Haymo of Halberstadt (died March 27, 853) wasa 9th century German Benedictine monk, theologian, and Bishop of Halberstadt (from 840) who played a significant role in the Carolingian
Renaissance. A student of Alcuin and friend of Rabanus Maurus, he was
known for his biblical commentaries and for founding the library at
Halberstadt. The following was translated using ChatGPT.
Rom 5:12 “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into this world, and through sin death, and so death passed into all men, in whom all sinned.”
There is an ellipsis of expression in this place of this sort: just as through Adam sin and death entered, so through Christ justification and eternal life came. Therefore, says the Apostle, we have been reconciled to God, because just as through one man, Adam, into this world—that is, into the whole of the human race, except Christ who is from above—sin entered, and through sin death came, so also death of body and soul passed into all men, just as into that first one in whom all sinned; so through our Lord Jesus Christ justification entered, and through justification the life to come.
The sense is this: as through Adam sin entered into the human race and death, and passed through all, so through Christ came justification and life. In him also all sinned who were in his loins, just as Levi was in the loins of his father when he was tithed (Hebrews 7). And fittingly he says that sin first entered and then through sin death followed, because immediately when he sinned he was made mortal, as God had foretold him: “On whatever day you eat of it, you shall surely die.” He sinned by desiring and by eating, and by sinning he became mortal.
Rom 5:13 “For until the law sin was in the world.” He does not say until the time when the law was given, but until the term of the law’s completion. For thus we are accustomed to say: “The Huns reigned until Attila,” that is, until the death of King Attila. “Until the time,” that is, until the end of the law and the beginning of grace, original and actual sin existed in the world. But through the grace of Jesus Christ not only original sins but also actual sins are abandoned.
“But sin was not imputed when there was no law.” This can be understood in three ways. First: as long as the natural law is not in a person, as in little children, whatever a child does is not imputed as sin because he does not know what is good or evil. Second: before the law was given, sin was not recognized as so great an evil as it was shown to be through the law. Third: when the law was lacking, it was not imputed—that is, it was not known what punishment sin deserved until the law itself said, “Whoever does this or that shall die.”
Rom 5:14 "But death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin in the likeness of Adam’s transgression.” That is, death is the same as sin; therefore he says death reigned because it held the whole world, both the death of sin and the death of the body. What he says “until Moses” must be understood as we said—that is, until the end of the law and the beginning of grace. For by Moses the law is understood, as it is said in the Gospel to the rich man, “They have Moses,” that is, the law; and elsewhere, “Beginning from Moses,” that is, from the law.
Death of the soul reigned in the whole world from the time the first man sinned until the end of the law of Moses and the beginning of the Gospel—not only in others but even in those who did not sin willingly or knowingly, such as infants who were held bound by original sin. Those sin “in the likeness of Adam’s transgression” who sin knowingly and willingly, like the one to whom God said, “Of every tree of the paradise you may eat, but of the tree of knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat” (Genesis). But he does not sin in the likeness of Adam who neither has the natural law nor sins deliberately.
“Who is a type of the one to come.” This can be understood in three ways. Adam, who brought sin into the world, is a model or type of the future Adam—that is, Christ—because just as he was made from virgin earth, so Christ was born from the Virgin Mary. Or it is taken from the contrary side: one is head of sin, the other head of justice; as Adam brought sin and death, so Christ brought justification and life. Or if we read “who is a type for future ones,” as some manuscripts have, the sense will be: he is a model for his future descendants in sin, because as he was a sinner and mortal, so all his descendants were born and are born sinners and mortal, original sin being transmitted to posterity—as blessed Augustine says—through the concupiscence of intercourse; but through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ they are freed from sins and eternal death. For just as no man exists outside Adam—that is, outside his lineage—so no one is outside his sin except Christ.
Rom 5:15 “But not as the trespass, so also the gift of justification.” That is, the gift of Christ by which remission of sins comes to us was greater than Adam’s sin by which death came. And Christ’s righteousness prevailed more in justifying than Adam’s sin in killing, since in those redeemed through Christ the form of death from Adam prevails only temporally, but the form of life will prevail eternally through Christ.
“For if by the trespass of one man, Adam, many—that is, the elect—died temporally, much more the grace of God, by which our sins are forgiven, and the gift of the Holy Spirit in the grace of the one man Jesus Christ abounded to many.” “Many” and “more” refer to the elect; nor is there a comparison implying that more are saved than lost, since more are reprobate who will be condemned than righteous who will be saved, but the phrase is used absolutely.
Join it also thus: if because of the trespass of one man, Adam, not only the reprobate and great sinners but also the elect died temporally in body (not in soul), much more the grace of God and the gift through Christ abounded in the elect; for in this grace abounded more—that is, remission of sins—in the elect than sin, because it removed not only original sin, by which we fall into death of soul and body, but also all actual sins in the elect, and moreover granted life that endures without end.
Rom 5:16 “And not as through one sin (understand: original) death came, so also the gift (understand: of grace) came”—that is to say: Adam’s sin came through disobedience to bring death; the gift of Christ’s grace came through obedience—by which he was obedient to God the Father—to take away not only original sin but also all actual sins.
“For judgment indeed from one unto condemnation, but grace from many offenses unto justification.” Judgment or condemnation from one man Adam, or from one original sin, came into condemnation of all men; but the grace of Christ, by which sins are freely forgiven, came into justification of the faithful from many offenses added after original sin. The sense is: condemnation came from one man or one original sin into condemnation of the human race; but Christ’s grace came into justification of the elect from many offenses—that is, to justify us not only from that one original sin but also from all actual sins.
Consider that when he says judgment comes from one man unto condemnation, he speaks against the Pelagians, who deny that original sin is transmitted to infants at birth, saying it is drawn not by origin but by imitation—which is entirely false. For if it were so, the Lord would not expressly say in the Gospel, “Unless one is born again of water and the Holy Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven” (John 3). Nor would the Old Testament say, “The male whose flesh is not circumcised shall be cut off from his people because he has broken my covenant” (Genesis 17)—not by his own act but in his father Adam in paradise.
Rom 5:17 “For if by the trespass of one man death reigned through one, much more those receiving abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life through the one Jesus Christ.” The sense is: if because of the trespass of one man, Adam, death of body and soul reigned temporally in the elect, much more they shall reign in eternal life receiving through Jesus Christ the abundance—that is, the fullness—of grace by which sins are forgiven, and the fullness of dominion—that is, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, when the word of wisdom and other gifts are distributed—and also fullness of righteousness, that is, all virtues, so that after the grace of baptism we may live justly and holily. For although the elect die temporally because of original sin, through Christ’s grace they receive eternal life where they will reign with him.
Rom 5:18 “Therefore, as through one trespass unto condemnation of death for all men, so through one righteousness unto justification of life for all men”—that is, as through one man’s trespass death and sin came generally into condemnation for all men, so through the righteousness of one man, Christ, grace comes into justification of life for all the elect and predestined to eternal life.
Rom 5:19 “For as through the disobedience of one man many were made sinners—that is, the whole human race which was in Adam’s loins—so through the obedience of one man, Christ, who was obedient to the Father unto death, many are made righteous, though not all.”
Rom 5:20 “But the law entered that the trespass might abound.” The Jews did not know for what purpose they had received the law and thought they could be saved through circumcision and carnal observances without the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore the Apostle, wishing to show them that the law was not given to take away sins but to reveal them, says: “The law entered”—that is, it entered so that trespass might abound. How does trespass abound through the law? In two ways: either because when it commands, saying, “You shall not commit adultery, you shall not covet,” the mind burns with desire and moves toward concupiscence, which previously was not recognized as sin; or because when one becomes a transgressor of the law, guilt grows toward punishment, since he is worthy of greater penalty who knowingly sins against the law than he who sins ignorantly without law.
“But where sin abounded, grace…” To original sin, which is in all, actual sins were added, and trespass increased. But where trespass abounded and actual sins and contempt of the law increased, the grace of Christ superabounded, which removed not only original sin but also actual sin, graciously granting life without end.
Rom 5:21 “So that as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness unto eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” As if he said: just as original sin—and also actual sin—reigned and held dominion to draw the elect into death for a time, so grace, by which sins are forgiven, reigns in the elect through their righteousness, bringing them into eternity through the help of Jesus Christ. In this grace of Christ is greater than Adam’s sin and has benefited us more than that harmed us, because Adam’s sin causes us to die in time, but Christ’s grace forgives not only original but also actual sin and makes us live moreover unto eternal life.
CONTINUE
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