Sin is known by the law. But now, independently of the law, the righteousness of God has appeared, of which the law and the prophets testify.

If you, Jew, boast of the law, know that it is the cause of a greater punishment for you. For through him thou hast learned sin, and whoever sins consciously threatens him with a greater punishment. But this happened through your negligence, for you did not flee from the sin that became known to you, and therefore brought upon yourself a greater punishment. How will you be freed from this punishment? If you accept God's righteousness, independent of the law. For God will justify us, even though we have no works; for God is almighty. He expressed it beautifully: it appeared in order to show that the truth of God existed before, but was hidden. And by the words of which the law and the prophets testify, it also shows that it is not something new, but that both the law of Moses and the prophets spoke of it, wherefore it is worthy of acceptance; for although it is independent of the law, yet it is in perfect accord with the law to justify us.

The righteousness of God is through faith in Jesus Christ in all and on all who believe, for there is no difference, because all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely, by His grace, through redemption in Christ Jesus.

This righteousness, he says, that is, the justification by which God has justified us, descends upon all through faith. When we offer faith, all are justified, Jews and Gentiles. For there is no difference. A Jew is not preferred to a Gentile because he has received the law. For he also sinned, since from the law he learned only how to recognize sin, and not how to avoid it. Even if he did not sin as much as the heathen, he is equally devoid of glory, because he has offended God, and the offender reaps the fruit not of glory, but of ignominy. But don't despair. All are justified freely by the grace of God, and this grace comes through redemption, that is, through the complete deliverance made by Christ, for He justified us by giving Himself as a ransom for us.

Whom God has offered as a propitiation sacrifice in His blood through faith, to show His righteousness in the forgiveness of sins committed before, in the time of God's longsuffering, to show His righteousness at the present time, that He may appear righteous and justifying him who believes in Jesus.

He mentioned purification (by the sacrifice of propitiation) and blood, in order to convince the Jew that forgiveness and justification are accomplished through Christ. If, he reasons, you believed that sins were forgiven by the blood of sheep; how much more are they resolved by the blood of Christ, and if the purification of the law, being the image of Christ, had such power, then the truth itself has much greater power. "Purification" (purgatory) was the name given to the cover of the ark, decorated with cherubim placed on both sides of it. It pointed to human nature, which was the veil of divinity that covered Him, but was glorified by the angelic powers that served Him by reason of his union with God the Word. He said it in order to show that deliverance by the Blood of Christ was predestined from ancient times for healing from paralysis, that is, deadening from sins committed before, during the time of God's longsuffering. For although we have enjoyed much goodness, yet we have become like the paralytic and the dead. And this happened to show the truth of God, so that not only God Himself would appear righteous, but also others who were dead in sin could be resurrected and justified, just as the manifestation of wealth consists in the fact that someone should not only be rich himself, but also be able to make others rich. Therefore, do not be ashamed, if you are justified in this way. If God arrogates this work to Himself, that is, exalts and boasts in it, as justifying us at the present time, that is, when sin has reached its utmost limit, and when we have acknowledged as if we were paralyzed and dead, then why should you, O Jew, be ashamed of such the glory of God?

Where, then, is there anything to boast about? Destroyed. What law? the law of affairs? No, but by the law of faith.

The Apostle proved that we will be justified through faith, which is why the Jew justly asks: "Where is that which thou shalt boast of and be proud of?" He does not say: where is virtue? for the Jews had no virtue, but only boasting. And he continues: destroyed, which means: it is no longer time to boast. Before Christ it was opportune to boast of the law, but now it is no longer opportune, for it has become evident that boasting of it is useless. For if the law could justify us, there would be no need of Christ for us. By what law, he asked, was it destroyed? Is it the law of works, that is, the one that says that the man who does them will live (Lev. 18:5)? (For the law of Moses said this). No, he answers; but by the law of faith, which justifies by grace, and not by works. So he calls faith the law; for the word law was honored by the Jews. Therefore, boast, Jew, of a faith that can justify you.

For we acknowledge that a man is justified by faith, apart from the works of the law. Is God the God of the Jews only, and not of the Gentiles? Of course, also the Gentiles, because there is one God, Who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised by faith.

Доказав, что оправдание в Крови Христовой, а не в делах закона, заканчивает речь и говорит: из всего сказанного заключаем, что всякий человек оправдывается верой. Не смущайся этим, иудей, будто нелепостью. Бог есть не частный Бог, чтобы спасти только тебя, а не всякого человека. Здесь же пристыжает иудеев и весьма устрашает их, как богоборцев, если не допустят, что язычники спасаются чрез веру; ибо они не верят, что Он есть Бог всех и равно промышляет обо всех. Один, говорит, есть Бог, то есть Бог иудеев и язычников, Который и обрезанного оправдывает, не законом, но верой, и необрезанного принимает при посредстве веры. Упомянув же об обрезании и необрезании, припоминает и сказанное выше, где доказал, что ни обрезание не приносит пользы, когда нет дел, ни необрезание не вредит само по себе. Итак, при том и другом нужна вера.

Итак, мы уничтожаем закон верою? Никак; но закон утверждаем (ίώε).

Сказанное, что закон ниспровергается верою, привело иудеев в смущение. Поэтому врачует их своей великой мудростью, говоря, что вера утверждает закон. Ибо чего желал и закон, то есть оправдать человека, но не мог сделать, то совершает вера. Кто только уверовал, тот уже оправдался. Итак, вера не уничтожила, но утвердила закон. Выражением ίώε внушает, что закон лежал, а лежащего надобно поднять и поставить.

ГЛАВА ЧЕТВЕРТАЯ

Что же, скажем, Авраам, отец наш, приобрел по плоти? Если Авраам оправдался делами, он имеет похвалу, но не пред Богом. Ибо что говорит Писание? "Поверил Авраам Богу, и это вменилось ему в праведность".