Romans 3:28Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

"Therefore we reckon that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the law." He did not say, a Jew, or one under the law.

Speaking more generally and opening the door of salvation to the whole world, he used the generic name and said, "a man." Then, proceeding from this word, the Apostle resolves an objection not stated here.

Since it was natural for the Jews to be displeased and scandalized when they heard that faith justifies every man, Paul added, "Or is God the God of Jews only?"

Faith, according to the Apostle James, is conviction in the reality of some religious truth, for example, the existence of God, together with outward confession of that conviction.

Confession may be hypocritical. Yet even when it is not, it testifies only to a judgment of the mind. It is the fruit of reasoning. Such faith, says James, cannot save a person.

The works of which James speaks consist in fulfilling Christian duties, for example, caring for widows and orphans and showing compassion to the poor. The motive for these works in James is also faith (Jas 2:22).

For Paul, faith is an entirely new and particular relation in which man stands toward Christ and, through Him, toward God.

Faith is both the beginning and the manner of an existence wholly different from the natural state. It is thought, desire, and action, in a word, a whole life animated by the Spirit of God and producing only what belongs to God.

James does not contradict this view. The works rejected by Paul are works called forth by the demands of the external law, commanded works, not voluntary actions of an inward disposition conformed to God's will.

Such legal works, being incomplete, do not together constitute perfect righteousness. The Apostle James says the same positively (Jas 2:10 and following).

Applying these concepts of faith and works to justification, we can express the Apostles' thoughts as follows. First, Paul says: one must believe, because faith alone gives man justification, forgiveness of sins, and salvation.

Works signify nothing. Justification is accomplished with regard to faith, and before a person has done anything to merit it. Grace gives such power to faith.

When a person has faith, then works follow of themselves. Indeed, they must follow; otherwise it would not be true faith. Yet justification is not given because of the works that follow faith, but because of the faith that precedes them.

Second, James teaches that a person must have good works, because they give justification to man, and not faith alone. Justification is accomplished as works enter in.

Faith must undoubtedly cooperate, συνεργεῖν, in their accomplishment (Jas 2:22). But where there are no works, faith is nothing. It is dead, that is, it remains without effect.

It becomes active and perfect only through the works which it produces. Thus both Apostles approach one and the same thing from different sides. In the end both require a living and active faith.

According to Paul, faith is necessary for justification, as the source of good works. According to James, good works are necessary for justification, because they are the fruit of faith.

Faith does it not only negatively, as the law does, but also positively. It not only brings a person to acknowledge the impossibility of justifying himself before God. It directly gives him this justification freely.

Can one boast of an acquisition received as a gift? Yet man has only this free means of justification. "For we conclude," says the Apostle, "that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the law" (Rom 3:28).

Therefore, whoever this man may be, and however strict a keeper of the law he imagines himself, he will still have nothing to boast about.

"Bring faith, and you will buy the garment of righteousness. You will put it on and be glorified brightly in it, however low your former condition may have been."

As ransom for us, God's insolvent debtors, Jesus Christ gave His Blood. Thus it would be clear that God has mercy on us and justifies us not arbitrarily, but according to righteousness.

By this righteousness, in the Old Testament He as it were passed over sins, looking toward the sufficient sacrifice of righteousness that was to be offered for us.

In the New Testament He did not punish believers for sins because this sacrifice had been offered. Thus both God's righteousness and His holiness were preserved.

There was no contradiction or discord between the Old Testament law, New Testament faith, and the spirit of grace. But if justification is given apart from the law, through faith, one naturally asks: What meaning did the law have?

Will it not be blasphemed? No, says the Apostle. He then shows that faith was the most important saving means even before the law, which was given only through Moses and for a time, during which it had its beneficial significance.

"He did not say, A Jew is justified, or one living under the law. Speaking more generally and opening the door of salvation to the whole human race, he used the generic name, the common designation of nature, saying, man" (Chrysostom; compare blessed Theodoret).

Just before this he stripped the Jew of this boasting, removed from works of the law their power to justify, and placed all humanity on one level in this respect. He pointed all to one path of salvation: faith in the Blood of the Lord.

Now he expresses the same thoughts in the form of a principle, yet still with the Jew in mind. For the Jew alone stood with the opinion that salvation was possible by another path.

Even after receiving the Gospel, he often did not quickly reconcile himself to the view that henceforth the condition of salvation was one for all. Therefore he added, "apart from works of the law," that is, apart from life according to the ordinances of the Old Testament institutions.

Works of the law give no one any assistance or advantage, whether for receiving the good tidings, appropriating its gracious powers, or living savingly according to its spirit.

"The Jews were troubled by two thoughts. First, that those who were not saved by works could be saved without works. Second, that the uncircumcised were given rights equal to the Jews, who had so long been trained in the law.

"This latter thought disturbed them much more than the first. Therefore the Apostle, having proved the first point, now passes to the latter.

"It so terrified the Jews that even after receiving the faith they were disturbed by it, and accused Peter over Cornelius and everything he did for his conversion" (Chrysostom).

What has been said was enough for instruction. Yet for greater persuasion the Apostle adds a general argument from sound reason, saying, "Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not also of Gentiles? Yes, of Gentiles also" (Rom 3:29).