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 14 of the Epistle; the verse numbers are the Benedictine editors’.
(Verse 1.) Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations of thoughts. Since it was men from the Jews who had brought the Romans to the name of Christ, with the Law mixed in, as I mentioned at the beginning of the epistle, it seemed to some that they ought not to eat the forbidden meat; while to others, who followed Christ without the Law, it seemed lawful to eat against the Law. And because of this very thing there were disputes among them, which the Apostle, zealous for concord and salvation, removes by a divine argument, showing that it neither profits with God to eat, nor harms not to eat. He calls weak the one who fears to eat because the Jews were forbidden. This man, then, he wishes to be left to his own judgment; lest, suffering offence, he withdraw with a troubled mind from charity, which is as it were the mother of souls; since Christians ought to be peaceable and quiet.
(Verse 2.) For one believeth that he may eat all things. This man, in the confidence of his reading, does not doubt that all things given for human use may be eaten. For he reads in Genesis that all things which God created are very good (Genesis 1:31); therefore nothing is to be rejected; for neither Enoch, who first pleased God, nor Noah, who alone was found righteous in the flood, nor Abraham the friend of God, nor Isaac, nor Jacob, righteous men and friends of God — among whom was Lot too — nor the other righteous men, are read to have abstained from these things. Another, who is weak, eateth herbs. Since, then, he thinks so, let him eat herbs; therefore he is not to be persuaded to eat meat, lest he eat with scruple and seem to sin, because he does not keep his own resolve.
(Verse 3.) Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth. For to eat or not to eat is a matter of the will, and for this reason no question ought to be raised over it. For all things were made for this purpose, to lie subject to the will, since they have been made subject to man’s dominion. For God hath received him. He has been received by God, since he has been called to grace.
(Verse 4.) Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. It is plain that a servant ought not to judge the will of a fellow servant, when no law has been given in this matter; for with what conscience he eats or does not eat, God, whose servant he is, is the judge. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. He shall stand, he says, to his master, because neither if he eats will he be guilty, nor if he does not eat will he be blameworthy — provided he does it out of devotion, not shunning the food as though it were hostile.
(Verse 5.) One man judgeth day between day: that is, it pleases one man to eat with days in between. For there are some who have resolved that meat is not to be eaten on the fourth day of the week; there are some who abstain on sabbaths; and again there are some who eat only from Easter to Pentecost. Another judgeth every day. He judges every day who never eats. Let every man abound in his own mind: that is, let each be left to his own counsel.
(Verse 6.) He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord. It is true: for he who always abstains thinks that he pleases God. And he that eateth, eateth to the Lord. He eats to the Lord, because he gives thanks to the Creator. And he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks. He gives thanks when he confesses that it is God’s creature and was created good; but that he keeps himself apart from it, not that he condemns it.
(Verse 7.) For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. A man would live to himself if he did not live under the Law; but he who is governed by the bridle of the Law certainly does not live to himself, but to God who gave the Law, so as to live according to His will. And he who dies, in like manner dies to God, by whose judgment he will be either crowned or condemned.
(Verse 8.) For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord. The sense is the same. Whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s. It is true that we are all the Lord’s, as servants under the condition of creation and the dominion of the Redeemer, and that each one is dealt with according to his desert.