUSTINE ON ROMANS 4

Romans 1:21

Surely that darkening of the heart was already a penalty and punishment, and by that penalty, that is by the blinding of the heart because of the abandonment by the light of wisdom, they fell into more and more serious sins.

ON NATURE AND GRACE 22.24

Romans 1:22

It is pride that turns man away from wisdom, and folly is the consequence of turning away from wisdom.

ON FREE WILL 24.72