Translated by Claude
"THEREFORE, HAVING BEEN JUSTIFIED BY FAITH"
Rom 5:1. Having explained that particle for the righteousness of God is revealed in it, he now explains that other statement set forth in the same place, namely it is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes; and he treats this up to chapter nine. Hence also at the beginning of this chapter he sets forth salvation in four goods which those justified by faith through Jesus Christ possess — treating through these chapters these four goods which we have through the grace announced in the Gospel. For in this it is manifestly apparent that the Gospel, according to what it announces, is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes.
"LET US HAVE PEACE" — read: we have — "WITH GOD." This is the first good, from which the salvation of those justified by faith consists. For they have been transferred from a state of enmity toward God into a state of peace with God, so that they live with God as those having peace, in the manner in which men are accustomed to live with princes toward whom they have peace.
Peace with God. "THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST." He declares the mediator of peace.
Rom 5:2. "THROUGH WHOM WE HAVE" — this should be read as we have had, and the conjunction is lacking. So that it should be read: through whom also we have had — "ACCESS" or entry. He declares Jesus to be the mediator not only of the peace of the justified but also of access or entry into the very grace of justification, so that we may understand that one and the same mediator operates both on the way and at the destination — that is, in access and in the peace that follows upon it. "BY FAITH" — read: through faith. He explains, that is, that the manner of access was through faith. So that through Jesus as mediator we had access by faith — that is, by believing — "into this grace" — namely of justification. For it has already been said that from divine grace faith is imputed to justification, and therefore by faith we had entry into this grace of justification. "IN WHICH WE STAND" — read: in which we stood. Paul speaks in the person of the justified who persevere, numbering himself among them as he truly was one of them — not without purpose, but so that we may perceive that these four goods are verified of those justified who are like him, and not of the imperfect, even if they are justified; so that from this every Christian may learn how much he lacks of perfect justification. For by contemplating these goods of the justified we see our own imperfections.
"AND WE GLORY IN HOPE OF THE GLORY OF THE CHILDREN OF GOD." Filiorum ("of the children") is superfluous. The second good from which the salvation of believers consists — which the justified possess — is this: namely to glory in hope of the glory of God. And directly this glorying regards the glory of the heavenly homeland which the justified hope for; for that properly is the glory of God which is hoped for by us. So that this second good comprehends not only hope of obtaining the divine glory in the heavenly homeland, but also the glorying and as it were a certain boasting of ours in such hope. In which glorying is signified security in obtaining the thing hoped for.
Second good — glorying in hope of glory.
Rom 5:3 "NOT ONLY SO" — supply: do we have this glorying — "BUT WE ALSO GLORY IN TRIBULATIONS" — read: in afflictions. Behold the third good of our salvation which the justified here possess: namely to glory in afflictions.
Third good — glorying in afflictions. The first glorying is with respect to future happiness in the other life; this one however is with respect to present evils. Again, the first glorying is by reason of the soul that hopes; this one however is by reason of the body and the remaining exterior goods. For the Apostle implies through these words that the glorying of the justified as regards the goods of the soul regards future glory, while as regards the goods of the body it regards present affliction — so that they do not glory in the goods of the body or of exterior things, but in afflictions, both in the body and in external affairs.
"KNOWING." He manifests both gloryings in two ways: namely from the side of the Holy Spirit and from the side of the Son of God. He manifests the reason why both gloryings are not vain but are well-founded, firm, and certain. He proceeds first by declaring this through an artful progression, beginning from affliction — which is the matter of the second glorying — and passing through hope — which is the matter of the first glorying — and arriving at the love of God through the Holy Spirit, which is the basis establishing both gloryings. Consider each element in turn.
"THAT TRIBULATION" — read: affliction — "WORKS PATIENCE." Understand this materially and occasionally. Affliction is the matter of patience. For affliction is the matter of patience and the occasion for the virtue of patience to be exercised, just as abundance of resources is the matter of liberality and the occasion for practicing generosity.
"AND PATIENCE WORKS PROOF" — as cause works effect.
Rom 5:4. Whether proof (probatio) is understood as the act of testing or as its term — which is praise or commendation — patience produces both effects. For it both makes trial of the patient soul and renders the enduring soul proved and commendable.
"AND PROOF WORKS HOPE" — by fortifying and increasing hope occasionally. For the proved soul is both strengthened and increased in hope of the glory of God.
"AND HOPE DOES NOT DISAPPOINT" — read: does not cause shame.
Rom 5:5. That is, it does not affect a man with shame; it does not cause a man to be ashamed of his hope. For toward this the force of the progression tends; for to one who looks carefully, Paul has artfully reduced both gloryings to hope, and of hope itself he says that it does not cause a man to be ashamed of his hope without doubt.
"BECAUSE THE LOVE" — read: the affection — "OF GOD HAS BEEN POURED OUT" — read: diffused — "IN OUR HEARTS THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT WHO HAS BEEN GIVEN TO US."
The solid foundation of hope is the love of God. Hope would cause us to be ashamed of the hope we have for glory, unless we had firmness of our hope. But this firmness — that we may be able to obtain the glory of God — depends upon the love of God toward us. For it is certain that God can and knows how to communicate his glory to us; but everything depends upon this: whether he wills to give it to us — which is to love us unto it. And therefore he manifests the solid foundation of hope from the love of God toward us, saying because the love of God.
And since the love of God toward us is distinguished according to the kinds of goods which God wills for us — for there is one love by which God wills natural goods for us, and another by which he wills the supernatural goods of grace and beatitude — he adds, to distinguish it from the divine love by which our hearts were created: it has been poured out in our hearts — that is, it has been copiously bestowed according to its effects and likeness in our hearts, in the very inmost parts of our souls. And he adds the manner of the outpouring by saying through the Holy Spirit — not through the spirit of nature. And lest you should suspect something ambiguous or unexpected, he adds who has been given to us. For Paul, like the other Apostles and the justified who were persevering at the beginning of the Church, had received the Holy Spirit with such an abundance of supernatural gifts that they experienced in themselves the love of God poured out in their own hearts — both in the many supernatural gifts and in the chief gift of the likeness of the love of God, that is, of their own love toward God. From this it is clear that the first foundation of hope explains the love of God toward us abundantly poured out in us through the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, in which is included our reciprocal love toward God as a part of the outpouring.
"FOR WHY DID CHRIST, WHEN WE WERE STILL WEAK"
Rom 5:6. The expression translated as why (ut quid) is ambiguous: it can mean still or also or moreover. And in that which is said when we were still weak, the participle in rendering the verb should be read as we being weak. From this it results that the interpretation of the text varies: some read for Christ still, we being weak — and they refer that still to the participle being so that the sense is because Christ, we still being weak; others read moreover or also or further, for Christ, we being weak — and the sense is: besides what we have said about the love of God toward us through the Holy Spirit, there is another reason: because Christ, we being weak, etc.
Various interpretations of the text. This particle is customarily used in this latter sense when one reason is joined to another reason, just as Latin writers use moreover or further or also. And in my view it fits this passage quite well enough, for it adds to the same point an argument from the side of Christ in addition to the argument stated from the side of the Holy Spirit. The reading would be clearer, however, if one were to read moreover because Christ, we being weak — that is, powerless, without doubt according to the soul, for the works of salvation.
"ACCORDING TO THE TIME." The expression translated as time signifies more than time; it signifies opportune time, in the way in which we say of someone who arrived when it was fitting that he came in time — meaning that he arrived at the fitting time, at the time it was appropriate. For Paul intends and signifies that Christ at the fitting time — the time when it was appropriate, so that he neither delayed nor came before his time — redeemed us by his death.
"DIED FOR THE UNGODLY." Gather three conditions: the first is the neediness of humanity signified by weakness; the second is the fittingness of the time; and the third is the ungodliness of men. And men are called ungodly with an ungodliness directed against the heavenly Father and homeland.
Rom 5:7. "FOR SCARCELY DOES ANYONE DIE" — read: will die — "FOR A JUST MAN."
The Apostle weighs what it means that Christ died for the ungodly. Paul weighs the fact that Christ died for the ungodly from the fact that it is rare to find anyone who dies for a just man; and if it is rare or found not at all that anyone dies for a just man, it follows that no one will be found who dies for an ungodly man.
"FOR PERHAPS SOMEONE MIGHT DARE" — read: dares — "TO DIE FOR A GOOD MAN."
Rom 5:8. This entire discourse is to be understood within the latitude of voluntarily undergoing death for another human being. So that it is bounded by two conditions. The first is that someone chooses to die — and this to distinguish it from those who fight in battle; for those fighting in battle do not choose to die, but fight in order to conquer, preferring to escape if they could. The second is that death is chosen for another — that is, for the salvation of another; for this reason he says that it is rare or nonexistent for someone to die for a just man, but that for a good man — that is, for a man not only just but also endowed with the goods of supererogation — perhaps someone will be found who dares to choose death. For example, to save Elijah perhaps someone would have been found willing to choose death; but to save any just man whatsoever, scarcely would anyone be found who would choose death. And in this Christ is commended — who chose to die not for a good man nor for a just man, but for the ungodly.
"BUT GOD DEMONSTRATES HIS LOVE" — read: in us, not toward us. Having narrated the deed of Christ, he explains the force of the intended argument: that by this other way also God commends his love toward us. For in the former argument the love of God toward us was declared by reference to what is intimate within us, whereas in this argument it is declared by reference to what is exterior — such as the death of Christ.
"BECAUSE WHILE WE WERE STILL SINNERS, AT THE APPOINTED TIME CHRIST DIED FOR US." This love is manifest and made even more manifest from what has been said. And those two words at the appointed time are superfluous.
Rom 5:9. "MUCH MORE THEREFORE NOW, JUSTIFIED IN HIS BLOOD." Behold the other foundation of hope, set forth sufficiently clearly in the text. For what pertains to hope is expressed by the words "WE SHALL BE SAVED FROM WRATH" — that is, from the vengeance of the last judgment — "THROUGH HIM."
Rom 5:10. "FOR IF, WHEN WE WERE ENEMIES, WE WERE RECONCILED TO GOD THROUGH THE DEATH OF HIS SON, MUCH MORE, NOW RECONCILED, SHALL WE BE SAVED IN HIS LIFE."
Four epithets of mankind. Note, prudent reader, that four names of the human race are applied in this argument: for they are called weak with reference to power; ungodly with reference to good will; sinners with reference to rectitude of mind; and enemies with reference to the state in which they were created. And he multiplies the arguments: for whereas he previously argued from the contrariety of our qualities — namely that if for the weak, the ungodly, the sinners, and the enemies, etc. — now by way of gathering together he argues from the contrariety of the death and the life of Christ himself: that if the death of Christ had such power for enemies, much more will the life of Christ — who has risen — avail for those already reconciled unto the eternal salvation which they hope for. For this is the solid foundation of our hope.
Rom 5:11. "AND NOT ONLY SO." With respect to the double glorying spoken of above and already established, he says not only — intending to add a fourth good which those justified by faith possess. He continues by saying: not only so — namely do we glory in tribulations — "BUT WE ALSO GLORY IN GOD."
The fourth good of the justified — glorying in God. This third glorying is such that the first good accruing to the justified is peace with God; and joined to this is a triple glorying: the first in hope of the glory of God, the second in afflictions, and the third in God. And through these four goods of the justified are constituted, through which the Gospel is the power of God unto effecting salvation.
Now the glorying in hope of the glory of God differs from the glorying in God itself as much as the glory of God differs from God himself — as much as the effect is distant from the cause. For the glory of God which we hope for is an effect of God — namely the beatitude of the heavenly homeland itself — whereas the justified glory not only by reason of the hoped-for beatitude but by reason of God himself, in whom the sum of all salvation consists and who is for them everything.
From these goods, so many and so great, of the justified it appears that Paul is speaking of the effects of justification not in any ordinary way, but — if one may say so — in the highest degree. For these effects, properly speaking, are not in all the justified indiscriminately — as is evident — but as far as justification itself is concerned they are in all the justified who stand firm — that is, who persevere — unless they themselves place an obstacle. For this reason he said significantly in which we stood, so as to signify those justified who are persevering — not just any way, but in the way that Paul himself and those like him were persevering. For this reason he speaks in the first person, numbering himself among the other justified who stand firm and possess these kinds of gifts — as was touched upon above.
"THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST." The same mediator is described in this last glorying, because he is the reason why we glory in God.
"THROUGH WHOM NOW" — the time of the New Testament is indicated — "WE HAVE RECEIVED RECONCILIATION" — changed from the state of enmity into the state of peace.
CONTINUE
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