Lecture 3 — Abraham’s faith

^3:6^ As it is written: Abraham believed God: and it was reputed to him unto justice. [n. 129]

^3:7^ Know, therefore, that they who are of faith are the children of Abraham. [n. 131]

^3:8^ And the Scripture, foreseeing that God justifies the gentiles by faith, told unto Abraham before: in you shall all nations be blessed. [n. 132]

^3:9^ Therefore, they who are of faith shall be blessed with faithful Abraham. [n. 133]

129. Having proved by experience the power of the faith and the insufficiency of the law, the Apostle now proves the same things by authority and by reasons.

First, he proves the power of the faith to justify;

second, in this he proves the insufficiency of the law, at for as many as are of the works of the law (Gal 3:10).

The first he proves by using a syllogism. Hence with respect to this he does three things.

First, he proves the minor premise;

second, the major premise, at and the Scripture, foreseeing;

third, he draws the conclusion, at therefore, that they who are of faith.

Concerning the first, he does two things.

First, he proposes a certain authority from which he takes the minor;

second, he concludes the minor, at know, therefore.

130. He says therefore: truly, justice and the Holy Spirit come from faith, as it is written in Genesis and mentioned again in Romans: Abraham believed God and it was reputed to him unto justice (Gen 15:6, Rom 4:3).

Here it should be noted that justice consists in paying a debt. Now man is indebted to God and to himself and to his neighbor. But it is on account of God that he owes something to himself and his neighbor. Therefore the highest form of justice is to render to God what is God’s. For if you render to yourself or your neighbor what you owe and do not do this for the sake of God, you are more perverse than just, since you are putting your end in man. Now, whatever is in man is from God, namely, intellect and will and the body itself, albeit according to a certain order; because the lower is ordained to the higher, and external things to internal, namely, to the good of the soul. Furthermore, the highest thing in man is his mind. Therefore the first element of justice in a man is that a man’s mind be subjected to God, and this is done by faith: bringing into captivity every understanding unto the obedience of Christ (2 Cor 10:5).

Therefore in all things it must be said that God is the first principle in justice and that whoever gives to God, namely, the greatest thing that lies in him by submitting the mind to him, such a one is fully just: whoever are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God (Rom 8:14).

And hence he says, Abraham believed God, i.e., submitted his mind to God by faith: believe God, and he will recover you (Sir 2:6); and further on: you who fear the Lord, believe him (Sir 2:8), and it was reputed to him unto justice, i.e., the act of faith and faith itself were for him, as for everyone else, the sufficient cause of justice. It is reputed to him unto justice by men exteriorly, but interiorly it is wrought by God, who justifies them that have the faith. This he does by remitting their sins through charity working in them.

131. From this authority he draws the minor proposition, saying know, therefore, that they who are of faith are the children of Abraham. As if to say: someone is called the son of another because he imitates his works; if, therefore, you be the children of Abraham, do the works of Abraham (John 8:39). But Abraham did not seek to be justified through circumcision but through faith. Therefore the sons of Abraham are they who seek to be justified by faith.

And this is what he says: because Abraham is just through faith, in that he believed God and it was reputed to him unto justice; therefore, know that they who are of faith, i.e., who believe that they are justified and saved by faith, are the children of Abraham, namely, by imitation and instruction: they that are the children of the promise are accounted for the seed (Rom 9:8); this day is salvation come to this house, because he also is the son of Abraham (Luke 19:9); God is able of these stones, i.e., of the gentiles, to raise up children to Abraham (Matt 3:9), inasmuch as he makes them believers.

132. Then when he says, the Scripture, foreseeing that God justifies the gentiles by faith, he sets down the major premise, namely, that Abraham was told beforehand that in his seed all nations would be blessed.

Hence when he says, the Scripture, foreseeing, he introduces God speaking to Abraham (Gen 12:3). Therefore he says, God told unto Abraham before that in you, i.e., in those who in your likeness will be your sons by imitating your faith, shall all nations be blessed: many will come from the east and from the west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven (Matt 8:11).

133. Then when he says, therefore, they who are of faith, he draws the conclusion from the premises.

Accordingly, the argument can be formulated thus: God the Father announced to Abraham that in his seed all nations would be blessed. But those who seek to be justified by faith are the children of Abraham. Therefore, they who are of faith, i.e., who seek to be justified through faith, shall be blessed with faithful, i.e., with believing, Abraham.