While almost all of the works in this vault use Victorian translations, due to the English translations of this commentary being in copyright, it was machine-translated (by Claude, 2026) from the public-domain Latin. It has not been checked by a human translator.
Commentary on Paul’s Epistle to the Romans, long printed among the works of Ambrose. Its author, whom Erasmus first called “Ambrosiaster”, wrote at Rome while Damasus was bishop there (366–384). Chapter 10 of the Epistle; the verse numbers are the Benedictine editors’.
(Verses 1–2.) Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is for their salvation. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. Since he wishes to take them away from the Law — believers, because it is a veil to the Jews — lest he should seem to do this out of hatred of Judaism, he shows his affection towards them, and grants much to the Law; but he teaches that the time for keeping the Law is now past. And for this reason he testifies that he wishes to provide for them, if only they will listen to him and recognise that he is not their enemy; for he also bears them witness to their nobility and to the tradition of their fathers.
(Verse 3.) For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. He says that they did not believe in Christ through ignorance: having indeed a zeal for God, but not knowing His will and counsel, they acted against God, whom they professed to be defending. He is speaking of those who did not receive Christ not out of malice and envy, but out of error. To these the apostle Peter too says: I wot, brethren, that through ignorance ye did this evil, as did also your rulers (Acts 3:17). For, not knowing that this was the Christ whom God had promised, they said another was to be waited for. Before Him, who is the righteousness of God in faith, they set their own righteousnesses, which they had from the Law. For He Himself is righteousness, because what God had promised He fulfilled in Him.
(Verse 4.) For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. He says this because he who believes in Christ has the perfection of the Law. For since no one was justified by the Law, because no one fulfilled the Law except he who hoped in the promised Christ, faith was appointed, to stand for the perfection of the Law; so that, all else being passed over, faith should make satisfaction for the whole Law and the prophets.
(Verse 5.) For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them (Leviticus 18:5). He says this because the righteousness of the law of Moses, if it was kept, did not make them guilty for the time being: that is, they lived by doing the Law; for they were debtors. This is said in Numbers and in Leviticus.
(Verses 6–7.) But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who hath ascended into heaven? (Deuteronomy 30:12). This was said in Deuteronomy, and here the Apostle interprets it of Christ, saying: that is, to bring Christ down. Or, Who hath descended into the deep? that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead. This is the Apostle’s own. So he says that this is the righteousness of faith: if there is no doubting of the hope of God which is in Christ; lest one who distrusts should say, “Who could ascend into heaven?” For He suffered for this purpose: that, having despoiled the underworld by the power of the Father, rising again with death overcome, He might ascend into heaven with the souls He had rescued. For everyone who, when he saw the Saviour in the underworld, hoped for salvation from Him, was set free, as the apostle Peter testifies; for he says that the gospel was preached to the dead also (1 Peter 4:6). He, then, who does not doubt these things in his heart is justified by faith. But it is fear that makes a man justified by the law; for he fears the law, because he sees that it brings punishment upon sinners. That is why the righteousness of the law is not great, nor does it lay up merit with God, except for the present; but faith, because it is foolishness to unbelievers, has a reward with God, since what is not seen is hoped for from Him.
(Verse 8.) But what saith the scripture? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart (Deuteronomy 30:14). This is written in Deuteronomy: that what we are told to believe is not far from our mind or our mouth. For though it is not seen with the eyes, yet what we believe is not at odds with the nature of souls and with the reason of speech. For in nature itself there are sown, as it were, seeds which, cultivated by hearing and by will, bear as their fruit a witness to the Creator.