{"collection":"chr","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/chr/ecf/105/1050220.htm","path":"chr/ecf/105/1050220.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/chr/ecf/105/1050220.htm","text":"Chapter 44.\u2014The Answer Is, that the Passage Must Be Understood of the Faithful of the New Covenant.\nHas the apostle perhaps mentioned those Gentiles as having the law written in their hearts who belong to the new testament? We must look at the previous context. First, then, referring to the gospel, he says, \u201cIt is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.\u201d 920 Then he goes on to speak of the ungodly, who by reason of their pride profit not by the knowledge of God, since they did not glorify Him as God, neither were thankful. 921 He then passes to those who think and do the very things which they condemn,\u2014having in view, no doubt, the Jews, who made their boast of God\u2019s law, but as yet not mentioning them expressly by name; and then he says, \u201cIndignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile: but glory, honour, and peace, to every soul that doeth good; to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: for there is no respect of persons with God. For as many as have sinned without law, shall also perish without law; and as many as have sinned in the law, shall be judged by the law; for not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.\u201d 922 Who they are that are treated of in these words, he goes on to tell us: \u201cFor when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law,\u201d 923 and so forth in the passage which I have quoted already. Evidently, therefore, no others are here signified under the name of Gentiles than those whom he had before designated by the name of \u201cGreek\u201d when he said, \u201cTo the Jew first, and also to the Greek.\u201d 924 Since then the gospel is \u201cthe power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth, to the Jew first, and, also to the Greek;\u201d 925 and since \u201cindignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, are upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Greek: but glory, honour, and peace, to every man that doeth good; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek;\u201d since, moreover, the Greek is indicated by the term \u201cGentiles\u201d who do by nature the things contained in the law, and which have the work of the law written in their hearts: it follows that such Gentiles as have the law written in their hearts belong to the gospel, since to them, on their believing, it is the power of God unto salvation. To what Gentiles, however, would he promise glory, and honour, and peace, in their doing good works, if living without the grace of the gospel? Since there is no respect of persons with God, 926 and since it is not the hearers of the law, but the doers thereof, that are justified, 927 it follows that any man of any nation, whether Jew or Greek, who shall believe, will equally have salvation under the gospel. \u201cFor there is no difference,\u201d as he says afterwards; \u201cfor all have sinned, and come short p. 102 of the glory of God: being justified freely by His grace.\u201d 928 How then could he say that any Gentile person, who was a doer of the law, was justified without the Saviour\u2019s grace?","title":"Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Vol. V: A Treatise on the...","type":"page"}