^3:27 Where is then your boasting? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. [n. 313]
^3:28 For we account a man to be justified by faith, without the works of the law. [n. 317]
^3:29 Is he the God of the Jews only? Is he not also of the gentiles? yes, of the gentiles also. [n. 318]
^3:30 For it is one God who justifies circumcision by faith and uncircumcision through faith.
^3:31 Do we then, destroy the law through faith? God forbid! But we establish the law. [n. 321]

313. After showing that Jews have no advantage over the gentiles either in regard to sin or to justice, he now presents the intended conclusion, by rejecting the boasts whereby they preferred themselves to the gentiles.

He does three things.

First, he proposes that this boasting be excluded;

second, the reason for this exclusion, at by what law;

third, the way it is excluded, at for we account.

314. In regard to the first he does two things. First, he raises a question: inasmuch as you, Jew, are under sin just as the gentile, and the gentile is made just by faith just as you are, where is then your boasting, whereby you take glory in the law, as stated above, and on this ground wish to prefer yourself to the gentile? Your boasting is not good (1 Cor 5:6); let us have no self-conceit, envying one another (Gal 5:26).

Second, he answers this, saying, it is excluded, i.e., is taken away: the glory has been taken away from Israel (1 Sam 4:21); I will change their glory into shame (Hos 4:7).

Or excluded, i.e., expressly manifested.

For the Jews gloried in the glory and worship of the one God, and he says that their glory was excluded, i.e., pressed out by Christ, as artists who press out an image in silver are called excludors, in accord with the Psalm, that they might exclude those who were tried by silver (Ps 67:31).

But the first meaning is more literal.

315. Then when he says by what law, he states the cause of this exclusion.

Since the Jews’ boasting was about the law, as has been stated above, it seemed that their boasting had to be excluded by something of the same genre, i.e., by some law. Therefore, he asks by what is their boasting to be excluded?

For someone might suppose that the Apostle means their boasting was excluded by certain legal precepts which commanded greater works. That is why he asks, of works? As if to say: do I say that their boasting has been excluded by some law of works? But he answers: no, but by the law of faith.

So it is plain that the Apostle alludes here to two laws, that of works and that of faith. At first glance it would seem that by the law of works is meant the old law and by the law of faith the new law, through which the gentile is made equal to the Jew.

316. But there is some doubt about this distinction.

For even in the old law faith was necessary, just as it is in the new: you who fear the Lord believe him (Sir 2:8); I believed; therefore I have spoken (Ps 116:10). And indeed, works are required in the new law, namely, the works of certain sacraments, as commanded in Luke: do this in memory of me (Luke 22:19) and of moral observances: be doers of the word and not hearers only (Jas 1:22).

Consequently, it should be said that what he calls the law of works is the law outwardly presented and written, through which men’s external works are directed, when it prescribes what he ought to do and forbids what ought to be avoided. But what he calls the law of faith is the law inwardly written, through which are directed not only external works but even the very motions of the heart, among which the act of faith is first: with the heart, we believe unto justice (Rom 10:10). Of this second law he speaks below: the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus (Rom 8:2).

317. Then when he says, for we account, he shows how the Jews’ boasting is excluded by the law of faith, saying: for we apostles, being taught the truth by Christ, account a man, whomsoever he be, whether Jew or gentile, to be justified by faith: he cleansed their hearts by faith (Acts 15:9). And this without the works of the law.

Not only without the ceremonial works, which did not confer grace but only signified it, but also without the works of the moral precepts, as stated in Titus, not because of deeds done by us in justice (Titus 3:5). This, of course, means without works prior to becoming just, but not without works following it, because, as is stated in James: faith without works (Jas 2:26), i.e., subsequent works, is dead, and, consequently, cannot justify.

318. Then when he says or is he the God of the Jews only, he manifests something he had presupposed, namely, that the justice of faith stands in the same common relation to all.

He had previously explained this with a reason based on the material cause, when he stated above that all have sinned and need the glory of God (Rom 3:23), i.e., they are sinners, who need to be made just by the grace of God. But a proof based solely on the material cause is not enough, because matter is not moved to a form by itself without an agent cause. Accordingly, he now presents a proof based on the agent cause, i.e., the justifier, who is God: God is he who justifies (Rom 8:33).

Now it is manifest that our God by justifying saves those whose God he is, according to a psalm, our God is a God of salvation (Ps 68:20). But he is the God not of the Jews only but of the gentiles also; therefore, he justifies both.

319. On this point he does three things.

First, he raises a question concerning the Jews, when he says, is he the God of Jews only? It might seem that he is, because it says in Exodus, the God of the Hebrews called us (Exod 5:3).

Hence it must be said that he was the God of the Jews only by the special worship paid to God by them; hence it is stated in a psalm: in Judah God is known (Ps 76:1); yet he was the God of all by his common reign over all things, as is stated in a psalm: God is king of all the earth (Ps 47:8).

Second, he raises the question on the side of the gentiles, saying: is he not also of the gentiles? and he answers: yes, of gentiles also, whom he governs and rules: who would not fear you, O king of the nations? (Jer 10:7).

Third, at for it is one God, he manifests what he had said with a sign, as if to say: it is clear that he is the God not only of the Jews but also of the gentiles, for it is one God who justifies circumcision, i.e., the Jews, from faith, as is said in Galatians, in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is of any avail (Gal 5:6).

320. According to the Gloss, from faith and through faith are exactly the same. However, a slight difference can be noted.

For the preposition ‘from’ sometimes designates a remote cause, while the preposition ‘through’ designates a nearer cause. Therefore, the Jews are said to be justified from faith because faith was the first cause from which circumcision and the other sacraments of the law proceeded; thus, faith justified the Jews as a primary cause through intermediate causes. But the gentiles are justified by faith itself immediately.

321. Then when he says do we then destroy, he excludes an objection.

For someone might claim that he is overthrowing the aforementioned law; therefore, he asks: do we then destroy the law through faith, inasmuch as we say that men are justified without the works of the law?

He answers: God forbid! in keeping with Matthew, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law (Matt 5:18). Rather, he adds: but we establish the law, i.e., by faith we complete and fulfill the law, as Matthew says, I have come not to abolish the law but to fulfill it (Matt 5:17).

This is true as regards the ceremonial precepts because, being figures, they were upheld and fulfilled by the fact that the truth signified by them is shown forth in the faith of Christ. This is also true as regards the moral precepts, because the faith of Christ confers the help of grace to fulfill the moral precepts of the law and even adds special counsels, through which the moral precepts are more safely and securely kept.