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Neither Moses, nor many after him, even the evangelists, put their names before their writings, but the Apostle Paul puts his name before each of his epistles: this is because they wrote for those who lived with them, and he sent the writings from afar and, according to custom, fulfilled the rule of the distinctive nature of the epistles. Only in Hebrews does he not do this; for they hated him: therefore, so that when they immediately heard his name they would not stop listening to him, he hid his name at the beginning. Why was he renamed Paul from Saul? So that in this he would not be less than the chief of the apostles, called Cephas, which means stone (Peter) (John 1:42), or the sons of Zebedee, called Boanerges, that is, the sons of thunder (Mark 3:17). Slavery has many types. There is slavery by creation, about which it is said: (Ps. 119:91). There is also slavery through faith, about which it is said: “they became obedient to the form of teaching to which they committed themselves” (Rom. 6:17). Finally, there is slavery by way of life: in this regard, Moses is called the servant of God (Joshua 1:2). Paul is a “slave” in all these forms. Offers the names of the Lord from the incarnation, ascending from bottom to top: for the names “Jesus” and “Christ”, that is, the Anointed One, are names after the incarnation. He is not anointed with oil, but with the Holy Spirit, which, of course, is more priceless than oil. And that anointing happens even without oil, listen: “touch not my anointed” (Ps. 104:15), which saying must be applied to those who existed before the law, when there was not even the name of anointing through oil. This word means humility; for the Apostle shows them that he himself did not seek and find, but was called. This word was used by the Apostle in contrast to the others who were called. For all the faithful are called; but they were called only to believe, and to me, he says, I was also entrusted with the apostleship, which was also entrusted to Christ when He was sent by the Father. chosen for the gospel of God, That is, he was chosen for the ministry of evangelism. Otherwise: “chosen” instead of “predestined” to this, just as God says to Jeremiah: “Before you came out of the womb, I sanctified you” (Jer. 1:5). And Paul himself says in one place: “When God was pleased, who chose me from my mother’s womb” (Gal. 1:15). Further, it is not in vain that he says: “called and chosen for the gospel.” Since he had a word for the vain, he inspires that he is worthy of faith, as sent from above. The gospel itself is called this not only by what has happened, but also by future blessings, and with the name of the gospel it immediately comforts the listener, for the gospel does not contain something sad, as are the predictions of the prophets, but treasures of countless blessings. And this gospel is the gospel of God, that is, the Father, both because it is given by Him, and because it makes Him known, for although He was known in the Old Testament, He was unknown to the Jews only, but even to them He was unknown as a Father; later, through the gospel, He, together with the Son, was revealed to the whole universe. Rom.1:2. which God promised before through His prophets, Since that sermon was reviled as an innovation, it shows that it is older than paganism and was first described by the prophets; even the word “good news” is found in David, who says: “The Lord will give the word: there are great multitudes of heralds” (Ps. 67:12), and in Isaiah: “how beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger of good news who proclaims peace” (Is. 52:7). The prophets not only spoke, but also wrote and depicted actions, for example: Abraham through Isaac, Moses through the serpent, the raising of hands and the slaughter of a lamb. For when God was about to prepare something great, he foretold it long before. Therefore, when He says that many prophets wanted to see what you see, and did not see (Matthew 13:17); This expresses that they did not see His very flesh, and therefore did not see the signs happening before their eyes. Rom.1:3. about His Son, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh. This clearly shows two births; for through the words “about His Son,” that is, God, it indicates a higher birth, and through the expression “from the seed of David” - to a lower birth. By the addition: “according to the flesh,” he showed that birth according to the Spirit belongs to Him. Therefore, the gospel is not about a simple man, for it is about the Son of God, and not about a simple God, for it is about Him who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, so that one and the same is both, that is, both the Son of God and the Son of David. Therefore let Nestorius finally be ashamed. The Apostle also mentions His birth according to the flesh, as did the three evangelists, in order to lead the listeners from him to a higher birth. So the Lord himself was first seen as a man, and then recognized as God. Rom.1:4. and was revealed to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, through the resurrection from the dead, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Above he said: “about His Son,” and now he proves how He is known as the Son of God, and says that He is named, that is, shown, approved, recognized; for naming is the very recognition, sentence and decision. For everyone recognized and decided that He was the Son of God. How so? “In power,” that is, through the power of the signs that He performed. Moreover, “according to the spirit of holiness,” through which he sanctified the believers; for it is characteristic of God to grant this. Also “through the resurrection from the dead,” for He is the first, and moreover He is alone. He resurrected himself. So, He was recognized and revealed as the Son of God through the resurrection; for this is a great thing, as He Himself says: “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that it is I” (John 8:28). Rom.1:5. through whom we have received grace and apostleship, that in His name we might be subject to the faith. Notice the gratitude. Nothing, he says, is ours, but everything has been received by us through the Son. I have received apostleship and grace through the Spirit. “He,” says the Lord, “will guide you” (John 16:13). And the Spirit says: “Set apart for Me Saul and Barnabas” (Acts 13:2), and: “The word of wisdom is given by the Spirit” (1 Cor. 12:8). What does it mean? That which belongs to the Spirit belongs to the Son and vice versa. Grace, he says, and the apostleship “received,” that is, we did not become apostles by our own merits, but from grace from above. But conviction is also a matter of grace; for the work of the apostles was to go and preach, and to convince those who listened belongs entirely to God. "Submit to Faith". We were sent, he says, not for argumentation and not for research or proof, but to “subdue to faith,” so that those who are taught would listen, believing without any contradiction. We received the grace to “subdue all nations to the faith” - not I alone, but also the other apostles: for Paul did not go around all nations; Will anyone say that if not during life, then after death he goes to all nations through a message? But they would believe by hearing about the name of Christ, and not about His essence; for the name of Christ performed miracles, and it itself requires faith, because it cannot be comprehended by reason. Look what the gift of the gospel is: it was not communicated to one people, like the Old Testament, but to all nations. Rom.1:6. among whom are you also, called by Jesus Christ. Here the arrogance of the Romans is crushed. You have received no more than other nations over whom you consider yourself rulers; why, as we preach to other nations, so also to you: do not be vain. Otherwise: you too were called, warned by grace, and did not come on your own. Rom.1:7. to all those who are beloved of God and called saints in Rome. Not just: “to all who are in Rome,” but: “to the beloved of God.” How can you tell that they are lovers? From consecration; and calls all believers saints. He added: “to those called,” rooting in the memory of the Romans the good deed of God and showing that even though there were consuls and prefects among them, God called everyone by the same calling as the common people, having equally loved and sanctified you. Therefore, since you are alike loved, called, and sanctified, do not exalt yourself above the lowly. And the Lord commanded the apostles that when they entered houses, they should pronounce this word first. The battle stopped by Christ, which sin against God gave rise to for us, was not easy, and that peace was acquired not by our labors, but by the grace of God: therefore, first grace, then peace. The Apostle prays for the continuous and inviolable continuation of both of these blessings, so that again, if we fall into sin, a new battle will not flare up. From God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, how omnipotent is the grace that comes from the love of God! Enemies and inglorious, we began to have God Himself as our Father. So, from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, may grace and peace be unshakable among you. They gave them, they can keep them. Rom.1:8. First of all, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, that your faith is proclaimed throughout the whole world. An introduction befitting the soul of Paul! He teaches us to thank God, and not only for our own blessings, but also for the blessings of our neighbors: for this is love; to give thanks not for earthly and perishing things, but for the fact that the Romans believed. And with the words “my God” he shows the disposition of his spirit at that time, appropriating the common God for himself, as the prophets and even God himself do, calling Himself the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in order to show His love for them. One must give thanks, he says, “to Jesus Christ”; for He is the intercessor of thanksgiving for us to the Father, not only teaching us to give thanks, but also bringing our thanksgiving to the Father. What should we be grateful for? Because the "faith" of the Romans is "proclaimed throughout the world." He testifies before them about two things: both that they believed, and that they believed with complete confidence, so that their faith is proclaimed throughout the whole world, and through them everyone benefits, burning with competition and imitation of the royal city. And Peter preached in Rome, but Paul, considering his works one with his own, thanks for the faith of those taught by Peter; so free he is from envy! Rom.1:9. God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that I remember you continually, Since Paul had not yet met the Romans, he wanted to say that he always remembers them, and calls on the One who knows hearts as a witness. Notice the apostle’s compassion: he always remembers people whom he has never even met. Where does he remember? In prayers, and incessantly. “I serve” God, that is, I am enslaved “by my spirit,” that is, not by carnal service, but by spiritual service; for pagan service is carnal and false, and Jewish service, although not false, is also carnal, while Christian service is true and spiritual, about which the Lord speaks to the Samaritan woman: “true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth” (John 4:23). Since there are many kinds of serving God (for one serves and works for God by arranging only his own affairs, another by caring for strangers and providing for widows, as Stephen’s co-servants did, and another by undergoing the ministry of the word), the apostle says: “God, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son.” Above he attributed the gospel to the Father; but this is not strange, for the Fatherly belongs to the Son and the Sonship to the Father. He says this, proving that these concerns are necessary for him; because he who is entrusted with the ministry of the gospel must take care of all who have received the word. Rom.1:10. always asking in my prayers that God’s will would one day make it possible for me to come to you. Now he adds why he remembers them. “Come,” he says, “to you.” Pay attention: no matter how much he loved them, no matter how much he wanted to see them, he did not want to see them against the will of God. But we either don’t love anyone, or if we ever love someone, we do it against the will of God. That Paul prayed unceasingly to see them, which came from his strong love for them, and that he submitted to the beck of God, this was a sign of his great piety. We will not grieve if we ever do not receive what we ask for in our prayers. We are no better than Paul, who asked the Lord three times for deliverance from the “thorn in the flesh” and did not receive what he wanted (2 Cor. 12:7–9); for it was good for him. Rom.1:11. for I greatly desire to see you, so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift for your strengthening, Others, he says, undertake long journeys for other purposes, and “I” in order to teach you a certain talent. “Something” speaks out of modesty; for he did not say: I am going to teach you, but: to convey what I received, and, moreover, small and commensurate with my strength. “Giving”, that is, everything that teachers proclaim for the benefit of those who listen; for although teaching is a good deed, our good deeds are also gifts, because they also need help from above. Rom.1:12. that is, to be comforted with you by our common faith, yours and mine. He secretly made it clear that the Romans needed to be corrected in many ways. Since this is also said very strongly (for the Romans could say: what are you saying? Are we really wavering, spinning and needing you to stand firm?); then he adds: “that is, to be comforted with you.” The meaning is this: you suffer a lot of oppression; why it became desirable for me to see you, in order to somehow console you, or, better said, to accept the consolation myself. The common good requires this. For the believers of that time, who spent their lives as if in captivity, had the need to come to each other and thereby greatly consoled each other. Does this mean that Paul also needed their assistance? Not at all; for he is the pillar of the Church. On the contrary, so as not to express it harshly, and, as we said, not to upset them, he expressed that he himself needed to console them. If anyone says that in this case the apostle was consoled and cheered by the growth of faith in the Romans, then such a speech will be good: it is also visible from the words of the apostle: “by the common faith, yours and mine.” In this case, the thought will be the following: and I, seeing your faith, will be comforted and rejoice, and you will receive firmness from my faith, receiving consolation regarding what, perhaps, you hesitate in, out of cowardice. But he does not say this explicitly, but, as said, skillfully implies it. Rom.1:13. I do not want, brethren, to leave you in the dark that I have repeatedly intended to come to you (but have encountered obstacles even until now). I said above that I prayed to come to them, and some probably thought: if you pray and want to give consolation and receive it, then what prevents you from coming? Therefore, he added: “I met obstacles” from God. Please note that the apostle is not curious about why he encountered obstacles, but obeys the commands of the Master, teaching us not to be curious about the affairs of God. So, he proves that he did not come to them out of negligence or contempt. “I love you so much,” he says, that although I encountered obstacles, I did not abandon my intention; on the contrary, I constantly tried to come to you, because I love you very much. that there may be some fruit among you, as well as among other nations. Since Rome was a glorious city, to which everyone flocked as if it were a city rich in wonders and magnificent; then, lest anyone think that Paul really wanted to see the Romans for the same reason, he says: I really wanted to come for this reason, so that I might have “some fruit.” At the same time, another suspicion is destroyed, for another could say: you encountered obstacles because you wanted to come contrary to the will of God. He didn’t say: to instruct in the faith, to teach, but he expressed it modestly: “to have some fruit,” as above: “to teach you some gift.” At the same time, he limits them, saying: “like other nations.” Do not think, he says, that you are better than other nations because you rule: you all stand in the same formation. Rom.1:14. I owe both Greeks and barbarians, wise men and ignorant. Rom.1:15. So, as for me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome. And this is a matter of modesty. I, he says, am not showing any kind of mercy, but I am fulfilling the command of the Master, and you must thank God, for He is good, and I “must.” He said the same thing to the Corinthians: “Woe is me if I do not preach the good news” (1 Cor. 9:16). Therefore, I am ready to preach to you, even if there were dangers before your eyes. Such was his zeal for Christ! Rom.1:16. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. The Romans were too committed to worldly glory, and Paul had to preach Jesus, who suffered all disgrace, and the Romans naturally could be ashamed that such was the Savior. Therefore he says: “I am not ashamed,” teaching them, among other things, not to be ashamed, because not only was he not ashamed of the Crucified One, but he also boasted and was magnified in Him. Moreover, since they were puffed up by wisdom, then, he says, I go to preach the cross, and I am not ashamed of it; for he “is the power of God unto salvation.” There is the power of God in punishment; Thus God proved His power to the Egyptians by punishing them. There is also power for destruction, as it is said: “Fear Him who is able... to destroy in Gehenna” (Matthew 10:28). So, what I, Paul, preach contains not punishment, not destruction, but salvation. To whom? "To everyone who believes." For the gospel brings salvation not only to everyone, but to those who receive it. first to the Jew, then to the Greek. Here the word "first" signifies precedence in order, and not precedence in grace; for the Jew should not be preferred because he receives more justification: he only deserved to receive it first; why the word “firstly” expresses only primacy in the order of speech. Rom.1:17. In it the truth of God is revealed from faith to faith, as it is written: The righteous shall live by faith. Having said that the gospel is “for salvation,” he explains how it is “for salvation.” We, he says, are saved by God’s truth, not ours. For what kind of truth can we have, who are cursed in deeds and corrupt? But God justified us, not by works, but by faith, which must grow into greater and greater faith, for it is not enough to first believe, but we must ascend from the initial faith into the most perfect faith, that is, into an unshakable and firm state, as the apostles said to the Lord: “increase our faith” (Luke 17:5). And what has been said, that is, that we are justified by the truth of God, is confirmed by the words from the prophecy of Habakkuk: “the righteous,” he says, “will live by faith.” Since what God has given us surpasses all human thoughts, then we rightly need faith: for if we began to find out the works of God, we would lose everything. Rom.1:18. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth through unrighteousness. Having started with what brings great “goods”, and having said that the truth of God is revealed through the gospel, he now uses expressions that can frighten, for he knew that most people are attracted to virtue by fear. So the Lord Jesus, speaking about the Kingdom, also speaks about Gehenna. And prophets first offer promises and then threats. For the former is a matter of the preliminary will of God, and the latter is a consequence of our negligence. Pay attention to the order of speech: Christ came - says - and brought you justification and forgiveness; if you do not accept them, then the wrath of God will be revealed from heaven, obviously at the time of the second coming. And now we experience the wrath of God, but for correction, and then only for punishment. And now we think in many ways to see offense from people, and then it will be clear that punishment is from God for all wickedness. True service and piety are one, but wickedness is manifold, which is why he said: “all wickedness,” since it has many paths, “and the iniquity of men.” Unrighteousness and untruth are not the same thing. This is against God, and this is against people, and moreover, the first is a contemplative sin, and the latter is an active sin. And untruth has many paths; for someone offends his neighbor either in property, or in wife, or in honor. However, some argue that Paul even means teaching by untruth. And what does it mean “those who suppress the truth through untruth”, listen. Truth, or knowledge about God, is implanted in people at their very birth; but the pagans suppressed this truth and knowledge by untruth, that is, they insulted it by acting contrary to what was communicated to them, attributing the glory of God to idols. Imagine a man who received money for expenses for the glory of the king. If he had spent it on thieves and harlots, he would rightly have been called an insult to the king’s glory. Likewise, the pagans suppressed unrighteousness, that is, they hid and unjustly eclipsed the glory of God and the knowledge of Him, using them differently than they should have been used. Rom.1:19. For what can be known about God is obvious to them, because God has revealed it to them. Rom.1:20. For His invisible things, His eternal power and Godhead, have been visible from the creation of the world through the consideration of creatures, so that they are irresponsible. This turned out to be the case. God did not create the world so that they would be unrequited; but this is what actually happened. Notice this feature of Scripture and do not blame it. In many places in it there are such expressions, to explain which it is necessary to look for the reason for what is mentioned in it in experience. So David says: “And you have done what is evil in your sight, so that you are righteous in your judgment” (Ps. 50:6). This expression seems strange; but it is not like that. It states the following: having been favored by You, Lord, more than any hope, I have sinned before You; from this it happened that if You present Your rights against me in court, You will win. This means that God is justified by our actions when we turn out to be ungrateful to Him for the benefits we have received from Him and have nothing to excuse ourselves. This means that the pagans have no excuse either; for they, having known God from creation, did not glorify Him as they should, but gave the honor due to Him to idols. Rom.1:21. But how, having come to know God, they did not glorify Him as God and did not give thanks. I said above that the pagans insulted the knowledge of God by using it in the wrong way. From which it is clear that they had this knowledge, he now speaks about this: “for what can be known about God is obvious to them.” Then he proves this, saying that the Creator proclaims the goodness of creation, just as David says: “the heavens proclaim the glory of God” (Ps. 18:2). And what exactly you can know about God, learn from the following. There is nothing else you can know about God, namely His essence, but other things can be known, this is everything related to the essence, that is, goodness, wisdom, power, Divinity or majesty, which is what Paul calls “His invisible”, but through viewing visible creatures. Thus, the apostle showed the pagans what can be known about God, that is, everything relating to His essence that is invisible to sensory eyes, but can be known with the mind from the goodness of creation. By “invisible” some here mean angels; but such an understanding, in my opinion, is incorrect. One of the fathers said that the “eternal power” is the Son, and the “Divinity” is the Holy Spirit. But they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish hearts were darkened; Rom.1:22. calling themselves wise, they became fools. Represents the reason why they fell into such madness. In everything, he says, they relied on their own reasoning, and, wanting to find the Indescribable in images and the Incorporeal in bodies, they turned out to be unsuccessful, unable to achieve the goal through reasoning. Their heart calls them foolish because they did not want to know everything by faith. Why did they reach such a delusion that they relied on their own reasoning for everything? Because they imagined themselves to be wise, that’s why they became mad. For is there anything more insane than the worship of stones and trees? Rom.1:23. And the glory of the incorruptible God was changed into an image made like corruptible man, and birds, and four-footed creatures, and reptiles. The one who changes, before he changes, has something else in mind. It means that they also had knowledge, but they destroyed it, and, wishing to have something else instead of what they had, they lost what they had. They gave the glory of the incorruptible God not to man, but to the image of corruptible man, and, what is worse than this, they descended to the reptiles, even to their images. They were so crazy! The knowledge that they should have had about a Being who is without comparison superior to everything, they applied to an object that is without comparison the most despicable of all. And the “glory” of God consists in knowing that God created everything, provides for everything, and so on, befitting Him. Who exactly made a mistake in what was said? The wisest, the Egyptians; for they even revered images of reptiles. Rom.1:24. then God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to uncleanness, so that they defiled their own bodies. Rom.1:25. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature instead of the Creator, Who is blessed forever, amen. The word “betrayed” is used instead of “allowed”, just as a doctor who is taking advantage of a patient, seeing that he is careless about his diet and does not obey him, betrays him into a great illness, that is, he leaves him and allows him to follow his own will and thus not be freed from the disease. Some, however, understood the expression “God betrayed them” this way: He betrayed them to the insult and insolence they caused to God, just as we say: money destroyed such and such, while money does not destroy, but its abuse, or: Saul was corrupted by the kingdom, that is, the abuse of the kingdom. So, the pagans were given over to uncleanness by their own lewdness, so that there was no need for others to insult them, but they themselves caused insult; for such are those unclean passions. Why are they given over to uncleanness? For insulting God; for whoever does not want to know God immediately becomes corrupted in morality, just as David says: “the fool said in his heart, There is no God,” then: “they became corrupt and committed vile deeds” (Ps. 13:1). They changed what truly belonged to God and applied it to false gods. “They worshiped” (ἐσεβάσθησαν) is put instead of: they gave honor (ἐτίμησαν). And “served” (ἐλάτρευσαν) – instead of: rendered service by deeds; for λατρεία means honor shown in action. He didn’t just say: “they worshiped and served the creature,” but “instead of the Creator,” - increasing the guilt by comparison. Despite this, he says, God is “blessed forever,” that is, he did not suffer any harm from the fact that they insulted Him, but is blessed forever, unshakably and undoubtedly; for it means "amen". Rom.1:26. Therefore, God gave them over to shameful passions: their women replaced natural use with unnatural; Rom.1:27. Likewise, men, abandoning the natural use of the female sex, were inflamed with lust for one another, men committing shame on men and receiving in themselves the due retribution for their error. Again he says that God “gave them over to passions” because they served the creature. Just as in the teaching about God they became corrupted, abandoning the leadership of creation, so in life they became vile, abandoning natural pleasure (which is most convenient and pleasant) and indulging in unnatural pleasure (which is most difficult and unpleasant). This means the word "replaced", which shows that they left what they had and chose something else. So, the great accuser of both sexes is the nature that they have transgressed. Having said secretly about women something shameful and something that is indecent to express clearly, he also says about men that they were “inflamed with lust for each other,” showing that they indulged in voluptuousness and frantic love. He did not say: “doing lust,” but: “shame,” showing that they violated nature, and “were inflamed by lust,” he said so that no one would think that their disease was only lust. "Making shame". That is, they zealously indulged in uncleanness, committing it in reality, and received retribution for apostasy from God and idolatrous error in this very shame and in this very pleasure, having in it, as unnatural and full of uncleanness, punishment for themselves. And Paul says this because it was still impossible to convince them of the existence of Gehenna. If, he says, you do not believe the doctrine of Gehenna, then believe that the punishment for them lies in the most unclean activity. Rom.1:28. And even though they did not care to have God in their minds, God gave them over to a depraved mind - to do indecent things, Now for the third time he repeats the same thought and uses the same word, saying: “betrayed.” The reason that they were abandoned by God is everywhere represented by the wickedness of people, as they are doing now. “And since they did not care to have God in their minds, he gave them over” to passion. The insult, he says, caused to God by them was not a sin of ignorance, but intentional. For he did not say: because they did not know, but says: “and as they did not care,” that is, they decided not to have God in their minds and voluntarily chose wickedness. This means that their sins are not sins of the flesh, as some heretics claim, but of incorrect judgments. First they rejected the knowledge of God, and then God allowed them to fall into a corrupt mind. To better interpret the expression “God betrayed them,” some of the fathers took advantage of a wonderful example. They reason: when someone, not wanting to see the sun, closes his eyes and then falls into a hole, we say that it was not the sun, which he does not see, that threw him into the hole, that the person fell into the hole not because the sun threw him there in his heart, but because it did not illuminate his eyes. Why didn't it illuminate his eyes? Because he closed his eyes. So God gave them over to shameful passions. Why? Because people did not know Him. Why didn’t they recognize Him? Because they did not reason and did not decide to know Him. Rom.1:29. so that they are full of all unrighteousness. Notice how speech strengthens; calls them full and, moreover, “of all” untruths, that is, having reached the extreme degree of all vice. Then he enumerates the types of vice. The name “fornication” denotes all uncleanness in general. This is deceit against one's neighbor. filled with envy, murder, Murder always comes from envy. So Abel was killed out of envy. And they wanted to kill Joseph out of envy. From envy comes strife and deception to the destruction of the one who is envied. Deeply hidden malice, forgotten out of some kindness. Those who hate God, or those who are hated by God. offenders, self-praises, proud, Ascends to the stronghold of evil. For if one who is proud of a good deed destroys it with pride; then how much more does he destroy him when he does evil? Such a person is incapable of repentance. Know that majesty is contempt of God, and pride is contempt of people, from which insult is born; for he who despises people insults and tramples on everyone. Pride by nature precedes offense; but first the insult becomes clear to us, and then its mother, pride, becomes known. For they were not content with the evil they had done before: from which it is again clear that they sinned not out of passion, but intentionally and according to their own disposition. And they rebelled against nature itself, he says. And fair enough. For could those who disobeyed their parents understand anything? That is, they are not stable in contracts. unloving, irreconcilable, unmerciful. The root of all evil is the very cooling of love: for from here it happens that one does not put up with the other, one does not love the other, one does not have mercy on the other. Christ said about this: “because iniquity abounds, the love of many will grow cold” (Matthew 24:12). Nature itself connects us to each other, like other animals; but people did not understand this. Rom.1:32. They know the righteous judgment of God, that those who do such things are worthy of death; however, not only do they do them, but they also approve of those who do them. Having proved that the pagans were filled with every vice because they did not want to know God, he now proves that they do not deserve an apology. They cannot say: we did not know good; for they knew that God is just. This means that they do evil voluntarily, and, what’s even worse, they approve of those who do it, that is, they patronize evil: which disease is incurable. You might be interested in: