Fathers

Loading…

What the Fathers say

Romans 2:11

Eastern Fathers

John Chrysostom

"For there is no respect of persons with God." Wonderful! What more than victory has he gained! For he shows, by reducing it to an absurdity, that it was not meet with God that it should be otherwise. For it would then be a case of respecting of persons. But of such character God is not. …

Homily on Romans 5 ↗

Theophylact of Ohrid

Since it seemed incredible that a gentile who had not heard the law and the prophets should be deemed worthy of honor, he proves this by the fact that God is no respecter of persons. God, he says, does not take into account persons, but examines deeds. If by deeds there is no difference between a Jew and a gentile, then nothing prevents the latter from being deemed worthy of the same honor as the former. …

Commentary on Romans ↗

Peter of Alexandria

But the freemen shall be tried by penance for three years, both for their dissimulation, and for having compelled their fellow-servants to offer sacrifice, inasmuch as they have not obeyed the apostle, who would have the masters do the same things unto the servant, forbearing threatening; knowing, says he, that our and their Master is in heaven; and that there is no respect of persons with Him. …

The Canonical Epistle ↗

Western Saints

Thomas Aquinas

Then when he says for there is no respect of persons, he assigns the reason for his statement, namely, because there is no respect of persons with God: truly I perceive that God shows no partiality (Acts 10:34). Respect of persons is opposed to distributive justice, through which one distributes to each according to the person's worth; therefore, there is respect of persons, when more is given or less is given without regard to worth. This happens when the person rather than his qualifications is accepted as a cause. …

Commentary on Romans ↗