Did the early Church fathers believe the Law of Moses was never able to justify?
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I am looking for the quotes of early Church Fathers describing the ability of the law. **Did they believe the law was never meant & able to justify or give life?** In other words, it did not justify anyone before the coming of the promise (Christ). I am sure about the views of Augustine and Jerome that they didn't believe the law could ever give life, but I need some more quotes. I didn't see that view being shown clearly from John Chrysostom's Homily on Galatians 3:21. It would be great if you can share the views of early fathers with unambiguous quotes, and if possible, do share the Greek text as well. I suspect Jerome and Augustine along with Marcion might have been the first known leaders who taught that the law was never able to justify, rather than its temporal end due to the coming of Christ. Christ being the end of the law-righteousness. (Rom 10:4).
John Chrysostom quote from the Homilies of Chrysostom:
> [\[Commentary - Galatians 3:21\]][1] Ver. 21. "For if there had been a law given which could make alive verily righteousness would have been of the Law."
>
>His meaning is as follows; If we had our hope of life in the Law, and our salvation depended on it, the objection might be valid. But if it save you, by means of Faith, though it brings you under the curse, you suffer nothing from it, gain no harm, in that Faith comes and sets all right. Had the promise been by the Law, you had reasonably feared lest, separating from the Law, you should separate from righteousness, but if it was given in order to shut up all, that is, to convince all and expose their individual sins, far from excluding you from the promises, it now aids you in obtaining them. This is shown by the words,
Asked by Michael16
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Mar 27, 2022, 01:29 PM
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