Christ's death assures us hope and peace 1 BEING justified therefore by faith, let us have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access through faith into this grace, wherein we stand, and glory in the hope of the glory of the sons of God. 3 And not only so; but we glory also in tribulations, knowing that tribulation works patience; 4 And patience trial; and trial hope; 5 And hope confounds not: because the charity of God is poured forth in our hearts, by the Holy Spirit, who is given to us. 6 For why did Christ, when as yet we were weak, according to the time, die for the ungodly? 7 For scarce for a just man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man some one would dare to die.
Christ's death assures our salvation 8 But God commends his charity towards us; because when as yet we were sinners, according to the time, 9 Christ died for us; much more therefore, being now justified by his blood, shall we be saved from wrath through him. 10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son; much more, being reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 And not only so; but also we glory in God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received reconciliation.
In Adam all have sinned 12 Wherefore as by one man sin entered into this world, and by sin death; and so death passed upon all men, in whom all have sinned. 13 For until the law sin was in the world; but sin was not imputed, when the law was not. 14 But death reigned from Adam unto Moses, even over them also who have not sinned after the similitude of the transgression of Adam, who is a figure of him who was to come.
Grace and life super-abound through Christ 15 But not as the offence, so also the gift. For if by the offence of one, many died; much more the grace of God, and the gift, by the grace of one man, Jesus Christ, has abounded to many. 16 And not as it was by one sin, so also is the gift. For judgment indeed was by one unto condemnation; but grace is of many offences, unto justification. 17 For if by one man's offence death reigned through one; much more they who receive abundance of grace, and of the gift, and of justice, shall reign in life through one, Jesus Christ. 18 Therefore, as by the offence of one, unto all men to condemnation; so also by the justice of one, unto all men to justification of life. 19 For as by the disobedience of one man, many were made sinners; so also by the obedience of one, many shall be made just.
Purpose of the Law 20 Now the law entered in order that sin might abound. And where sin abounded, grace did more abound. 21 That as sin has reigned to death; so also grace might reign by justice unto life everlasting, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Commentary on Romans 5
5:1 justified by faith: see note for Romans 3:28. let us have peace: That is to trust confidently in God, with a mind calm and tranquil, unmoved, and unterrified by the waves of persecution. (Cornelius a Lapide Com Jn 16:33)
5:2 we have access: as through a mediator: "One mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus" 1 Tim 2:5. (St. Thomas Aquinas) through faith into this grace: What grace is this? It is the being counted worthy of the knowledge of God, the being forced from error, the coming to a knowledge of the Truth, the obtaining of all the blessings that come through Baptism. For the end of His bringing us near was that we might receive these gifts. For it was not only that we might have simple remission of sins, that we were reconciled; but that we might receive also countless benefits. Nor did He even pause at these, but promised others, namely, those unutterable blessings that pass understanding alike and language. (St. John Chrysostom)
5:3 We take pride and congratulate ourselves on being sharers in the Lord’s sufferings... When troubles beset someone, provided they bear it nobly, they are shown to have character and are buoyed up by the hope of future things. (Theodoret of Cyrus)
5:4 and patience trial: However, James 1:3 seems to say the opposite: "The trial of your faith produces patience." The answer is that trial can be understood in two ways. In one way, as it takes place in the one tested; then the trial is the very suffering through which a man is tested. Hence, it is the same to say that tribulation produces patience and that tribulation tests patience. In another way, trial is taken for the fact of having been tested. This is the way it is taken here, because if a person endures sufferings patiently, he has been tested. (St. Thomas Aquinas)
5:5 hope confounds not: that is, it does not fail, unless the man fails it. For a person is said to be confounded in his hope, when he falls away from the thing he hoped for. (St. Thomas Aquinas)
5:8-9 But in this that man was delivered by Christ's Passion, many other things besides deliverance from sin concurred for man's salvation. In the first place, man knows thereby how much God loves him, and is thereby stirred to love Him in return, and herein lies the perfection of human salvation . (St. Thomas Aquinas Sum Theo 3.46.3a)
5:10 when we were enemies: All who are born in original sin lie under this sentence. (Haimo of Auxerre) reconciled to God by the death of His Son: Christ's Passion is in two ways the cause of our reconciliation to God. In the first way, inasmuch as it takes away sin by which men became God's enemies... In another way, inasmuch as it is a most acceptable sacrifice to God. Now it is the proper effect of sacrifice to appease God: just as man likewise overlooks an offense committed against him on account of some pleasing act of homage shown him... And in like fashion Christ's voluntary suffering was such a good act that, because of its being found in human nature, God was appeased for every offense of the human race with regard to those who are made one with the crucified Christ in the aforesaid manner. (St. Thomas Aquinas Sum Theo 3.49.4a) we be saved by his life: that is, through the life by which he rose from the dead. (Interlinear Gloss) |
5:11 we have now received reconciliation: Not only do we await eternal life; rather, even in the present life we take pride in being God’s familiars, considering what happened to Christ our Lord, who by becoming our go-between brought about peace. (Theodoret of Cyrus)
5:12 Thus we all sinned in Adam when he sinned, not because we ourselves, who did not yet exist, sinned then, but because we were going to come from him, and it was then made necessary that, when we existed, we should sin, because ‘by the disobedience of one, many were made sinners. Rom 5:19’ (St. Anselm of Canterbury Vir Con and Orig Sin 7) Man’s first sin was pride according to Ecclus 10:15, which followed by a threefold penalty. One of these, which is a penalty and nothing else besides, is the mortality of the body. The other two, which are both penalties and sins, are, first, the concupiscence of the flesh, and, second, the ignorance of the mind. (Hugh of St. Victor On Sacr of Chris Faith 1.1) Death is the equivalent to saying hell. (St. Augustine Serm 3.10.82)
5:13 not imputed: That is, men knew not, or made no account of sin, neither was it imputed to them, in the manner it was afterwards, when they transgressed the known written law of God. (Bishop Richard Challoner)
5:14 have not sinned after: Even if they did not break the commandment just like Adam did, they still committed other lawlessness. (Theodoret of Cyrus) a figure of him who was the come: Adam is a figure of Christ because, just as Adam is the father of all according to the flesh, so Christ is the father of all according to faith. (Glossa Ordinaria)
5:15 The power of Adam’s trespass must not be considered the equal of Christ’s gift. The reason is that sin came from the weakness of the human will, but grace comes from the immensity of the divine goodness, which excels the human will, especially in its weakness. (St. Thomas Aquinas) many died: that is, made sinners. (Interlinear Gloss)
5:17 death reigned through one man: Because the powers that were in him he exercised for all his descendants, of whom he was the matter; and likewise it was his guilt alone that was transfused into all. (Glossa Ordinaria)
5:20 the law entered in that sin might abound: Paul now seasonably enters upon the discussion of the Law, here again undermining the high notions of it. For it was so far from doing any good, he means, or from being any way helpful, but the disorder was only increased by its having come in. But the particle "that" again does not assign the cause, but the result. For the purpose of its being given was not "in order that" it might abound, for it was given to diminish and destroy the offense. But it resulted the opposite way, not owing to the nature of the Law, but owing to the listlessness of those who received it. grace did more abound: He does not say did abound, but "did more abound". For it was not remission from punishment only that He gave us, but that from sins, and life also. As if any were not merely to free a man with a fever from his disease, but to give him also beauty, and strength, and rank; or again, were not to give one an hungered nourishment only, but were to put him in possession of great riches, and were to set him in the highest authority.(St. John Chrysostom) |
Catechism Cross-reference
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