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Translation
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What the Fathers say
Eastern Fathers
John Chrysostom
"The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." See ye how gently, by a single word and by little and little, both John the Baptist and John the Disciple lead up their hearers to the highest knowledge, having first exercised them in humbler things? …
Cyril of Alexandria
Whence then shall we find that the hierophant Moses himself also came short of the glory of the Lord? Let the student, he says, diligently examine the evangelic grace given to us by the Saviour, in contrast with the grace of the law that was through Moses. For then will he see that the Son was as much superior, as He is proved to be the Lawgiver of better things than the polity of the law and introducing things superior to all those which were through Moses. …
Theophylact of Ohrid
He explains to us in what manner we received the greatest grace in place of the lesser grace. He says that the law was given through Moses, that is, God used a man as mediator, namely Moses, but the New Testament was given through Jesus Christ. It is called both "grace," because God granted us not only the forgiveness of sins but also sonship; and it is called "truth," because He clearly proclaimed what the Old Testament figures saw or spoke of in types. …
Western Saints
Augustine of Hippo
"For the law was given by Moses"; which law held the guilty. For what saith the apostle? "The law entered that the offense might abound." It was a benefit to the proud that the offense abounded, for they gave much to themselves, and, as it were, attributed much to their own strength; and they were unable to fulfill righteousness without the aid of Him who had commanded it. God, desirous to subdue their pride, gave the law, as if saying: Behold, fulfill, and do not think that there is One wanting to command. …
Ambrose of Milan
I pardon willingly, [says the Lord,] I quickly forgive: "I will have mercy rather than sacrifice," because by sacrifice the just is rendered more acceptable, by mercy the sinner is redeemed. "I come not to call the righteous but sinners." Sacrifice was under the law; in the gospel is mercy. "The law was given by Moses, grace by me."
Jerome
For [in place of] the grace of the law, which has passed away, we have received the abiding grace of the gospel, and, instead of the shadows and figures of the ancient covenant, truth has come by Jesus Christ.
Translation