Homilies on Romans, Homily 9

“Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was credited to him as righteousness, but for us also, to whom it will be credited if we believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.” After saying many great things about Abraham, his faith, his righteousness, and his honor before God, Paul brings us close to the Patriarch again, so that the hearer will not say, What does this have to do with us, since he was the one justified? That is how powerful spiritual words are. For he says that a Gentile, someone who has only recently drawn near, someone who has done no work, is in no way inferior to the believing Jew (i.e. as a Jew), or even to the Patriarch. Indeed, if we must express this astonishing truth, he is much greater. For our birth is so noble that Abraham’s faith is only the type of ours. And Paul does not say, If it was credited to him, it will probably be credited to us too, since he does not want to make this a matter of logical inference. Instead, he speaks with the authority of the divine law and makes the whole point a declaration of Scripture. For why was it written, he asks, except to show us that we too were justified in this way? For we have believed in the same God, and concerning the same matters, even if the persons involved are different. And after speaking of our faith, he also mentions God’s unspeakable love for humanity, which he constantly presents from every angle, bringing the Cross before us. He now makes this clear by saying, Ver. 25. “Who was handed over for our offenses and was raised again for our justification.” See how, after mentioning the reason for His death, he makes that same reason a proof of the resurrection as well. For why, he means, was He crucified? Not for any sin of His own. And this is clear from the Resurrection. For if He were a sinner, how could He have risen? But if He rose, it is perfectly clear that He was not a sinner. But if He was not a sinner, how did He come to be crucified? For others—and if it was for others, then surely He rose again. Now, to keep you from saying, How did we come to be justified when we were accountable for such great sins? Paul points to One who wipes out all sins. In this way, both Abraham’s faith, through which he was justified, and the Savior’s Passion, through which we were freed from our sins, confirm what Paul has said. And after mentioning His Death, he also speaks of His Resurrection. For the purpose of His dying was not to leave us subject to punishment and condemnation, but to do us good. This is why He both died and rose again: to make us righteous. Chap. v. ver. 1. “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, let us have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” What does “Let us have peace” mean? Some say, “Let us not be at odds through a stubborn, petulant insistence on bringing in the Law.” But it seems to me that he is now speaking about how we live. For after saying so much about faith and placing it above righteousness through works, he says, “let us have peace,” to keep anyone from supposing that his words give them grounds for being careless. That is, let us stop sinning and never return to our former condition. For that is making war with God. “And how is it possible,” someone asks, “to sin no more?” How was the earlier thing possible? For if, when we were accountable for so many sins, we were freed from them all by Christ, much more will we be able through Him to remain in our present condition. For receiving peace when there was none and keeping it once it has been given are different things, since acquiring it is surely harder than keeping it. Yet the harder thing has been made easy and accomplished. We will therefore easily succeed in the easier thing if we cling to Him who has already done the other for us. But here he seems to me to suggest not only how easy this is, but also how reasonable. For if He reconciled us when we were openly at war with Him, it is reasonable that we should remain reconciled and give Him this reward, so that He may not appear to have reconciled stubborn, unfeeling creatures to the Father. Ver. 2. “Through Whom also we have access,” he says, “by faith into this grace.” (7 mss. add, unto, etc.) If, then, He brought us near to Himself when we were far away, much more will He keep us now that we are near. And please consider how he sets out these two points everywhere: His part and our part. On His part, however, there are many varied and different things. For He died for us, and also reconciled us, brought us to Himself, and gave us unspeakable grace. But our only contribution was faith. And so he says, “by faith, into this grace.” Tell me, what grace is this? Being considered worthy of knowing God, being pulled out of error, coming to know the Truth, obtaining all the blessings that come through Baptism. For He brought us near so that we might receive these gifts. We were reconciled not merely to receive forgiveness of sins, but also to receive countless benefits. He did not even stop there, but promised others: those inexpressible blessings that surpass both understanding and language. This is why Paul has mentioned both. By mentioning grace, he clearly points to what we have already received; but by saying, “And we rejoice in hope of the glory of God,” he reveals everything that is to come. And he was right to say, “in which we also stand.” For this is the nature of God’s grace. It has no end, it knows no limit, but always advances toward greater things. This is not how human affairs work. Here is an example of what I mean. Someone has acquired rule, glory, and authority, yet he does not remain in that position continually, but is quickly thrown out of it. Or if no one takes it from him, death comes and is certain to take it from him. But God’s gifts are different. Neither another person, nor circumstances, nor a crisis, nor even the Devil or death can come and drive us out of them. In fact, when we are dead, we possess them in a truer sense and continue to enjoy them more and more. So if you doubt the things to come, believe in them on the strength of what is present and what you have already received. This is why he says, “And we rejoice (καυχώμεθα) in hope of the glory of God”: so that you may learn what kind of soul the faithful ought to have. For we ought to be full of confidence not only about what has been given, but also about what will be given, as though it had already been given. For a person “rejoices” in what has already been given. Since, then, our hope for things to come is as certain and clear as our hope concerning what has been given, he says that we likewise “rejoice” in that too. This is also why he called them glory. For if it contributes to God’s glory, it will certainly happen; even if it does not happen for our sake, it will for His. And why am I saying (he means) that the blessings to come are things to glory in (καυχήσεως)? Even the evils of the present time can brighten our faces and allow us to find rest in them. This is why he also added, Ver. 3. “And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations.” Now consider how great the things to come must be, when we can be uplifted even by things that seem distressing. God’s gift is so great, and any unpleasantness in them amounts to so little! For with external goods, the struggle for them brings trouble, pain, and weariness, while the crowns and rewards bring pleasure. But here it is different: we find no less pleasure in the wrestling than in the rewards. For there were various trials in those days, and the kingdom existed in hope. Terrors were close at hand, while good things were still expected, and this unnerved the weaker believers. So even before the crowns, he gives them their prize now by saying that we should “glory even in tribulations.” And he does not say, “you should glory,” but “we glory,” encouraging them by including himself. Next, since what he has said seems strange and paradoxical—that someone struggling with famine, chains, torture, insults, and abuse ought to glory—he goes on to prove it. And (what is more), he says these are things to glory in not only because of things to come, but because of what they are in themselves at present. For tribulations are good in themselves. How so? Because they anoint us for patient endurance. This is why, after saying that we glory in tribulations, he adds the reason: “Knowing that tribulation produces patient endurance.” Notice again Paul’s skill in argument, how he turns their argument in the opposite direction. For since tribulations above all made them give up hope for things to come and drove them to despair, he says that these are the very reasons for confidence and for refusing to despair about things to come. For “tribulation,” he says, “produces patient endurance.” Ver. 4, 5. “And patient endurance, tested character; and tested character, hope; and hope does not put us to shame.” That is, tribulations are so far from disproving these hopes that they actually confirm them. For before the things to come are realized, tribulation bears a very great fruit: patient endurance, and the formation of tested character in the person who is tried. It also contributes in some measure to things to come, because it strengthens hope within us, since nothing inclines a person to hope for blessings so much as a good conscience. No one who has lived an upright life lacks confidence about things to come, whereas many who have been negligent feel the burden of a bad conscience and wish there were neither judgment nor retribution. What, then? Do our blessings exist in hope? Yes, in hope—but not merely human hopes, which often slip away and put the person who hoped to shame, when someone expected to support him dies or changes his attitude while still alive. That is not our lot: our hope is sure and unshakable. For He Who made the promise lives forever, and we who are to enjoy it, even if we die, will rise again. There is absolutely nothing that can put us to shame as people who were excited at random and to no purpose by unfounded hopes. Having fully removed their doubts with these words, he does not let his discussion rest on the present, but presses on again toward the future. He knows that there are weaker people who also look for present advantages and are not satisfied with those he has mentioned. So he offers them proof in blessings already given. Otherwise someone might say, But what if God is unwilling to give them to us? We all know that He can and that He continues to live, but how do we know that He is also willing to do it? From what He has already done. “What has He done?” He has shown His Love for us. By doing what? someone may ask. By giving the Holy Spirit. This is why, after saying, “hope does not put us to shame,” he goes on to prove it as follows: “Because the love of God is,” he does not say “given,” but “poured out in our hearts,” showing its abundance. He has therefore given the greatest gift possible—not heaven and earth and sea, but something more precious than any of these, which has transformed us from humans into Angels, indeed sons of God and brothers of Christ. But what is this gift? The Holy Spirit. Now, if He had not been willing to present us with great crowns after our labors, He would never have given us such mighty gifts before our labors. The warmth of His Love is now clear from this: He does not honor us gradually, little by little, but has poured out the full fountain of His blessings, even before our struggles. So if you are not especially worthy, do not despair, since you have your Judge’s Love as a mighty advocate for you. This is why Paul himself, by saying, “hope does not put us to shame,” has attributed everything to God’s love rather than our good deeds. But after mentioning the gift of the Spirit, he returns to the Cross, saying: Ver. 6–8. “For while we were still without strength, Christ died for the ungodly at the proper time. For hardly anyone will die for a righteous man, though perhaps someone would even dare to die for a good man. But God demonstrates His love toward us.” What he is saying is something like this. If no one would readily choose to die for a virtuous man, consider your Master’s love, when we see that He was crucified for sinners and enemies rather than virtuous people. He also says this afterward: “In that, if while we were sinners Christ died for us,” Ver. 9, 10. “Much more, then, since we have now been justified by His Blood, we will be saved from anger through Him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, we will be saved by His life.” What he has said may look repetitive, but it does not to anyone who pays close attention. Consider this. He wants to give them reasons for confidence about things to come. First he makes them feel ashamed by the righteous man’s conviction, saying that he too “was fully convinced that what God had promised He was also able to perform.” Next he draws on the grace that was given, then on tribulation as enough to lead us into hope, and again on the Spirit whom we have received. Next he establishes this from death and our former wickedness. And as I said, what he mentioned seems to be one thing, but turns out to be two, three, and many more. First, “He died”; second, it was “for the ungodly”; third, He “reconciled, saved, justified” us, made us immortal, and made us sons and heirs. So it is not only from His Death, he says, that we draw firm grounds for confidence, but also from the gift given to us through His Death. Indeed, if He had only died for creatures such as we are, what He did would be proof of the greatest love! But when we see Him both dying and giving us a gift—and such a gift, to such creatures—what He has done surpasses our highest conceptions and leads even the slowest to faith. For no one else will save us except He Who so loved us when we were sinners that He even gave Himself up for us. Do you see what grounds for hope this provides? Before this, there were two obstacles to our being saved: we were sinners, and our salvation required the Lord’s Death, something utterly incredible before it happened and requiring extraordinary love to bring it about. But now that this has happened, the remaining requirements are easier. For we have become friends, and there is no further need for Death. Will He, then, who so spared His enemies that He did not spare His Son, fail to defend them now that they have become friends, when He no longer needs to give up His Son? For when someone does not save, it is either because he does not want to, or because, even if he wants to, he is unable. Neither of these things can be said of God. That He is willing is clear from His having given up His Son. And He also proved that He is able by the very fact that He justified people who were sinners. What, then, can still prevent us from obtaining the things to come? Nothing! Then again, so that hearing about sinners, enemies, people without strength, and the ungodly will not make you feel ashamed and blush, listen to what he says. Ver. 11. “And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through Whom we have now received reconciliation.” What does “not only that” mean? Not only were we saved, he means, but we even glory for the very reason that some think we ought to hide our faces. For the fact that we who lived in such great wickedness were saved was a very great sign of how deeply we were loved by Him who saved us. For He saved us through His Only-begotten Son Himself, rather than through angels or archangels. So the fact that He saved us, saved us when we were in such a condition, and did it through His Only-begotten—and not merely through His Only-begotten, but through His Blood—weaves endless crowns for us to glory in. For nothing gives us so much glory and confidence as being treated as friends (φιλεἵσθαι) by God and finding a Friend (φιλεἵν) in Him who loves (ἀγαπὥντα) us. This is what makes the angels glorious, and the principalities and powers. This is greater than the Kingdom, and so Paul placed it above the Kingdom. This is also why I consider the incorporeal powers blessed: because they love Him and obey Him in everything. For this reason the Prophet also expressed his admiration for them: “You who excel in strength, who carry out His Word.” (Ps. ciii. 20.) And this is also why Isaiah praises the Seraphim, showing their great excellence through their standing near that glory, which is a sign of the greatest love. Let us, then, imitate the powers above and desire not only to stand near the throne, but to have Him who sits on the Throne dwelling in us. He loved us when we hated Him, and He continues to love us. “For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Matt. v. 45.) Since He loves us, love Him in return. For He is our Friend (φιλεἵ γὰρ). How is it, someone will ask, that someone who is our Friend threatens hell, punishment, and vengeance? This is solely because He loves us. Everything He does and concerns Himself with aims to root out your wickedness, to restrain your inclination toward evil with fear as with a bridle, and through blessings and pains to turn you back from your downward course, lead you up to Him, and keep you from all vice, which is worse than hell. But if you mock what is said and would rather live continually in misery than be punished for a single day, that is no surprise. For this is simply a sign of your immature judgment (ἀτελοὕς γνώμης), drunkenness, and incurable disorder. Even little children, when they see the physician about to apply a burning iron or a knife, run and leap away, screaming and convulsing. They choose to have a sore continually eating into their body rather than endure temporary pain and enjoy health afterward. But those who have reached an age of understanding know that being diseased is worse than submitting to the knife, just as being wicked is worse than being punished. For the one means being cured and becoming healthy; the other means ruining your constitution and remaining continually weak. Surely everyone can see that health is better than weakness. Thieves, then, ought to weep when they break through walls and murder, rather than when their sides are pierced. For if the soul is better than the body (as it is), there is more reason to groan and mourn when the soul is ruined. And if a person does not feel it, there is all the more reason to mourn. For those whose love is unrestrained ought to be pitied more than those with a raging fever, and those who are drunk more than those being tortured. But if these things are more painful, someone may ask, how do we come to prefer them? Because many people, as the proverb says, like what is worse, and choose it while passing over what is better. You can see this happening with food and forms of government, with the ambitions people pursue in life, with the enjoyment of pleasure, with wives, houses, slaves, lands, and everything else. For which, tell me, is more pleasurable: having sex with women or with males? With women or with mules? Yet we will still find many who pass over women, have sex with creatures without reason, and abuse the bodies of males. Yet natural pleasures are greater than unnatural ones. Still, many pursue things that are ridiculous, joyless, and accompanied by punishment, as though they were pleasurable. Well, someone may say, these things seem pleasurable to them. That alone is enough to make them miserable: they think things pleasurable that are not. In the same way, they suppose that punishment is worse than sin, when it is the other way around. Yet if punishment were an evil for the sinner, God would not have added evil to evil, for He who does everything to extinguish evil would not have increased it. Being punished, then, is no evil for the person who has done wrong. Rather, not being punished while in that condition is an evil, just as it is an evil for the sick not to be cured. (Plat. Gorg. p. 478, sqq.) For nothing is so evil as excessive desire. And by excessive desire I mean desire for luxury, misplaced glory, power, and, in general, anything that goes beyond what is necessary. This describes the person who lives a pampered, dissolute life: he seems to be the happiest of people, but is the most wretched, because he imposes harsh, tyrannical rulers on his soul. This is why God has made our present life a life of labor: to free us from that slavery and bring us into true freedom. This is why He threatened punishment and made labor part of our lot in life, muzzling our boastful spirit in this way. In this way the Jews too, when they were bound to working clay and making bricks, exercised self-control and constantly called on God. But when they enjoyed freedom, they grumbled, provoked the Lord, and pierced themselves with countless evils. What, then, someone may ask, will you say about those frequent cases of people who are changed for the worse by tribulations? I say that this results from their own weakness rather than from tribulation. For if someone had a weak stomach and could not take a bitter purgative medicine, but was made even worse by it, we would blame the weakness of the organ rather than the drug. Here too, we should blame the weakness of character. For someone who is changed in this way by tribulation is much more likely to be affected this way by ease. If he fails even when supported by a splint, (or tied) (which is what affliction does), much more will he fail when the bandage is removed. If he changes for the worse when held firm, much more will he when swollen (χαυνούμενος). And how, someone may ask, can I keep tribulation from changing me in this way? By reflecting that, whether you want to or not, you will have to bear what has been inflicted. But if you bear it with a thankful spirit, you will gain a great deal from it; whereas if you resent it, rage, and blaspheme, you will not make the calamity lighter, but will make its wave more turbulent. By thinking in this way, then, let us turn necessity into a matter of our own choice. Here is what I mean. Suppose one person has lost his son, another all his property. Reflect that what has happened cannot be undone, but that you can gain fruit from the misfortune, even though it cannot be repaired: the fruit of bearing the event nobly. And if, instead of speaking blasphemously, you offer words of thanksgiving to the Lord, the evils brought upon you against your will will become good deeds freely chosen. Have you seen a son taken away before his time? Say, “The Lord has given, the Lord has taken away.” Do you see your fortune exhausted? Say, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will return there.” (Job. i. 21.) Do you see evil people prospering and just people suffering and enduring countless troubles, without knowing where to find the reason? Say, “I became like a beast before You. Yet I am always with You.” (Ps. lxxiii. 22.) But if you want to search out the reason, reflect that He has fixed a day on which He will judge the world, and you will put aside your confusion. For then everyone will receive what they deserve, just as Lazarus and the rich man did. Remember the Apostles, for they too rejoiced at being flogged, driven from place to place, and subjected to countless sufferings, because they were “counted worthy to suffer shame for His Name’s sake.” (Acts v. 41.) And you too, if you are sick, bear it nobly, acknowledge your debt to God for it, and you will receive the same reward as they do. But how can you feel grateful to the Lord when you are weak and in pain? You will if you love Him sincerely. For if the Three Children who were thrown into the furnace, and others who were in prisons and countless other troubles, never stopped giving thanks, much more will those who are ill be able to do this. For there is nothing—certainly nothing—that intense desire cannot overcome. And when that desire is for God, it rises above everything. Neither fire, nor the sword, nor poverty, nor illness, nor death, nor anything else of that kind seems dreadful to someone who has gained this love. Instead, scorning them all, he will fly to heaven, and his affections will be in no way inferior to those of its inhabitants. He sees nothing else, neither heaven, nor earth, nor sea, but gazes only at the one Beauty of that glory. Neither will the troubles of this present life depress him, nor will its attractive and pleasant things excite him or puff him up. Let us, then, love with this love (for nothing equals it), both for the sake of present things and for the sake of things to come. Or rather, more than for these, for the nature of love itself. For we will be freed from the punishments both of this life and of the life to come, and we will enjoy the kingdom. Yet neither escaping hell nor enjoying the kingdom is anything great compared with what remains to be said. For greater than all these things is having Christ both as the One we love and as the One who loves us. For if loving and being loved by another human being surpasses every pleasure, what language or thought can convey the blessedness of the soul that both loves God and is loved by Him? Nothing can, except the experience itself. So that we may come to know by experience this spiritual joy, this blessed life, this untold treasure of good things, let us leave everything and cling to that love, both for our own joy and for the glory of God. For to Him belong glory and power, with His Only-begotten and the Holy Spirit, now and always, forever and ever. Amen.