Thomas Aquinas Commentary Romans 1:16-20

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is revealed a righteousness of God from faith unto faith: as it is written, But the righteous shall live by faith. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hinder the truth in unrighteousness; because that which is known of God is manifest in them; for God manifested it unto them. For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, [even] his everlasting power and divinity; that they may be without excuse:" — Romans 1:16-20 (ASV)

1. After securing the goodwill of the Roman believers to whom he was writing by showing his affection for them, the Apostle now begins to instruct them in matters concerning the teachings of the Gospel for which he had been set apart.

   First, he shows them the power of the Gospel’s grace.

   Second, he urges them to perform the works of this grace, beginning at, I beseech you therefore (Romans 12:1).

   Regarding the first part, he does two things:

   1. He sets forth what he intends to discuss.
   2. He explains it, beginning at for the wrath of God.

   Regarding the first point, he does three things:

   1. He sets forth the power of the Gospel’s grace.
   2. He explains it, beginning at for the justice.
   3. He supports his explanation, beginning at as it is written.

2. He says, therefore, I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because, although the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, to us who are being saved it is the power of God (1 Corinthians 1:18). For it is the power of God.

   This can be understood in two ways. One way is that the power of God is manifested in the Gospel: he has shown the people the power of his works (Psalms 111:6). Another way is that the Gospel itself contains God’s power, in the sense of the psalm that says: he will give to his voice a voice of power (Psalms 67:34).

3. Regarding this power, three things can be considered.

   First is the extent of its reach. This is answered when he says, unto salvation: receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your soul (James 1:21). This happens in three ways:

   1. Sins are forgiven by the word of the Gospel: you are made clean by the word I have spoken to you (John 15:3).
   2. A person obtains sanctifying grace through the Gospel: sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth (John 17:17).
   3. It leads to eternal life: you have the words of eternal life (John 6:68).

4. The second consideration is how the Gospel confers salvation, namely, through faith, which is indicated when he says, to everyone who believes. This happens in three ways:

   1. Through preaching: preach the Gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved (Mark 16:15).
   2. By confessing the faith: with the mouth confession is made unto salvation (Romans 10:10).
   3. By the Scripture; for this reason, even the written words of the Gospel have a saving power, as Barnabas cured the sick by placing the Gospel upon them.

   Nevertheless, one must beware of superstitious uses of written characters, because this is superstitious. For this reason, in Ezekiel, those were saved who had a Tau written on their foreheads (Ezekiel 9:6), which is the sign of the cross.

5. The third thing to be considered is the people for whom the Gospel works salvation: both the Jews and the Gentiles. For God is God not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles, as he says below (Romans 3:29); for this reason, he adds, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

   By Greek is meant all the Gentiles, because the wisdom of the Gentiles arose from the Greeks.

   But since he says below, there is no distinction between Jew and Greek (Romans 10:12), why does he say here that the Jew is first?

   The answer is that there is no distinction regarding the goal of salvation to be obtained, for both receive an equal reward, just as in the vineyard the early and the late workers received one coin (Matthew 20:10). But in the order of salvation, the Jews are first, because the promises were made to them (Romans 3:2), whereas the Gentiles were included in their grace like a branch grafted into a cultivated olive tree (Romans 11:24). Also, our Savior was born from the Jews: salvation is from the Jews (John 4:22).

6. Then he explains how the Gospel works for salvation when he says, for the justice of God is revealed in it from faith to faith.

   This can be understood in two ways.

   In one way, it can refer to the justice by which God is just: the Lord is just and has loved justice (Psalms 11:7). Taken this way, the sense is that the justice of God, by which he is just in keeping his promises, is revealed in him—that is, in the person who believes the Gospel—because he believes that God has fulfilled what he promised about sending the Christ. And this is from faith, namely, the faith of God who promised (the Lord is faithful in all his words, Psalms 145:13), to faith, namely, of the person who believes.

   Alternatively, it can refer to the justice of God by which God makes people just. This is distinct from the justice of men, by which they presume to make themselves just by their own efforts: not knowing the justice of God and seeking to establish their own justice, they did not submit to the justice of God (Romans 10:3). This justice is revealed in the Gospel in that people are justified by faith in the Gospel in every age. For this reason, he adds, from faith to faith, that is, proceeding from faith in the Old Testament to faith in the New. In both cases, people are made just and are saved by faith in Christ, since they believed in his coming with the same faith with which we believe that he has come. Therefore, it is stated in 2 Corinthians: we have the same type of faith as he had who wrote: I believed, and so I spoke (2 Corinthians 4:13).

7. Or it can mean from faith of the preachers to the faith of the hearers: how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? (Romans 10:14).

   Or from faith in one article to faith in another, because justification requires belief in all the articles: blessed is he who reads and hears the words of this prophecy (Revelation 1:3).

   It can also be taken as from present faith to future faith, that is, into the full vision of God. This future state is called faith because of the certainty and solidity of the knowledge, while this present faith is called faith because of the knowledge of the Gospel: for now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face (1 Corinthians 13:12).

8. He supports this explanation when he adds, as it is written: my just man lives by faith. This follows the Septuagint text, for in our text, which follows the Hebrew, it says, the just man lives by his faith.

   It says my just man, that is, one justified by me and regarded as just before me, as is said below: but if Abraham was justified by works of the law, he has glory, but not before God. For what do the Scriptures say? Abraham believed God, and it was reputed to him for justice (Romans 4:2–3). For this reason, it adds, lives by faith, that is, by the life of grace: the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God (Galatians 2:20).

9. Four things must be considered here concerning faith.

   First, what faith is. It involves a willed assent, with certitude, to that which is not seen. As Augustine says, no one believes unless he is willing. According to this definition, a believer differs from a doubter, who assents to neither side. He also differs from one holding an opinion, who assents to one side not with certitude but with fear concerning the other side. He also differs from one who knows scientifically, who through certitude assents by the necessity of reason. Accordingly, faith is midway between scientific knowledge and opinion.

10. The second consideration is whether faith is a virtue.

    Clearly it is not, if faith is taken to mean that which is believed, as in the statement: this is the Catholic faith, that we venerate one God in Trinity. But if it is taken for the habit by which we believe, then sometimes it is a virtue and sometimes not.

    A virtue is a principle of a perfect act. But an act depending on two principles cannot be perfect if either of the principles lacks its perfection, just as riding cannot be perfect if the horse does not run well or the rider does not know how to guide the horse. Now the act of faith, which is to believe, depends on the intellect and on the will moving the intellect to assent. Therefore, the act of faith will be perfect if the will is perfected by the habit of charity and the intellect by the habit of faith, but not if the habit of charity is lacking. Consequently, faith formed by charity is a virtue, but unformed faith is not.

11. The third point to be considered is that the same numerical habit of faith which was not formed by charity becomes a virtue with the arrival of charity. Because charity is outside the essence of faith, the substance of faith is not changed by the coming or going of charity.

12. Fourth, we must consider that just as the body lives its natural life through the soul, so the soul lives the life of grace through God. First of all, God dwells in the soul through faith: that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith (Ephesians 3:17). But this indwelling is not perfect unless faith is formed by charity, which by the bond of perfection unites us to God (Colossians 3:14). Consequently, the phrase lives by faith must be understood as referring to formed faith.

13. Then when he says, the wrath of God is revealed, he proves what he had said: that the power of the Gospel’s grace exists for all people for salvation.

    First, he shows that it is necessary for salvation.

    Second, that it is efficacious or sufficient, beginning at being justified therefore by faith (Romans 5:1).

    Regarding the first part, he does two things:

    1. He shows that the power of the Gospel’s grace was necessary for the Gentiles’ salvation, because the wisdom in which they trusted could not save them.
    2. He shows that it was necessary for the Jews, because circumcision, the law, and other things in which they trusted did not bring them salvation, beginning at wherefore you are inexcusable (Romans 2:1).

    Regarding the first point, he does two things:

    1. He states his intention.
    2. He explains it, beginning at because that which is known of God.

14. He sets forth three things. First is punishment, when he says: rightly do I say that the justice of God is revealed in it, for in it the wrath of God is revealed. This refers to God’s vengeance, which is called wrath in comparison to angry men who seek vengeance outwardly, although God takes vengeance with a tranquil spirit: you, our Lord, judge with tranquility .

    Of this anger of God it is said: he that does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God rests upon him (John 3:36).

    This is stated because some philosophers said that punishments for sin are not from God, contrary to what is said in the Psalm: he that chastises the nations, does he not chastise us? (Psalms 94:10).

    That is why he adds, from heaven, because they believed that God’s providence was so occupied with the heavens that it did not extend to earthly affairs: he walks about the poles of heaven, nor does he consider our things (Job 22:14). But as it says in the Psalm: from heaven the Lord looked at the earth (Psalms 102:19).

    Or, God is said to prove their iniquity from heaven because they should have recognized the power of the Creator above all from the greatness of the heavens: the heavens will reveal his iniquity (Job 20:27).

    Or, from heaven he will come to judge: Jesus will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven (Acts 1:11).

15. Second, he mentions the sin for which the punishment is inflicted.

    First is the sin against God, when he says, against all ungodliness. For just as godliness refers to worship paid to God as the highest parent, so ungodliness is a sin against divine worship: the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself (Ezekiel 18:20).

    Second, he sets forth the sin committed against man, when he says, and injustice. For justice is that through which people come together and engage one another reasonably: your justice will help a son of man (Job 35:8).

16. Third, he sets out the knowledge they had of him, when he says, of those men who detain the truth of God, that is, the true knowledge of God, in injustice. For true knowledge of God, by its very nature, leads people to good, but it is bound, as though held captive, by a love of wickedness through which, as the Psalm says, truths have vanished from among the sons of men (Psalms 12:1).

17. Then when he says, because that which is known of God, he explains what he has said, but in reverse order.

    First, he admits that wise men among the Gentiles knew the truth about God.

    Second, he shows that there was ungodliness and injustice among them, beginning at so that they are inexcusable.

    Third, that they have incurred God’s wrath, beginning at who, having known the justice of God (Romans 1:32).

    Regarding the first point, he does three things:

    1. He shows what they knew about God.
    2. He shows from whom they obtained this knowledge, at for God has manifested it to them.
    3. He shows how they obtained it, at for the invisible things.

18. First, therefore, he says: rightly do I say that they have suppressed the truth about God. For they did possess some true knowledge of God, because that which is known of God—that is, what can be known about God by humans through reason—is manifest in them, that is, is manifest to them from something in them, namely, from an inner light.

    Therefore, it should be noted that some things about God are entirely unknown to man in this life, namely, what God is. For this reason, Paul found in Athens an altar inscribed: to the unknown God (Acts 17:23). The reason for this is that human knowledge begins with things connatural to us, namely, sensible creatures, which are not proportioned to representing the divine essence.

19. But a person is capable of knowing God from such creatures in three ways, as Dionysius says in The Divine Names.

    1. He knows him, first of all, through causality. For since these creatures are subject to change and decay, it is necessary to trace them back to some unchangeable and unfailing principle. In this way, it can be known that God exists.
    2. Second, he can be known by the way of excellence. For all things are not traced back to the first principle as to a proper and univocal cause (as when a man produces a man), but to a common and exceeding cause. From this it is known that God is above all things.
    3. Third, he can be known by the way of negation. For if God is a cause exceeding his effects, nothing in creatures can belong to him, just as a heavenly body is not properly called heavy or light or hot or cold. In this way, we say that God is unchangeable and infinite, and we use other negative expressions to describe him.

    Men had such knowledge through the light of reason bestowed on them: many say: O, that we might see some good! Lift up the light of your countenance upon us, O Lord (Psalms 4:6).

20. Then when he says, God has manifested it to them, he shows by what author such knowledge was manifested to them and says that it was God: he teaches us more than the beasts of the earth (Job 35:11).

    Here it should be noted that one person manifests something to another by unfolding his own thought by means of external signs like vocal sounds or writing. But God manifests something to man in two ways: first, by endowing him with an inner light through which he knows (send out your light and your truth, Psalms 43:3); second, by proposing external signs of his wisdom, namely, sensible creatures (he poured her out, namely, wisdom, over all his works, Sirach 1:9).

    Thus God manifested it to them either from within by endowing them with a light or from without by presenting visible creatures, in which, as in a book, the knowledge of God may be read.

21. Then when he says, for the invisible things of him from the creation of the world, he shows the manner in which they received such knowledge.

    Here the first points to be considered are the things they have known about God. He mentions three.

    First, the invisible things of him, through which one understands God’s essence, which, as was said, cannot be seen by us: no one has ever seen God (John 1:18)—that is, in his essence, no one living in this mortal life: to the king of ages, immortal, invisible (1 Timothy 1:17).

    He says invisible things, using the plural, because God’s essence is not known to us in regard to what it is, that is, as it is in itself one. That is the way it will be known in heaven: on that day the Lord will be one and his name one (Zechariah 14:9). But it is now manifested to us through certain likenesses found in creatures, which participate in manifold ways in that which is one in God. Accordingly, our intellect considers the unity of the divine essence under the aspects of goodness, wisdom, power, and so on, all of which are one in God.

    Therefore he calls these the invisible things of God, because the one reality in God which corresponds to these names or notions is not seen by us: so that what is seen was made out of things which do not appear (Hebrews 11:3).

    Another thing known about God is his power, by virtue of which all things proceed from him as from a principle: great is the Lord and abundant in power (Psalms 147:5). This power the philosophers knew to be eternal; for this reason, it is called his eternal power.

    The third thing known is what he calls divinity, namely, they knew God as the ultimate end toward which all things tend. For the divine good is called the common good in which all things participate; on this account he says divinity, which signifies participation, rather than deity, which signifies God’s essence: for in him the whole fullness of divinity dwells bodily (Colossians 2:9).

    These three things are referred to the three ways of knowing mentioned above. The invisible things of God are known by the method of negation; the eternal power by the method of causality; the divinity by way of excellence.

22. Second, one must consider the medium through which they knew those things. This is designated when he says, by the things that are made.

    For just as an art is shown by an artist’s works, so God’s wisdom is shown by his creatures: from the greatness and beauty of created things comes a corresponding perception of their creator .

23. Third, he shows how God is known through them when he says, clearly seen, being understood.

    For it is by the intellect that God is known, not by the senses or imagination, which do not extend beyond bodily things: but God is spirit (John 4:24); behold my servant shall understand (Isaiah 52:13).

24. Fourth, he designates the things from which God is known by this medium when he says, from the creation of the world. In one way, this can be understood as referring to humanity: preach the Gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15). This is either on account of the excellence of man, who in the order of nature is less than the angels but greater than lower creatures (yet you have made him less than the angels; you have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, Psalms 8:5–7), or because he has something in common with every creature. For he has existence in common with stones, life in common with trees, sense in common with animals, and intelligence in common with angels, as Gregory says.

    In another way, it can be understood of all creation. For no creature by its own natural power can see God’s essence in itself. For this reason, it is said even of the Seraphim, with two wings they covered their head (Isaiah 6:2). But just as man understands God through visible creatures, so an angel understands God by understanding its own essence.

25. Or, creation of the world can be taken to mean not created things but the creation of things, as if it were said: from the very act of the world's creation. In this case, one interpretation would be that the invisible things of God are understood by means of things made since the creation of the world and not only since the time of grace. Another interpretation would be that from the creation of the world, people began to know God through the things that were made: all men have looked on it (Job 36:25).

26. But a Gloss says that by the invisible things of God is meant the person of the Father: whom no man has ever seen or can see (1 Timothy 6:16); by the eternal power, the person of the Son: Christ the power of God (1 Corinthians 1:24); and by divinity, the person of the Holy Spirit, to whom goodness is appropriated. This is not to say that philosophers, under the lead of reason, could arrive by means of created things to a knowledge of the persons so as to know what is proper to each, which does not signify any causal connection with creatures, but rather by way of appropriation.

    Yet they are said to have failed in the third sign, that is, in the Holy Spirit, because they did not mention anything corresponding to the Holy Spirit, as they did for the Father (namely, the very first principle) and for the Son (namely, the first mind created, which they called the Father’s understanding, as Macrobius says in his book On the Dream of Scipio).