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 ROMANS

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ROMANS

firmly that, according to God's word, Israel is first culled to salvation (i, IG; ii, 10), explicitly proclaim- ing the preference shown to it (iii, 1-2; ix, 4-5 — the Divine promises. Divine sonship, the Covenant and the Law, and, greatest privilege of all, the origin of the Messias, the true God, in Israel according to the flesh — XV, 8). Paul willingly recognizes the zeal of the people for the things of God, although their zeal is misdirected (ix, 31 sq.; x, 2).

Such being his feelings towards the Chosen People, it is not surprising that Paul's heart is filled with bitter grief at the blindness of the Jews, that he besieges God with prayer, that he is guided throughout his life of self- sacrificing apostolic labours by the hope that thereby his brethren may be won for the Faith (ix, 1-2; x, 1; xi, 13-14), that he would be prepared — were it possible — to forego in his own case the happiness of union with Christ, if by such a renunciation he could secure for his brethren a place in the heart of the Saviour.

These utterances can offer a stumbling-block only to those who do not understand St. Paul, who cannot fathom the depths of his apostolic charity. If we study closely the character of tlie Apostle, realize the fervour of his feelings, the warmtli of his love and devotion to Christ's work and Per.son, we shall recognize how spontaneously these feelings flow from such a heart, how natural they are to such a noble, unselfish nature. The more recognition and confidence Paul won from the Gentiles in the course of his apostolate, the more bitter must have been the thought that Israel refused to understand its God, stood aloof peevish and hos- tile, and in its hatred and blindness even persecuted the Messias in His Church and oppo.sed as far as possible th(^ work of His Apostles. These were the hardest things for love to bear, they explain the abrupt, determined break with and the ruthk^ss warfare against the (Icstiuctix'c s])irit of uiihcHcf, wIkmi Paul sees tliat he can [jrotcct the Cliurcli of Christ in no other way. Hence he has no toleration for insistence on the practice of the Law within the Christian fold, since such insistence is in the last analysis the spirit of Juda- ism, which is inconipatil)le with the spirit of Christ and the Divine election to grace, for such assistance would by practice of the law supplement or set a seal on Faith. But from the same apostolic love springs also the truly practical spirit of consideration which Paul preaches and exercises (I Cor., ix, 20-22), and which he demands from others everywhere, so long as the Gosfjcl is not thereby jeopardized. One can easily understand how such a man can at one moment become inflamed with bitter resentment and holy anger, showing no indulgence when his life's work is threatened, antl can later in a lu-accfu! hour forget all, recognizing in the offender only a misguided lirother, wliose fault arises, not from malice, but from ignorance. In a soul which loves deeply anil keenly one might expect the co- existence of such contrasts; they s])ring from a single root, a powerful, zealous, all-compelling charity — that certainty of St. Paul the Apostle of the Gentiles.

VII. Theological Contents: Faith and Works. — The theological importance of the Epistle to the Romans lies in its treatment of the great fundamental problem of justification; other important questions (e. g., original sin — v, 12-21) are treated in connexion with and from the standjjoint of justification In the Epistle to the Galatians Paul had already defended his teaching against the attacks of the extreme Jewish Christians ; in contrast with the Epistle to the Galatians, that to the Romans was not evoked by the excitement of a polemical warfare. The discussion of the ques- tion in it is deeper and wider. The fundamental doc- trine which Paul proclaims to all desirous of salvation is as follows: In the case of all men the call to the Messianic salvation is absolutely dependent on the free election of God; no merit or ability of the individ- ual, neither inclusion among the descendants of Abra- ham nor the practice of the Law, gives a title to this XIII.— 11

grace. God zealously watches over the recognition of this truth; hence the emphasizing of faith (i, 16 sq.; iii, 32, 24-30; iv, 2 sqq., 13-25; v, 1, etc.); hence the stress laid upon the redemptory act of Christ, which benefits us, the enemies of God (iii, 24 sq.; iv, 24 sq.; v, G-10, 15-21; vii, 25; viii, 29 sqq.); we owe our whole salvation and the inalienable certainty of salvation to the propitiatory and sanctifying power of the Blood of Christ (viii, 35-39).

From this standpoint the second part (ix-xi) de- scribes the action of Divine providence, which is more than once revealed under the Old Dispensation, and which alone corresponds with the grandeur and sovereign authority of God. Hence the irresponsive attitude of Israel becomes intelligible; the Jews blocked their own path by considering themselves en- titled to claim the Messianic Kingdom on the grounds of their personal justice In view of this repugnant spirit, God was compelled to leave Israel to its own resources, until it should stretch out its hand after the merciful love of its Creator; then would the hour of salvation also strike for the People of the Covenant (ix, 30 sqq.; x, 3-21; xi, 32)

Securing of Salvation. — To the question how man obtains salvation, St. Paul has but one answer: not by natural powers, not by works of the Law, but by faith, and indeed by faith without the works of the Law (iii, 28). At the very beginning of the Epistle Paul refers to the complete failure of natural powers (i, 18-32), and repeatedly returns to this idea but he lays the greatest emphasis on the inadequacy of the Law. From the Jews this statement met with serious opposition. What does the Apostle mean then when he preaches the necessity of faith?

Faith is for St. Paul often nothing else than the Gosjx'l, i. e., the whole economy of salvation in Christ (Gal., i, 23; iii, 23, 25, etc.); often it is the teaching of faith, the {mwlamation of the faith, and the life of faith (Rom., i, 5; xii, G; xvi, 2G; Gal., iii, 2; Acts, vi, 7; Rom., i, 8; II Cor., i, 23; xi, 15; xiii, 5; Acts, xiii, 8; xiv, 21; xvi, 5). That according to all these conceptions salvation comes only by faith without the works of the Law, needs no demonstration. But to what faith was Abraham indebted for his justification? (iv, 3, 9, 13-22; Gal., iii, 6). Abraham had to believe the word of God, that is hold it for certain. In the case of the Christian the same faith is demanded: "to believe that we shall live also together with Christ: knowing that Christ rising again from the dead, dieth now no more" (vi, 8-9); "If thou confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thy heart that God hath raised him up from the dead, thou shalt be saved" (x, 9). This faith is undeniably belief on the authority of God (dogmatic faith). The same concep- tion of faith underlies all the exhortations to submit ourselves in faith to God; submission presupposes the conviction of faith (i, 5; vi, lG-19; x, IG; xv, 18).

The faith described in the Epistle to the Romans, as elsewhere in St. Paul's writings and in the New Testa- ment in general, is furthermore a trusting faith, e. g., in the case of Abraham, whose trust is specially extolled (iv, 17-21; cf. iii, 3, unbelief and the fidelity of God). So far is this confidence in God's fidelity from excluding dogmatic faith that it is based undeniably on it alone and unconditionally requires it. Without the unswerv- ing acceptance of certain truths (e. g., the Messiahship, the Divinity of Christ, the redemptory character of Christ's death, the Resurrection, etc.), there is for St. Paul, as he never fails to make clear in his Epistles, no Christianity. Therefore, justifying faith comprises dogmatic faith as well as hope. Again, it would never have occurred to St. Paul to conceive baptism as other than necessary for salvation; Romans itself offers the surest guarantee that baptism and faith, viewed of course from different standpoints, are alike necessary for justification (vi, 3 sqq.; Gal., iii, 2G sq.). The turning away from sin is also necessary for ius-