Please explain:
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Oh, simple enough, and I’m talking Romans 3. But Ephesians 2 works as well if we want to get across the idea.
In Greek, the order of words is very important; their grammar is different than ours. In the Greek in Romans 3, the word order places the emphasis on the word ‘NOT.’ Specifically, by placing it before ‘works of the law’ instead of after ‘works of the law,’ Paul is placing special emphasis that works of the law do NOT, no way, no how, never, EVER bring justification. Period. Fullstop. End of statement.
But even if you reject Greek grammar, it doesn’t matter. Paul says that we are saved through faith and NOT through works of the law. And no, ‘law’ doesn’t mean ‘ceremonial law’ and nothing else; that’s utter nonsense. Paul already spoke about ‘the law’ including prohibitions against theft and adultery in Romans chapter 2, and it’s really stupid to think that he’d say ‘oh, THIS law doesn’t have effect any more, but you GOTTA do works from THIS law’ one chapter later without drawing an actual distinction between them. I’d like to believe in a Bible interpretation that doesn’t make St. Paul sound like a self-contradictory idiot.
So we have salvation by faith, and salvation by works of the law, and Paul says that we are NOT, with emphasis, saved by works of the law.
And unless you’re some kind of rampant universalist, or think that we’re saved on account of epic hair or something, there is only one option left if we are not saved by works of the law.
Therefore, that’s faith alone. QED. And Catholic scholars and saints agree that Romans 3:28 should be translated as ‘faith alone.’ Such as Augustine, Ambrose, Origen, Hilary, Basil, Ambrosiaster, John Chrysostom, Cyril of Alexandria, Bernard, Theophylact, Theodoret, and Thomas Aquinas. Also the Nuremberg Bibles, the Italian Bible, the Genevian Bible, and the Venesian Bible also translated as ‘faith alone’ with full agreement and support of Rome.
The Catholics only stopped translating Romans 3:28 as ‘faith alone’ AFTER they wanted to have something to bash Protestants with.
True. This is Catholic teaching, Greek and all.