Fragments on Romans · §8 · Severianus of Gabala

Progress in Understanding and the Law

Click or tap any sentence to jump there. The side buttons skip a paragraph.

The most useful works have become easy, just as they were when we were still being catechized with the word of faith; for we did not at once possess belief in Christ and a precise grasp of the things to be practiced, but now we have known precisely. Romans 14:4: The servant of Christ, whom Christ has received, is a stranger to the law. Who then are you, judging one who is a stranger to the law, one who belongs to the law? Romans 14:14: Through him, that is, of God. Romans 15: Not as one avoiding the fellowship of the other apostles, but as one judging it, greedily and unjustly usurping the glory of the works of others. Romans 16:19: This is to use prudence so as not to be wronged by others, and integrity so as not to plot against others.

Greek

ἔργων τὰ ὠφελιμώτερα, κοῦφον ὅμως γέγονε τὸ σωθῆναι ἤπερ ὅτε κατηχούμεθα ἔτι τὸν τῆς πίστεως λόγον· οὐ γὰρ ἅμα τῷ πιστεῦσαι εἰς Χριστὸν καὶ τὴν ἀκριβῆ τῶν πρακτέων κατάληψιν εἴχομεν, ἀλλὰ νῦν ἀκριβῶς ἔγνωμεν. Ro+m14,4 Ὁ οἰκέτης Χριστοῦ ὃν προσελάβετο ὁ Χριστός, ἀλλότριός ἐστι τοῦ νόμου. τίς οὖν εἶ κρίνων ἀπὸ τοῦ νόμου τὸν τοῦ νόμου ἀλλότριον; 225 Ro+m14,14 ∆ι' αὐτοῦ, τοῦτ' ἔστι τοῦ θεοῦ. Ro+m15, Οὐχ ὡς ἀπευχόμενος τῶν λοιπῶν ἀποστόλων τὴν κοινωνίαν, ἀλλ' ὡς πλεονεκτικὸν καὶ ἄδικον κρίνων τὴν τῶν ἀλλοτρίων ἔργων δόξαν ὑφαρπάζειν. Ro+m16,19 Τοῦτ' ἔστι φρονήσει μὲν κεχρῆσθαι εἰς τὸ μὴ ὑφ' ἑτέρων ἀδικεῖσθαι, ἀκεραιότητι δὲ εἰς τὸ μὴ ἑτέροις ἐπιβουλεύειν.

Report a mistake in this passage

About this text

A deep exploration of Paul's divine mission and God's judgment, revealing why faith matters in a world that ignores Christ.

Severianus of Gabala (fl. c. 400) was a bishop in Syria who became a popular preacher in Constantinople. He was born in Syria and spoke Greek with a Syriac accent. He was learned in the Divine Scriptures and known for his sermons and biblical commentaries. He became an enemy of John Chrysostom and helped condemn him at the Synod of the Oak.

These fragments on the Letter to the Romans survive as excerpts in catena, or chain, commentaries. They are Severianus's fragments, not those of Apollinaris of Laodicea and not those of Diodorus of Tarsus. The text is fragmentary, not a continuous commentary, and reflects early Christian exegetical scholarship on Paul.

A reader will meet Severianus explaining Paul's argument in Romans. The sections address topics such as the judgment of God and human hypocrisy, the distinction between sin and impiety, the Law and the Spirit, divine sovereignty, the measure of faith and diverse gifts, separation from Christ's love, the fruit of love and the urgency of the time, and progress in understanding and the Law. The reader should know that the text is fragmentary and that it reflects the concerns of an early Christian interpreter of Paul.

Printed text used

Translated from PG 65 (Greek)

We have not yet re-checked this work against its source. We made this study translation with AI help. No scholar has yet certified it as faithful and complete. Open Greek on any section to see the source text. It is not a critical edition.

Report a mistake