Translating the Apology of the Augsburg Confession: Art. IV De Iustificatione (xxi)

Act. 13, 38. 39: Notum igitur sit[1] vobis, viri fratres, quod[2] per hunc[3] vobis remissio peccatorum annuntiatur et ab omnibus, quibus non potuistis in lege iustificati.[4] In hoc omnis, qui credit, iustificatur. Quomodo potuit clarius de officio Christi et de iustificatione dici? Lex, inquit, non iustificabat. Ideo Christus datus est, ut credamus[5] nos propter ipsum iustificari. Aperte detrahit legi iustificationem. Ergo propter Christum iusti reputamur, quum credimus, nobis Deum placatum esse propter ipsum.

Act. 4, 11. 12: Hic est lapis, qui reprobatus est a vobis aedificantibus,[6] qui factus est in caput anguli,[7] et non est[8] in aliquo alio salus. Neque enim aliud nomen est sub coelo datum[9] hominibus, in quo oporteat[10]nos salvos fieri. Nomen autem Christi tantum fide apprehenditur. Igitur fiducia nominis Christi, non fiducia nostrorum operum salvamur. Nomen enim hic significat causam, quae allegatur, propter quam contingit salus. Et allegare nomen Christi est confidere nomine Christi, tamquam causa seu pretio, propter quod salvamur. Act. 15, 9: Fide purificans[11] corda eorum. Quare fides illa, de qua loquuntur apostoli, non est otiosa notitia, sed res, accipiens[12] Spiritum Sanctum et iustificans nos.

Abacuc[13] 2, 4: Iustus ex fide vivet. Hic primum dicit[14] homines fide esse iustos, qua credun[15]t Deum propitium esse, et addit, quod eadem fides vivificet, quia haec fides parit in corde pacem et gaudium et vitam aeternam.

Esaiae[16] 53, 11: Notitia eius iustificabit multos. Quid est autem notitia Christi, nisi nosse[17] beneficia Christi, promissiones, quas per evangelium sparsit in mundum? Et haec beneficia nosse, proprie et vere est credere in Christum, credere, quod,[18] quae[19] promisit Deus propter Christum, certo praestet.

Sed plena est Scriptura talibus testimoniis, quia alibi legem, alibi promissiones de Christo et de remissione peccatorum et de gratuita acceptatione propter Christum tradit.

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[1] The iussive subjunctive: Let it be known to you all, men and brothers…

[2] A quod substantive clause

[3] The masculine demonstratives here refer to Christ

[4] Iustificati estis

[5] Introduces an indirect statement

[6] A present active participle as apposition to vobis

[7] cornerstone

[8] An impersonal construction: there is not

[9] A perfect passive participle

[10] Introduces an indirect statement

[11] A present active participle

[12] Accipiens and iustificans are present active participles

[13] Habakkuk

[14] Introduces an indirect statement

[15] Introduces an indirect statement

[16] Isaiah

[17] No(vi)sse

[18] A quod substantive clause

[19] That which…

Vocabulary
Acceptatio, acceptationis, f.- acceptance	Frater, fratris, m.- brother
Aedifico, are, avi, atus- to build	Gaudium, ī, n.- joy
Angulus, i, m.- corner; angle, apex	Lapis, lapidis, m.- stone; jewel
Annuntiō, āre, āvī, ātus- to announce, declare	Purifico, are, avi, atus- to purify; clean
Coelum, ī, n.- heaven	Reprobo, are, reprobavi, reprobatus- to condemn, reject
Contingo, ere, contigi, contactus- to be granted to; to happen; to reach	Spargo, ere, sparsi, sparsus- to scatter

In Acts 13: 38-39, it says, “Let it be known to you all, men and brothers, that through this man, the forgiveness of sins is announced to you all, and you have been justified from all the things which you were not able in the law. In this man, everyone, who believes, is justified.” How can this thing concerning the office of Christ and justification be said more clearly? The law, it said, does not justify. So Christ has been given so that we believe that we are justified on account of him.

In Acts 4:11-2 Peter says, “This is the rock, which was condemned by you all, the builders, which has become the cornerstone, and there is not salvation in another place for anyone. For under heaven there is not another name, given to men, in which it is necessary for us to be saved.” However, the name of Christ is only grasped by faith. Therefore, we are saved by trust in the name of Christ, not by trust in our works. For here “name” means the reason, which is urged, on account of which salvation happens. And to plea the name of Christ is to trust in the name of Christ as the cause or price on account of which we are saved. Acts 15:9 says, “Purifying your hearts by faith.” Wherefore, that faith, about which the Apostles speak, is not an idle knowledge, but a thing which accepts the Holy Speak and justifies us.

In Habakkuk 2:4 it says, “The just will live by faith.” Here first it says that men are just by the faith with which they believe that God is well-disposed towards them, and it adds that the same faith makes alive because this faith produces in a heart peace and joy and eternal life.

In Isaiah 53:11 it says, “Knowledge of Him will make many righteous.” But what is the knowledge of Christ unless it is to have known the benefits of Christ and the promises which are sprinkled in the world through the gospel? And to have known these benefits, properly and truly, is to believe in Christ, to believe that those things which God promised on account of Christ surely stand.

But Scripture is full of such testimonies because in some places it teaches the law, in some places the promises concerning Christ and the forgiveness of sins and its free acceptance because of Christ.

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