The following is taken from Matthew J. Thomas, “Righteous-ed byFaith: Justification as Factitive in the Pre-Augustinian Tradition”:
In book 5 of this work, Tertullian
writes short summaries of the Pauline epistles to show how Paul’s meaning
differs from the assertions of Marcion. In explaining Paul’s appeal to Abraham’s
justification in Galatians 3, Tertullian writes the following:
For if Abraham believed God, and
it was reckoned for righteousness, and thenceforth he had the right to be called
the father of many nations, and if we by believing God are the more thereby
justified (magis proinde iustifacamur), as Abraham was, the more obtain
life …. So it comes about that … he pronounced us sons of Abraham. (Marc.
5.3)
The key word in this passage is ‘more,
magic, which makes a forensic reading of justification seemingly unintelligible,
as it is not clear how one who has been acquitted can increase in acquittal. Instead,
Tertullian here understands the Pauline verb in a factitive sense, so that as
Abraham became righteous by faith, we by believing in God are the more thereby
made righteous.