Augustine of Hippo — Commentary on Scripture

Romans 3:22

How could Paul have promised glory, honor and peace to the good works of Gentiles apart from the grace of the gospel? Because there otherwise is no acceptance of persons with God. And because it is not the hearers but the doers of the law who are justified, he argues that all, whether Jew or Gentile, shall alike have salvation in the gospel.

THE SPIRIT AND THE LETTER 44

Romans 3:28

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.

Romans 3:30

The difference of preposition (“on the ground of” versus “through”) does not indicate any difference of meaning but serves simply to vary the phrase.

Romans 3:31

How should the law be upheld if not by righteousness? By a righteousness, moreover, which is of faith, for what could not be fulfilled through the law is fulfilled through faith.

AUGUSTINE ON ROMANS 19

Romans 3:31

Do we then make void freedom of choice through grace? God forbid! Rather, we establish freedom of choice. As the law is not made void by faith, so freedom of choice is not made void but established by grace. Freedom of choice is necessary to the fulfillment of the law. But by the law comes the knowledge of sin; by faith comes the obtaining of grace against sin; by grace comes the healing of the soul from sin’s sickness; by the healing of the soul comes freedom of choice; by freedom of choice comes the love of righteousness; by the love of righteousness comes the working of the law. Thus, as the law is not made void but established by faith, since faith obtains the grace whereby the law may be fulfilled, so freedom of choice is not made void but established by grace, since grace heals the will whereby righteousness may freely be loved.

THE SPIRIT AND THE LETTER 52

Romans 3:31

The law is confirmed by faith. Apart from faith the law merely commands, and it holds guilty those who do not fulfill its commands, so that it might thereafter turn to the grace of the Deliverer those groaning in their inability to do what is commanded.

QUESTIONS 66.1

Romans 4:2

Since Abraham without the law obtained glory not by the works of the law (as if he could fulfill the law in his own strength), since the law had not yet been given, the glory belongs to God, not to him. For he was justified not by his own merit, as if by works, but by the grace of God through faith.

AUGUSTINE ON ROMANS 20

Romans 4:4

Paul was speaking here of the way wages are given. But God gave by grace, because he gave to sinners so that by faith they might live justly, that is, do good works. Thus the good works which we do after we have received grace are not to be attributed to us but rather to him who has justified us by his grace. For if God had wanted to give us our due reward, he would have given us the punishment due to sinners.

AUGUSTINE ON ROMANS 21

Romans 4:5

The life of the soul is changeable. And when the soul lives in unrighteousness, that is its death; when again it becomes righteous, it becomes partaker of another life, which is not what itself is, inasmuch as by rising up to God, and cleaving to God, of Him it is justified. For it is said, "To him that believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." By forsaking God, it becomes unrighteous; by coming to Him, it is made righteous.

Tractates on John 19

Romans 4:5

God makes the ungodly man godly, in order that he might persevere in this godliness and righteousness. For a man is justified in order that he might be just, not so that he might think it is all right to go on sinning.

AUGUSTINE ON ROMANS 22

Romans 4:15

Paul said this because God’s wrath is more severe toward a transgressor who knows sin by the law and still commits it.

GRACE AND FREE WILL 10.22

Romans 4:15

This applies to the second state of man, when he is under the law.

AUGUSTINE ON ROMANS 23

Romans 4:17

Everything which God did not beget of himself but made through his Word he made not out of things which already existed but out of what did not exist at all, i.e., out of nothing.

THE NATURE OF THE GOOD 26

Romans 4:17

This means that faith is in the inner man, in the sight of God and not in human display, which is what the circumcision of the flesh is.

AUGUSTINE ON ROMANS 24

Romans 4:20

Paul says that Abraham “gave glory to God” when he was attacking those who were seeking their own glory in the sight of men by doing the works of the law.

AUGUSTINE ON ROMANS 25

Romans 4:21

God brings about the faith of the Gentiles, because he is able to perform what he has promised. If it is God who produces our faith, acting in a wondrous manner in our hearts so that we believe, surely we should not fear that he cannot do the entire work.

PREDESTINATION OF THE SAINTS 2.6

Romans 5:3

Paul says this in order to lead us gradually to the love of God, which he says that we have by the gift of the Spirit. He shows us that all those things which we might attribute to ourselves ought to be attributed to God, who was pleased to give us his Holy Spirit through grace.

AUGUSTINE ON ROMANS 26

Romans 5:5

It is through love that we are conformed to God, and being so conformed and made like to him, and set apart from the world, we are no longer confounded by those things which should be subject to us. This is the work of the Holy Spirit.

THE WAY OF LIFE OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH 1.13.23

Romans 5:5

It is not by ourselves but by the Holy Spirit who is given to us that this charity, shown by the apostle to be God’s gift, is the reason why tribulation does not destroy patience but rather gives rise to it.

GRACE AND FREE WILL 18.39

Romans 5:5

That God may be loved, the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts, not by the free choice whose spring is in ourselves but through the Holy Spirit, who is given to us.

THE SPIRIT AND THE LETTER 5.3