In his commentary on Paul's epistle to the Romans, the Jesuit commentator Joseph Fitzmyer observes that the Reformers, particularly Luther, were not the first to coin and/or use the phrase sola fide with respect to justification. Fitzmyer goes on to list the references by others on pp. 360-361 of Romans, A New Translation with introduction and Commentary, The Anchor Bible Series (New York: Doubleday, 1993).
One of the early church Fathers he references as a source for sola fide is as follows: "Theodoret, Affectionum curatio 7 (PG 93.100; ed. J. Raeder [Teubner], 189.20-24)."
Being the nerd that I am, I double-checked the reference in Migne, listed above as "PG 93.100." For some reason this particular reference of Theodoret from Migne is an error as it is listed in Fitzmyer's commentary. The actual reference should be PG 83:1001. At any rate, I am supplying below the citation from Theodoret, with an English translation and the Greek text from Migne...
Theodoret of Cyrrhus (393-466): For clearly it is not through praiseworthy actions but by faith alone that we obtain mystical blessings. It is for this reason that the divine apostle has also proclaimed: For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God⸺not the result of works, so that no one may boast. Thomas Halton, trans., Theodoret of Cyrus: A Cure for Pagan Maladies, Ancient Christian Writers, #67 (New York: The Newman Press, 2013), p.165.
Greek text: Οὐ γὰρ δὴ διʼ ἔργων ἀξιεπαίνων, ἀλλὰ διὰ μόνης πίστεως τῶν μυστικῶν τετυχήκαμεν ἀγαθῶν. Τῷ τοι καὶ ὁ θεῖος ἀπόστολος κέκραγεν· «Χάριτί ἐστε σεσῳσμένοι· καὶ τοῦτο οὐκ ἐξ ὑμῶν, Θεοῦ τὸ δῶρον, ἵνα μή τις καυχήσηται.» Graecarum affectionum curatio, VII, PG 83.1001B.
I mentioned to Lane in a private post that I think the value of Fitzmyer's commentary on Romans, apart from the theological and exegetical scholarship, is what he admits therein, an example being with respect to the meaning of δικαιόω, which he says can be translated as "declare upright," i.e. in a forensic sense. e.g. pp. 117-119.
One of the early church Fathers he references as a source for sola fide is as follows: "Theodoret, Affectionum curatio 7 (PG 93.100; ed. J. Raeder [Teubner], 189.20-24)."
Being the nerd that I am, I double-checked the reference in Migne, listed above as "PG 93.100." For some reason this particular reference of Theodoret from Migne is an error as it is listed in Fitzmyer's commentary. The actual reference should be PG 83:1001. At any rate, I am supplying below the citation from Theodoret, with an English translation and the Greek text from Migne...
Theodoret of Cyrrhus (393-466): For clearly it is not through praiseworthy actions but by faith alone that we obtain mystical blessings. It is for this reason that the divine apostle has also proclaimed: For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God⸺not the result of works, so that no one may boast. Thomas Halton, trans., Theodoret of Cyrus: A Cure for Pagan Maladies, Ancient Christian Writers, #67 (New York: The Newman Press, 2013), p.165.
Greek text: Οὐ γὰρ δὴ διʼ ἔργων ἀξιεπαίνων, ἀλλὰ διὰ μόνης πίστεως τῶν μυστικῶν τετυχήκαμεν ἀγαθῶν. Τῷ τοι καὶ ὁ θεῖος ἀπόστολος κέκραγεν· «Χάριτί ἐστε σεσῳσμένοι· καὶ τοῦτο οὐκ ἐξ ὑμῶν, Θεοῦ τὸ δῶρον, ἵνα μή τις καυχήσηται.» Graecarum affectionum curatio, VII, PG 83.1001B.
I mentioned to Lane in a private post that I think the value of Fitzmyer's commentary on Romans, apart from the theological and exegetical scholarship, is what he admits therein, an example being with respect to the meaning of δικαιόω, which he says can be translated as "declare upright," i.e. in a forensic sense. e.g. pp. 117-119.
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