“Human beings can be saved from the ancient wound of the serpent in no other way than by believing in him who, when he was raised up from the earth on the tree of martyrdom in the likeness of sinful flesh, drew all things to himself and gave life to the dead.”

- St. Irenaeus (130 – 202 AD) (Against the Heresies, IV, 2, 7)

“While I was sick in the flesh, the Savior was sent to me in the likeness of sinful flesh, fulfilling such a dispensation, to redeem me from slavery, from corruption,  and from death. And He became to me righteousness, and sanctification, and salvation. Righteousness, by setting me free from sin through faith in Him. Sanctification, in having set me free through water and the Spirit and His word. And salvation, His blood being the ransom of the true Lamb, having given Himself on my behalf.”

- St. Epiphanios (310 -403 AD) (Against Heresies 3.1,2 PG 42-477)

“Confess Jesus Christ, and believe that He is risen from the dead, and you will be saved. For indeed righteousness is only to be believed; but a complete salvation must also be confessed and knowledge must be added to confidence.”

- St. Gregory Nazianzus (329 – 390 AD) (On Moderation, PG 36.204)

“Indeed, this is the perfect and complete glorification of God, when one does not exult in his own righteousness, but recognizing oneself as lacking true righteousness to be justified by faith alone in Christ.”

- St. Basil the Great (330 – 379 AD) (Homily on Humility, PG 31.532; TFoTC vol. 9, p. 479)

“But we all escape the condemnation for our sins referred to above, if we believe in the grace of God through His Only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who said: ‘This is my blood of the new testament,  which shall be shed for many unto the remission of sins.”

- St. Basil the Great (330 – 379 AD) (Concerning Baptism, TfoTC vol. 9, p. 344)

“To this end has His Grace and Goodness been formed upon us in Christ Jesus, that being dead according to works, redeemed through faith and saved by grace, we might receive the gift of this great deliverance.”

Ambrose (337-397 AD), Letter 76 to Irenaeus, a layman

“Be not troubled when thou meditatest  upon the greatness of thy former sins; but rather know, that still greater is the grace that justifieth the sinner and absolveth the wicked. Faith then in Christ is found to be the pledge to us of these great blessings; for it is the way that leadeth unto life, that bids us go to the mansions that are above, that raises us to the inheritance of the saints, that makes us members of the kingdom of Christ.”

— St. Cyril of Alexandria (378 – 444 AD) , Homily 40 on St. Luke.

“Gain for yourself the pardon coming from faith, since he is his own worst enemy who does not believe that he is given what the very generous Bestower of mercy promises in all kindness.”

St. Peter Chrysologus (406 – 450 AD)- Sermon  58 (On the Creed), par. 13 (TFOTC, Vol. 109, p. 224)

“Give yourself, 0 man, pardon by believing, since you fell into all the sins by despairing.”

St. Peter Chrysologus (406 – 450 AD)- Sermon  62 (On the Creed), par. 16 (TFOTC, Vol. 109, p. 245)

“They all therefore were glorified and magnified, not through themselves or their own works or the righteous doing which they wrought, but through His will. And so we, having been called through His will in Christ Jesus, are not justified through ourselves or through our own wisdom or understanding or piety or works which we wrought in holiness of heart, but through faith, whereby the Almighty God justified all men that have been from the beginning; to whom be the glory forever and ever”

(1 Clement (c. 150 AD - c. 215 AD) 32:3-4).

“For ‘Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.’ In like manner we also are justified by faith in God: for ‘the just shall live by faith.’ Now ‘not by the law is the promise to Abraham, but by faith’ for Abraham was justified by faith: and ‘for a righteous man the law is not made.’ In like manner we also are justified not by the law, but by faith, which is witnessed to in the law and in the prophets”

(Irenaeus (130 – 202 AD), Demonstration of the Apostolic Preaching, Chapter 35).

“He is saying that the justification of faith alone suffices, so that the one who only believes is justified, even if he has not accomplished a single work. It is incumbent upon us, therefore, as those who are attempting to defend the harmoniousness of the Apostle’s writings and to establish that they are entirely consistent in their arrangement, that we should ask: Who has been justified by faith alone without works of the law? Thus, in my opinion, that thief who was crucified with Christ should suffice for a suitable example. He called out to him from the cross, ‘Lord Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom!’ In the Gospels nothing else is recorded about his good works, but for the sake of this faith alone Jesus said to him, ‘Truly I say to you: Today you will be with me in paradise.’ If it seems appropriate, let us now apply the words of the Apostle Paul to the case of this thief and say to the Jews, ‘Where then is your boasting?’ Certainly it is excluded, but excluded not through the law of works but through the law of faith. For through faith this thief was justified without works of the law, since the Lord did not require in addition to this that he should first accomplish works, nor did he wait for him to perform some works when he had believed”

(Origen (185 - c. 253), Commentary on Romans, 3.9 [PG 14.952-953]).

“A man is not justified by the works of the law but through faith and the faith of Jesus Christ . . . It is faith alone that gives justification and sanctification”

(Marius Victorinus (290 AD - 364 AD), Commentary on Galatians 2:15-16 [PL 8.1164]).

“Therefore righteousness is not from the law; that is, justification and salvation come not from the law but from faith; as is promised”

(Marius Victorinus (290 AD - 364 AD), Commentary on Galatians 3:21 [PL 8.1172]).

“Only faith in Christ is salvation for us”

(Marius Victorinus (290 AD - 364 AD), Commentary on Ephesians 2:15 [PL 8.1258]).

“It disturbed the scribes that sin was forgiven by a man (for they considered that Jesus Christ was only a man) and that sin was forgiven by Him whereas the Law was not able to absolve it, since faith alone justifies”

(Hilary of Poitiers (c. 310 - c. 367), Commentary on Matthew, 8.6 [PL 9.961]).

“Because faith alone justifies . . . publicans and prostitutes will be first in the kingdom of heaven”

(Hilary of Poitiers (c. 310 - c. 367), Commentary on Matthew, 21.15 [PL 9.1041]).

“This is perfect and pure boasting in God, when one is not proud on account of his own righteousness but knows that he is indeed unworthy of the true righteousness and is justified solely by faith in Christ”

(Basil of Caesarea (330 AD - 379 AD), Homilies on Humility, 20.3 [PG 31.529]).

“For the mercy of God had been given for this reason, that the law should cease, as I have often said, because God, taking pity on our weaknesses, decreed that the human race would be saved by faith alone”

(Ambrosiaster, On Romans, Commentary on Romans 1:11 [PL 17.53]).

“They are justified freely because, while doing nothing or providing any repayment, they are justified by faith alone as a gift of God”

(Ambrosiaster, On Romans, Commentary on Romans 3:24 [PL 17.79])

“Paul tells those who live under the law that they have no reason to boast basing themselves on the law and claiming to be of the race of Abraham, seeing that no one is justified before God except by faith”

(Ambrosiaster, On Romans, Commentary on Romans 3:27 [PL 17.80]).

“How then can the Jews think that they have been justified by the works of the law in the same way as Abraham, when they see that Abraham was not justified by the works of the law but by faith alone? Therefore there is no need of the law when the ungodly is justified before God by faith alone”

(Ambrosiaster, On Romans, Commentary on Romans 4:5, [PL 17.82-83]).

“Those are blessed of whom God has decreed that, without work or any keeping of the law, they are justified before God by faith alone”

(Ambrosiaster, On Romans, Commentary on Romans 4:6 [PL 17.83]).

“Because this has been determined by God, that he who believes in Christ will be saved without work: by faith alone freely he receives forgiveness of sins”

(Ambrosiaster, On 1 Corinthians, Commentary on 1 Corinthians 1:4 [PL 17.185]).

“Everywhere he places the Gentiles on an equal footing. ‘And he made no distinction between us and them but cleansed their hearts by faith.’ From faith alone, he says, they obtained the same gifts. This is also meant as a lesson to those (objectors); this is able to teach them that faith alone is necessary, and not works or circumcision”

(John Chrysostom (c. 347 - 407 AD), Homilies on Acts, Homily 32 on Acts 15 [PG 60.235]).

“But what is the ‘law of faith?’ It is, being saved by grace. Here he shows God’s power, in that He has not only saved, but has even justified, and led them to boasting, and this too without needing works, but looking for faith only”

(John Chrysostom (c. 347 - 407 AD), Homilies on Romans, Homily 7 on Romans 3:27 [PG 60.446]).

“For he died for us, and further reconciled us, and brought us to Himself, and gave us grace unspeakable. But we brought faith only as our contribution”

(John Chrysostom (c. 347 - 407 AD), Homilies on Romans, Homily 9 on Romans 5:2 [PG 60.468]).

“God’s mission was not to save people in order that they may remain barren or inert. For Scripture says that faith has saved us. Put better: since God has willed it, faith has saved us. Now in what case, tell me, does faith save without itself doing anything at all? Faith’s workings themselves are a gift of God, lest anyone should boast. What then is Paul saying? Not that God has forbidden works but that he has forbidden us to be justified by works. No one, Paul says, is justified by works, precisely in order that the grace and benevolence of God may become apparent!”

(John Chrysostom (c. 347 - 407 AD), Homilies on Ephesians, Homily 4 on Ephesians 2:8).

“For by faith alone He saved us. . . . Instead of a certain manner of life, He brought in faith. For that He might not save us to no purpose, He both Himself underwent the penalty, and also required of them the faith that is by doctrines”

(John Chrysostom (c. 347 - 407 AD), Homilies on Ephesians, Homily 5 on Ephesians 2:13-15 [PG 62.39-40]).

“What then was it that was thought incredible? That those who were enemies and sinners, justified by neither the law nor works, should immediately through faith alone be advanced to the highest favor. . . . It seemed to them incredible that a person who had misspent all his former life in vain and wicked actions should afterwards be saved by his faith alone”

(John Chrysostom (c. 347 - 407 AD), Homilies on 1 Timothy, on 1 Timothy 1:15-16 [PG 62.520-521]).

“[God] has justified our race not by right actions, not by toils, not by barter and exchange, but by grace alone. . . . But the justice of God comes through faith in Jesus Christ and not through any labor and suffering”

(John Chrysostom (c. 347 - 407 AD), Against the Jews, 7.3 [PG 48.919]).

“The patriarch Abraham himself before receiving circumcision had been declared righteous on the score of faith: before circumcision, the text says, ‘Abraham believed God, and credit for it brought him to righteousness’”

(John Chrysostom (c. 347 - 407 AD), Homilies on Genesis, 27.3 [PG 53.243]).

“[Paul] shows clearly that righteousness depends not on the merit of man, but on the grace of God, who accepts the faith of those who believe, without the works or the Law”

(Jerome (c. 342 - 420), Against Pelagius, 2.7 [PL 23.568]).

“When an ungodly man is converted, God justifies him through faith alone, not on account of good works, which he possessed not; otherwise, on account of his ungodly deeds, he ought to have been punished”

(Jerome (c. 342 - 420), Commentary on Romans 10 [PL 30.692]. As cited by George Stanley Faber, The Primitive Doctrine of Justification, p. 121).

“We conclude that a man is not justified by the precepts of a holy life, but by faith in Jesus Christ; in a word, not by the law of works, but by the law of faith; not by the letter, but by the spirit; not by the merits of deeds, but by free grace”

(Augustine (354 - 430), A Treatise on the Spirit and the Letter, Chapter 22 [PL 44.214-215]).

“Of whatever virtue you may declare that the ancient righteous people were possessed, nothing saved them but the belief in the Mediator who shed his blood for the remission of their sins”

(Augustine (354 - 430), Against Two Letters of the Pelagians, 1.21.39 [PL 44.569]).

“When someone believes in him who justifies the impious, that faith is reckoned as justice to the believer, as David too declares that person blessed whom God has accepted and endowed with righteousness, independently of any righteous actions. What righteousness is this? The righteousness of faith, preceded by no good works, but with good works as its consequence”

(Augustine (354 - 430), Exposition of the Psalms, 31.7 [PL 36.263]).

“The very reason, indeed, why he so often declares that righteousness is imputed to us, not out of our works, but of our faith, whereas faith rather works through love, is that no man should think that he arrives at faith itself through the merit of his works; for it is faith which is the beginning whence good works first proceed”

(Augustine (354 - 430), On the Proceedings of Pelagius, 14.34 [PL 44.341]).

Alternate translation by Nick Needham in “The Evolution of Justification” in The Doctrine on Which the Church Stands or Falls:

“The evident explanation for why the apostle so often declares that righteousness is imputed to us, not from our works but from our faith, while on the other hand faith itself works through love, is to keep anyone from thinking that he arrives at faith itself through the merit of his works. Quite the opposite! Faith is the wellspring from which good works originally flow, since whatever does not proceed from faith is sin”

(Augustine (354 - 430), On the Deeds of the Pelagians, 14.34).

“The righteousness of God is not that by which God is righteous but that with which he clothes man when he justifies the ungodly”

(Augustine (354 - 430), A Treatise on the Spirit and the Letter, 9.15 [PL 44.209]).

“For we are justified by faith, not by works of the law, as Scripture says. By faith in whom, then, are we justified? Is it not in him who suffered death according to the flesh for our sake? Is it not in one Lord Jesus Christ? Have we not been redeemed by proclaiming his death and confessing his resurrection?”

(Cyril of Alexandria (c. 376 - 444), Against Nestorius, 3.2 [PG 76.132]).

“The righteousness of God is not revealed to everyone but only to those with the eyes of faith. . . . Paul quoted Habakkuk for the benefit of the Jews, because he wanted to teach them not to cling to the provisions of the law but to follow [their own] prophets. For many centuries before they had predicted that one day there would be salvation by faith alone”

(Theodoret of Cyrus (393 AD - 457 AD), Interpretation of the Letter to the Romans, on Romans 1:17 [PG 82.57, 60]).

“The Lord Christ is both God and the mercy seat, both the priest and the lamb, and he performed the work of our salvation by his blood, demanding only faith from us”

(Theodoret of Cyrus (393 AD - 457 AD), Interpretation of the Letter to the Romans, on Romans 3:25 [PG 82.84-85]).

“It is not of our own accord that we have believed, but we have come to belief after having been called; and even when we had come to believe, He did not require of us purity of life, but approving mere faith, God bestowed on us forgiveness of sins”

(Theodoret of Cyrus (393 AD - 457 AD), Interpretation of Ephesians, on Ephesians 2:8-9 [PG 82.521]).

“I consider myself wretched – in fact, wretched three times over. I am guilty of all kinds of errors. Through faith alone I look for finding some mercy in the day of the Lord’s appearing”

(Theodoret of Cyrus (393 AD - 457 AD), Epistle 83 [PG 83.1269]).

“What Paul meant was that no one obtains the gift of justification on the basis of merits derived from works performed beforehand, because the gift of justification comes only from faith”

(Bede (672 - 735), Exposition on James [PL 93.22]. As cited in the Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, New Testament Volume 11, p. 31).

“If the law justifies, then Abraham who lived long before the law was not justified. Since that cannot be admitted, one is compelled to acknowledge that man is not justified by works of the law but by faith. At the same time we are compelled also to realize that all the ancient fathers who were justified were justified by faith alone”

(Claudius of Turin (780 AD - 827 AD), Commentary on Galatians, as cited in Early Medieval Theology, ed. George E. McCracken, p. 233).

“Come then, while life remains in you, in Christ’s death alone place your whole trust; in nothing else place any trust; to His death commit yourself wholly; with this alone cover yourself wholly; in this enwrap yourself wholly. And if the Lord your God wishes to judge you, say, ‘Lord, between Your judgment and me I present the death of our Lord Jesus Christ; in no other way can I contend with You’”

(Anselm (1033-1109), Meditations and Prayers, p. 275-276 [PL 158.686-687]).

Alternate translation by Nick Needham in “The Evolution of Justification” in The Doctrine on Which the Church Stands or Falls:

“Come then! While you still have life, put your complete confidence in his death. Rely on nothing else. Entrust yourself to his death entirely. Cover yourself over totally with his death alone; wrap yourself up in it completely. Should the Lord your God wish to judge you, then say, ‘O Lord, between your judgment and myself, I place the death of our Lord Jesus Christ. In no other way can I deal with you.’ Should God say that you are a sinner, then say, ‘O Lord, between my sins and you, I interpose the death of our Lord Jesus Christ.’ Should he say that you have merited condemnation, then say, ‘O Lord, between my evil merits and you, I place the death of our Lord Jesus Christ. I present his good merits which I ought to have, although I do not have them.’ Should he say he is angry toward you, then say, ‘O Lord, between your anger and me I place the death of our Lord Jesus Christ.’ And when you have said all this, say once again, ‘O Lord, I place the death of our Lord Jesus Christ between you and me'”

(Historically attributed to Anselm, Admonitio Sancti Anselmi).

“For what could man, the slave of sin, fast bound by the devil, do of himself to recover that righteousness which he had formerly lost? Therefore he who lacked righteousness had another’s imputed to him. . . . It was man who owed the debt, it was man who paid it. For if one, says [the Apostle Paul], died for all, then all were dead, so that, as One bore the sins of all, the satisfaction of One is imputed to all”

(Bernard of Clairvaux (1090 - 1153), Epistle 190.6 [PL 182.1065]. As cited in Life and Works of Saint Bernard, ed. John Mabillon, p. 2:580-581).

“Who shall bring any accusation against the elect of God? To me it is sufficient, for all righteousness, only to have Him propitiated, against whom only I have sinned. Everything, which He will have decreed not to impute to me, is thus as if it had never been. Freedom from all sin is the righteousness of God; the pure indulgence [pardon] of God is the righteousness of man”

(Bernard of Clairvaux (1090 - 1153), Sermons on the Song of Songs, 23.15 [PL 183.892]. As cited by George Stanley Faber, The Primitive Doctrine of Justification, p. 157).

“Therefore let the man, who through sorrow for sin hungers and thirsts for righteousness, trust in the One who changes the sinner into a righteous man, and judged righteous in terms of faith alone, he will have peace with God”

(Bernard of Clairvaux (1090 - 1153), Sermons on the Song of Songs, 22.8 [PL 183.881]. As cited by Franz Posset, Pater Bernhardus: Martin Luther and Bernard of Clairvaux, p. 186).

“No human being will be justified in the sight of God through the works of the law. . . . Aware of our imperfection, we must cry to heaven—and God will show us mercy. On the last day, we will then know that God has saved us, not on the basis of good works done by ourselves but on the basis of his own mercy”

(Bernard of Clairvaux (1090 - 1153), Sermons on the Song of Songs, 50.2. As cited by Nick Needham in “The Evolution of Justification” in The Doctrine on Which the Church Stands or Falls).