Homilies on Romans — Homily 6

St. John Chrysostom

1. 0. Greeting

Romans II. 17, 18

Behold, you are called a Jew, and restest in the Law, and makest your boast of God, and know His will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the Law.

After saying that the Gentile wants nothing appertaining to salvation if he be a doer of the Law, and after making that wonderful comparison, he goes on to set down the glories of the Jews, owing to which they thought scorn of the Gentiles: and first the very name itself, which was of great majesty, as the name Christian is now. For even then the distinction which the appellation made was great. And so he begins from this, and see how he takes it down. For he does not say, Behold, you are a Jew, but art called so, and makest your boast in God; that is, as being loved by Him, and honored above all other men. And here he seems to me to be gently mocking their unreasonableness, and great madness after glory, because they misused this gift not to their own salvation, but to set themselves up against the rest of mankind, and to despise them. And know His will, and approvest the things that are more excellent. Indeed this is a disadvantage, if without working: yet still it seemed to be an advantage, and so he states it with accuracy. For he does not say, you do, but know; and approvest, not followest and doest. "testest things that differ." So Weiss, Godet, Wilke (Clavis N.T.), Lange, Tholuck. Alford, Philippi. This interpretation has the advantage of following the original meaning of both verbs.—G.B.S

Ver. 19. And art confident that you yourself.

Here again he does not say that you are a guide of the blind, but you are confident, so you boast, he says. So great was the unreasonableness of the Jews. Wherefore he also repeats nearly the very words, which they used in their boastings. See for instance what they say in the Gospels. You were altogether ( ὅ λος 4 manuscripts ὅ λως ) born in sin, and do you teach us? [[John 9.34]] And all men they utterly looked down upon, to convince them of which, Paul keeps extolling them and lowering the others, that so he may get more hold on them, and make his accusation the weightier. Wherefore he goes on adding the like things, and making more of them by different ways of relating them. For You are confident, he says, that you yourself art a leader of the blind,

Ver. 20. An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and truth, which is in the Law.

Here again he says not, in the conscience and in actions and in well-doings, but in the Law; and after saying so, he does here also what he did with regard to the Gentiles. For as there he says, for wherein you judge another, you condemn yourself, so says he here also.

Ver. 21. You therefore who teaches another, do you not teach yourself?

But there he frames his speech with more of sharpness, here with more of gentleness. For he does not say, However on this score you deserve greater punishment, because though entrusted with so g