To Florus 1.131

Let the dignity of the apostolic statement now be defended, lest it be thought that he meant about some people what you supposed about all. The apostle Paul, debating the objections of Jews who swelled with pride in the dignity of their ancestry and disdained believers from the nations being made equal to them, commends both God's justice and his grace. He argues that their generosity accounts both for the knowledge of the Law that first ennobled the Jews and for the preaching of Christ that afterward also admitted the nations. For there is one Creator of both peoples, who will judge the former through the Law, the latter without the Law, and the former in the Law (Romans 2:12; Romans 3:29–31). He is not the God of Jews alone but also of the nations (Romans 3:29), returning to each what belongs to that person without deceit or favoritism, that is, without partiality toward anyone. This is the sense of “favor” in the definition of justice (compare Romans 2:6, 11).

Thus he rightly condemns those descended from Abraham when they live wickedly and drives them from his inheritance, just as he does Gentiles found acting similarly. Conversely, he rewards the good wills, true faith, and upright deeds of either people with eternal joys. The Teacher of the Nations therefore restrains Jewish pride and shows that the difference lies not in human seed but in conduct. They must recognize that unless they take care to be faithful, no privilege of circumcised ancestry will defend them. Jacob and Esau, after all, were conceived through one reception of seed and delivered through one act of giving birth, yet experienced very different outcomes because of the difference in what they deserved (compare Genesis 25:21–26; Romans 9:10–13).