Romans II.

17, 18

“ Behold, you are called a Jew, and restest in the Law, and makest your boast
of God, and know His will, and approves the things that are more excellent, being
instructed out of the Law.” After saying that the Gentile wants nothing
appertaining to salvation if he be a doer of the Law, and after making that
wonderful comparison, he goes on to set down the glories of the Jews, owing to
which they thought scorn of the Gentiles: and first the very name itself, which was
of great majesty, as the name Christian is now. For even then the distinction which
the appellation made was great. And so he begins from this, and see how he takes
it down. For he does not say, Behold, you are a Jew, but “art called” so, “and
makest your boast in God;” that is, as being loved by Him, and honoredabove all
other men. And here he seems to me to be gently mocking their
unreasonableness, and great madness after glory, because they misused this gift
not to their own salvation, but to set themselves up against the rest of mankind,
and to despise them. “And know His will, and approvest the things that are more
excellent.” Indeed this is a disadvantage, if without working: yet still it seemed to
be an advantage, and so he states it with accuracy. For he does not say, you do,
but know; and approvest, not followest and doest. "testest things that differ."
Ver. 29. “But he is a Jew which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the
heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter.”
By saying this he sets aside all things bodily. For the circumcision is outwardly,
and the sabbaths and the sacrifices and purifications: all of which he hints in a
single word, when he says, “For he is not a Jew which is one outwardly.” But
since much was made of the circumcision, inasmuch as even the sabbath gave
way to it John 7:22, he has good reason for aiming more especially against it. But
when he has said “in the spirit”he thereafter paves the way for the conversation of
the Church, and introduces the faith. For it too is in the heart and spirit and has its
praise of God. And how comes he not to show that the Gentile which does aright
is not inferior to the Jew which does aright, but that the Gentile which does aright
is better than the Jew which breaks the Law? It was that he might make the victory
an undoubted one. For when this is agreed upon, of necessity the circumcision of
the flesh is set aside, and the need of a good life is everywhere demonstrated. For
when the Greek is saved without these, but the Jew with these is yet

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 punished, Judaismstands by doing nothing. And by Greek he again means not
the idolatrous Greek, but the religous and virtuous, and free from all legal
observances.
Ver. 4. “God forbid.” The word ἐ πιστεύθησαν, then, proclaims God's gift.
And I would have you here also note his judgment. For again he does not bring in
his accusation of them on his own part, but as it were by way of objection, as if he
said, But perhaps you will say, 'What then is the use of this circumcision since
they used it not as was fitting, since they were trusted with the Law and were
unfaithful to the trust?' And hitherto he is not a severe accuser, but as if to clear
God of complaints against Him, he by this means turns the whole of the
accusation round upon themselves. For why, he would say, do you complain that
they did not believe? And how does this affect God? For as for His benefit, does
the ingratitude of those benefited overturn it? Or does it make the honor to be
no honor? For this is what the words, “Shall their unfaithfulness make the faith of
God without effect,” amount to. “God forbid.” As if one should say, I
have honored such an one. And if he did not receive the honor, this gives no
ground for accusing me, nor impairs my kindness, but shows his want of feeling.
But Paul does not say this merely, but what is much more. That not only does their
unbelief not leave the soil of complaint upon God, but even shows
His honor and love of man to be the greater, in that He is seen to have
bestowed honor upon one who would dishonor Him. See how he has brought
them out guilty of misdemeanors by means of what they gloried in; forasmuch as
the honor with which Godtreated them was so great, that even when He saw what
would come thereof, He withheld not His good-will toward them! Yet they made
the honors bestowed on them a means of insulting Him that Honor them! Next,
since he said, “For what if some did not believe?” (while clearly it was all of them
that did not believe,) lest by speaking here too as the history allowed him, he
should seem to be a severe accuser of them like an enemy, he puts that, which
really took place, in the method of reasoning and syllogism, saying as
follows: “Yea, let God be true, but every man a liar.” What he says is something of
this sort. I do not mean, he says, that some did not believe, but if you will, suppose
that all were unbelieving, so waiving what really happened, to fall in with the
objector, that he might seem overbearing or to be suspected. Well, he says, in this
way God is the more justified. What does the word justified mean? That, if there
could be a trial and an examination of the things He had done for the Jews, and of

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 what had been done on their part towards Him, the victory would be with God, and
all the right on His side. And after showing this clearly from what was said before,
he next introduces the Prophet also as giving his approval to these things, and
saying, “that You might be justified in Your sayings, and clear when You are
judged.” Psalm 51:4 He then for His part did everything, but they were nothing the
better even for this. Then he brings forward after this another objection that
arises, and says,
Ver. 5. “But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall
we say? Is God unrighteous Who takes vengeance? I speak as a man.”

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