Translated by Claude.
"Therefore, having been justified by faith, let us have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of the children of God. And not only so, but we also rejoice in tribulations, knowing that tribulation works patience" (Romans 5:1–3; cf. James 1:3–4), "and patience works proof, and proof works hope. And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." (Romans 5:3–5).
Since it has now been established in many ways that a man is justified not by the works of the law nor by the powers of free will but by faith, we who are thus justified by faith — not by the law nor by ourselves — let us have peace with God: peace which you do not have while you mutually arrogate to yourselves a false justification, some through the law and others through the powers of free will. It is as if he were saying: This dissension is against God, by which you boast of your own merits as though you were justified by yourselves. But the justification that is from faith makes peace with God, because it drives out the hostile presumptions of human merits and humbly subjects the soul to God, when it recognizes that it is saved by grace alone. For faith is the gift of heavenly grace. And when faith obtains justification, no human merit precedes the grace of God; rather, that grace itself deserves to be increased, so that once increased it may deserve to be perfected as well — with the will accompanying but not leading, following but not going before.
Therefore, having been justified, let us henceforth have peace with God, since we have been reconciled to him through the mediator Jesus. Let us no longer be at variance with the divine will, but let us strive to have peace with God through our Lord Jesus — that is, not through ourselves but through the help and grace of our Reconciler, through whom we have not only the washing away of our old self in his blood, so that we may thus ascend to the clothing of justice and newness, but also access through him into this grace — that is, into this sublimity of virtues freely given — and this not through the law but through faith. This is to say: faith granted to us from grace obtains from God both the remission of sins and the perfection of all virtues through Christ, who is the door (cf. John 10:7). We have entered through faith into this grace — that is, into the observance of the good life — in which we stand, meaning we possess the upright condition which we had lost in Adam; for whoever remains in vices does not stand but lies prostrate. Elijah, however, stood, who said: "The Lord lives, in whose sight I stand" (1 Kings 17:1; cf. 2 Kings 4:1). We stand, he says, in this grace, not falling from it nor departing from it, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of the children of God — that is, in what we hope for: the glory which the children of God possess. For what we hope for is so great that no one would dare to presume it of himself, since it lies in the power of God alone that a man can be raised up into the number of the children of God. And it is a very great glory indeed to be enrolled through faith and hope into the number of the children of God — so great that to many it seems incredible by reason of its very greatness, since we hope to attain the glory of the children of God.
Not only do we rejoice in hope of this glory, but we also rejoice through the grace of Christ in tribulations, through which it is necessary for us to enter into the kingdom of heaven (Acts 14:22). We rejoice without danger of vanity in the endurance of tribulations, because we know what great reward follows from them. And this is what he goes on to unfold by ascending step by step: We rejoice in tribulations because we are knowing that tribulation works patience in us — that is, makes us patient. For no one can be patient except in adversity. And patience works proof, because he whose patience cannot be overcome is proved to be perfect. For many before the trial of tribulation think themselves strong, who in the trial itself fail and appear weak; and many think themselves weak beforehand, who in the very hour of suffering appear most strong as they overcome all things by bearing them manfully. And so patience works proof, in that it clearly reveals each person to himself and to others — one who before he began to suffer was unknown both to himself and to others. And proof works hope, because each one, from the fact of having been proved unconquerable through tribulations, begins to have hope — that is, certainty — of future glory, which seems vain to human reason but is confirmed by the testimony of virtue. For if someone has not yet been proved to himself, when he hopes for the reward he is not hoping but presuming.
Now the tribulations through which the patience of the faithful is proved, we ought to understand not only those that come from outside — that is, from losses, illnesses, or any bodily affliction — but also those which the faithful bring upon themselves or endure from within, when, placed in a situation of rest, they afflict and wear themselves down by resisting their own pleasures, by restraining lust, and so on — all that belongs to the good of continence or abstinence in its practice. From these, without doubt, patience is born, which, once made praiseworthy, generates hope.
Hope, however, is the expectation of future goods. It expresses the disposition of humility and the obedience of diligent service — which is why we love him. And this is what follows: "Because the love of God" — that is, the love by which we love God — is not empty, because hope does not disappoint — does not generate confusion for one who hopes thus — because whatever he hoped for he obtains. For a man is put to shame by his hope when he says: I did not find what I hoped for. But the man who through patience has been proved in temptations is not put to shame by his hope, because the greatness of the reward he finds exceeds the greatness of his hope.
Hope does not disappoint because it is placed in God, who cannot deceive because he is truthful — not in man, who would deceive because he is a liar. It is placed in God, and therefore it follows: "Because the love of God," etc. Or alternatively: Hope does not make one blush because it is fulfilled. And it is certain that it will be fulfilled from the fact that we already have the Holy Spirit as a pledge — through whom also the love that we have from God, after we love God and neighbor, has been poured out abundantly and copiously in our hearts. For where love is, can there be narrowness? Because narrowness is at once driven out and the heart is widened, so as to be able to contain so great an inhabitant — that is, the Holy Spirit — within itself.
For we cannot have love from ourselves but from the Holy Spirit. For when he had said "the love of God has been poured out in our hearts," lest anyone should think that what he has of love for God comes from himself, he immediately added: "through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." So that you may love God, let God dwell in you and love himself through you — that is, let him move you toward his love, kindle you, enlighten you, arouse you. "Through the Holy Spirit," he says, "who has been given to us" — because he is both God and the gift of God.
And on account of this rich inhabitant the Apostle did what he said above: "We rejoice in tribulations." For how does one rejoice in them if he suffered poverty within? There appeared outward narrowness, but inwardly there was breadth. But what does the evil man do when he begins to be afflicted? He has nothing outside — everything has been taken away; in his conscience there is no consolation. He has nowhere to go out, for things outside are hard; he has nowhere to go within, for things inside are evil. He must torment himself miserably, for he is his own torment — he is his own punishment, tortured by his own conscience. But the good, whatever they suffer outwardly, overcome it easily through inward consolation.
And if in this life, where there are such great torments, good and just men can when suffering such things not only bear them with equanimity but even rejoice in the love of God, what are we to think of that life which is promised to us, where we shall feel no bodily discomfort at all?
"For why did Christ, when we were still weak, at the appointed time die for the ungodly? For scarcely would anyone die for a just man; yet perhaps for a good man someone might dare to die" (Romans 5:6–7; cf. 1 Peter 3:18). "But God commends his love toward us in that, while we were still sinners, at the appointed time Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified in his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him." (Romans 5:8–9).
When God loves us — or when through the Holy Spirit our hope is to be fulfilled — for if this were not so, Christ suffered in vain. And this is why Christ died for the ungodly — that is, for love of the ungodly — except that hope might be fulfilled. Or alternatively: The Apostle, wishing to show more fully the power of love which he had said was poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit, sets out the causes by which it has been poured out in us, asserting that Christ died for the ungodly. For we were ungodly before we were converted to God and to Christ. And Christ certainly underwent death for us before we believed. He would certainly not have done this unless he had possessed an exceeding and most abundant love toward us — whether Christ himself in dying for the ungodly, or God the Father in delivering his only-begotten Son for the redemption of the ungodly. Truly "the love of God has been poured out in our hearts." For why did Christ die for us except that the love of God might be poured out in us, so that we might love him who first loved us?
Why then — that is, for what other reason — did Christ die for us when we were still weak, that is, in need of a physician? For we were so gravely ill that we could only be healed by the death of our physician. He died "at the appointed time" — that is, not as others who are held by death, but he underwent death for us for a time, rising on the third day — lest we despair of the power of one whose goodwill is evident in his death. He died, he says, and this not for just anyone, but for the ungodly — that is, for the vile and abominable and utterly separated from God. And he himself performed so great an act as to deign to die in time for such persons, in order to turn aside eternal death from them.
From this the greatness of his benefits appears, so that we who have been loved so much undeservedly by him may consider how much we ought to love him — or whether we ought to prefer anything to him, since he did not prefer his own life to us the ungodly, nor refused his death. For we ought to love our devout Lord even to death, knowing that he underwent the anguish of death for us his ungodly servants. Here also human presumption is suppressed, lest it attribute anything to its own merits.
And truly wonderful is his goodness who deigned to die for the ungodly. "For scarcely does anyone die for a just man" — that is, it is rare for anyone to die for a just man, let alone for an ungodly one — since each person hesitates to undergo death even if the cause of death is just. Rarely, I say — "for perhaps someone might dare to die for a good man" — that is, for a good thing or a good man. As if to say: This is difficult to find, since the fear of death terrifies all things.
Or by "the just man" may be understood the justice of the law, and by "the good man" the goodness of grace. And scarcely would anyone die for the just man — for under the old law in which there is justice, scarcely a few were found who shed their blood in martyrdom. "But perhaps someone might dare to die for a good man" — for in the New Testament, in which there is goodness and clemency, countless numbers boldly gave their lives to death. Nevertheless, compared to those in the flesh who tremble to die for the Lord, they were so few that on account of their rarity it is said of them "perhaps someone might dare." "Perhaps" is said on account of those who do not yet dare to die; "someone" on account of the rarity of those who do dare, even though they are countless in number.
Some, however, interpret it thus: If he died for us who were ungodly and sinners, how much more ought we without any hesitation to die for one who is just and good. But let us not think that "the just" and "the good" refer to different persons or signify any particular individual specifically, but rather absolutely a just thing and a good thing for which it is difficult, though sometimes possible, to find someone to shed his blood.
Scarcely does anyone die for a just and good cause; but our Lord died for the ungodly and sinners, in whom a more praiseworthy love shines forth. For our merits had not gone before, on account of which the Son of God should die; but rather, because there were no merits, great was the mercy.
Someone might say: Since God is omnipotent and could have freed us in other ways, why did he will his Son to die for us? To this the Apostle replies: God did not do this without reason, but in this way he commends his love toward us. When something is given undeservedly, then love is commended. And what is so undeserved as that the devout and sinless Lord should die for sinful and ungodly servants? And in this the love of the Father is commended to us, because he loved us in this way.
Why therefore should the death of Christ not take place — or rather, why, passing over the countless other ways by which the Almighty could have freed us, should this particular way not have been chosen above all others, in which nothing was changed in his divinity, and yet so great a benefit was conferred on men through the humanity he assumed, that by the Son of God a temporal death that was not owed was rendered, so that he might free them from the eternal death that was owed? For the devil held our sins and through them rightly held us in death. He surrendered them to him who had none of his own, and by him was brought to death undeservedly. For so powerful was that blood that the one who killed Christ by a death that was not owed should not be permitted to hold in the eternal death that was owed anyone who is clothed with Christ.
God the Father therefore commends his exceeding love toward us in that, while we were still sinners and nothing was owed us but punishment, Christ underwent the punishment of death for us, that he might save us from the torment of perpetual death. He who gave his death to sinners — what does he reserve for the just but his own life? For it is more incredible that the Eternal One died than that a mortal should live forever. We already hold the more incredible thing. If God died for man, man will not live with God — no, the mortal will live forever on account of him who lives forever and died for him.
Yet he died only in the flesh. He died for us who were sinners. Much more therefore will he save those who are justified. For he who has done what is greater and more difficult will much more easily do what is lesser and easier — for it is certainly more difficult to die for sinners and to take away sins than to save those who are just and cooperating with grace. Much more, therefore, shall we who are justified — that is, freed from all sins — now, in this time of grace, in his blood shed without fault for our sins, be saved from wrath — that is, from the punishment of eternal damnation — through the mediator and reconciler.
CONTINUE
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