Rom 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into this world, and through sin death, so death passed into all men, in whom all sinned.
Having shown that men have been reconciled to God through Christ, he now shows that they were able to be reconciled through Him. He proves this by an argument from likeness, or rather from the lesser to the greater, as follows: stronger is the grace and life introduced through the God-man than the fault and death introduced through a mere man; but all could be condemned through one mere man, namely Adam; therefore much more could all be reconciled through one God-man, namely Christ.
In this section, first he compares the gift of Christ and the offense of Adam. Second, he shows that the gift outweighs the offense (“But not as the offense…”). Third, he assigns the fitting correspondence between gift and offense (“Therefore as by one offense…”).
In the first part, where he compares gift and offense, he shows first the introduction of sin and death; second, their extension (“so also into all men”); third, their power and duration (“for until the law…”).
First he touches on the cause of guilt — that through one man the transmission was caused — because it entered into the world; and the effect of what was transmitted — because through sin came death.
He says therefore, “for this reason,” as if to say: just as through Christ there is justice and life, and from Him it proceeds to all — and I say this because in a similar way through one mere man, namely Adam, original sin (not actual sin — for actual sin enters not through one but through many, namely through each individual sinner) entered into this world, that is, into the human race. “The world did not know Him” (John 1:10). It entered where previously it had not been, for God made man upright (Ecclesiastes 7:30).
Augustine, against Julian who asked through what cracks original sin enters into an infant, says: Why do you seek a hidden crack when you have an open door? “Through one man,” he says.
And through sin, as through a cause, death — namely death entered into Adam, because with sin he introduced the sentence of death upon all. “In whatever day you eat, you shall die” (Genesis 2–3). And “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).
And thus into all men death — that is, the debt and necessity of dying — passed, because it passed through him and fully passed, not only to the separation of soul and body but even to the body’s return to dust: “You are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19). “We all die” (2 Samuel 14:14).
“In whom all sinned” is read in two ways.
First: in whom, that is, in Adam as in a principle — not only as an example, as the Pelagians say — all sinned who were born from him according to the law of concupiscence, because they drew from him flesh that was vitiated and corrupted; hence they sinned in propagation, not only by imitation.
Second: in which sin, as in a cause, all sinned, because his sin was the cause of the corruption of nature and thus the cause of original sin in all. Unhappy universality — both of punishment, because death passed into all, and of guilt, because in him all sinned.
Rom 5:13 “For until the law sin was in the world; but sin was not imputed when there was no law.”
Here he shows the duration of sin: first the time of duration, second the circumstance (“but sin was not imputed”), third the sign (“but death reigned”).
“Until the law” is read in two ways.
First: as meaning that indeed all sinned in him, because even the law could not prevent sin from passing into all; for until the law, indeed even within the time of the law, sin was in the world — that is, in the human race. Augustine says: the law could not take away sin but increased it.
Second: that even before the law sin was in the world, though not recognized, since the law did not yet teach or reveal it.
“But sin was not imputed when there was no law.” This shows the fitting circumstance of its duration.
It is read in two ways.
First: sin was in the world, but it was not imputed by men — that is, it was not fully recognized — when there was no law to forbid sin and make it known. “Through the law comes knowledge of sin” (Romans 3).
Second: sin was not imputed before God — that is, not reckoned for punishment — when there was no law declaring it punishable.
Rom 5:14 “But death reigned from Adam to Moses.” This shows the sign of duration, and it is understood in three ways: of the death of hell, of natural death, or of the death of guilt.
First: of the death of hell — because before the price of redemption was paid, even the good were held in the prison of the underworld; hence death was said to reign.
Second: of natural death — because all died before and after the law; yet it is said to reign then because men feared death more, not knowing the resurrection.
Third: of the death of guilt — because before the law men sinned more boldly, thinking sin would not be punished.
“Even over those who did not sin in the likeness of Adam’s transgression, who is a type of the one to come.”
According to Augustine: death reigned even over those who did not sin by their own will as Adam did — namely infants — who were bound only by original sin; they are similar to Adam by propagation, not imitation.
According to another reading: it refers either to infants born sinners from Adam, or to adults who imitate Adam by their own will.
Adam is called a type of the one to come — that is, of Christ — for four reasons: as Adam was formed from the earth without human seed, so Christ from the Virgin; as Adam is the principle of all according to the flesh, so Christ according to faith; as Adam is the author of corruption, so Christ of restoration; as Eve was formed from Adam’s side, so from Christ’s side flowed the sacraments by which the Church is saved.
Thus the duration of sin came from lack of grace; the occasion from ignorance or hope of impunity; the sign from the reign of death — a hateful kingdom — because of its destruction, its length (from Adam to Moses), and its breadth (even over those who did not sin personally).
Rom 5:15 “But not as the offense, so also the gift…” Here he shows the superiority of Christ’s gift.
First, from the cause: Adam’s offense was one, Christ’s grace manifold. Wisdom conquers malice.
If by the offense of one many died — that is, were made sinners and subject to death — much more the grace of God and the gift, namely the remission of sins and the infusion of virtues, has abounded in many through the grace of the one man Jesus Christ, flowing from Christ as from the head into the members.
Hence the reasoning: if one fault of Adam could spread to many, much more the manifold grace of Christ can abound.
The gift of Christ is commended by its strength (it surpasses the offense), its abundance (grace and gift), its source (through Jesus Christ), and its greatness (it abounds in many).
The death of Christ was the most fitting means of our liberation for many reasons: to revoke the sentence of eternal death; to give courage against death; to restore the life of grace; to open heaven; to show the gravity of sin; to show human dignity; to manifest God’s love; to inflame our love; to overcome the devil; and to manifest divine justice.
We were reconciled — though previously justly held under the power of the devil — not because the devil had a just right, but because we were justly subject through sin.
Likewise, although Scripture says sin began from a woman, this is true as the first and incomplete beginning; through the man it became the proximate and complete cause.
Likewise, concerning the phrase “death passed into all men”: an objection is raised — Elijah and Enoch are still alive. The response is that death passed into them in liability (guilt or obligation), but not in act; for their death is deferred, not taken away.
Likewise, concerning “in whom all sinned”: Augustine says that no one sins in what he cannot avoid. The response is that this is understood of personal or actual sin, not of natural or original sin.
Likewise, concerning “for until the law”: the Gloss says that the law could not take away sin. But circumcision, according to Bede, removed original sin. The response is that circumcision was not from the Law of Moses but from the patriarchs.
Likewise, “sin was not imputed”: an objection — Joseph was cast into prison because of adultery imputed to him. The response — therefore it says “not imputed,” because some things were not known to be sins, and some were believed to be lighter.
Likewise, concerning “when there was no law”: the Gloss says this is because there was neither the law of reason in the child nor the written law in the adult by which sin might be shown. Objection — therefore natural law was not in the child. Response — it is in him according to habit, but not according to use.
Likewise, concerning “death reigned”: the Gloss says because it dragged men to hell. Objection — therefore Abraham and circumcised infants were in hell after death. Response — “hell” is taken broadly, either for the punishment of sense or of loss.
Likewise, concerning “those who sinned in the likeness of Adam’s transgression”: the Gloss says those who sinned so that they were created like him in sin. Objection — therefore the souls of infants are created by God in sin. Response — the word “creation” can be referred to the subject without form, taken in a divided sense, and thus it is true.
Likewise, concerning “until Moses”: the Gloss says until the law, because then a remedy was given to men by which they could be freed. Objection — therefore the Law of Moses justified. Response — it did so preparatorily, by the knowledge of sin, not effectively, by the infusion of grace.
Likewise, “who is a type of the one to come”: objection — in the time of the Apostle Christ had already been born and suffered. Response — “to come” refers to Adam’s time, not the Apostle’s.
Rom 5:16 “And not as through one sin, so also through the gift: for judgment indeed was from one unto condemnation, but grace from many offenses unto justification.”
Above he proved by the cause that the gift of Christ surpasses Adam’s offense; here he proves the same by the proximate effect, because justification is greater than condemnation. For through the offense there was condemnation from one sin of propagation or imitation only; but through Christ’s gift there is justification from all sins — original and actual, of imitation and of invention.
First he states this; second he proves it (“for judgment from one…”).
He says therefore: not only are the causes unequal, but also the effects; for not as through one sin of Adam — by which all were corrupted, passing by propagation to infants or by imitation to adults — so also through the gift. Rather, more happens through Christ’s gift, because through it we are justified not only from that one sin but from all others, and are also formed by virtues.
“For judgment,” as if to say: indeed it is not alike — for the judgment of God, that is, divine justice, proceeds from one sin of Adam unto condemnation, both eternal and temporal; but the grace of Christ proceeds not from one only but from many offenses, whether original or actual, from which it cleanses, proceeding unto justification — not only cleansing from sins but giving righteousness. For the effect of Christ’s gift, as the Gloss says, is the removal of all sins, all justification, and eternal life.
Rom 5:17 “For if by the offense of one death reigned through one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift and of righteousness shall reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ.”
Above he proved the superabundance of the gift by cause and proximate effect; here by the ultimate effect. His reasoning is: a thing is judged by its end; but the reward following the gift is greater than the punishment following sin; therefore the gift is greater than the offense.
He says: if through the offense of one — Adam — whether original transmitted by propagation or actual taken up by imitation — death reigned, that is, the separation of soul and body, through one man; much more the faithful, receiving from Christ (not from themselves — “what do you have that you did not receive?” 1 Corinthians 4:7) the abundance of grace — that is, remission of sins — and the abundance of gifts and righteousness — that is, right action — shall reign in eternal life, where all are kings (“you have made us a kingdom,” Revelation 5:10), through the one man Jesus Christ.
And indeed much more, if we consider cause, effect, and end: the cause — there a mere man, here the God-man; the effect — there one offense, here manifold gift; the end — there temporal death, here eternal life.
Rom 5:18 “Therefore as through one offense unto all men unto condemnation, so also through one righteousness unto all men unto justification of life.”
Above he showed the superiority of the gift; here he shows its fitting correspondence with the offense — first, that it is fitting that sin introduced by Adam is taken away through Christ; second, that sin added through the Mosaic Law is also fittingly removed.
He says: therefore, because Christ’s gift is greater, just as through one offense — Adam’s — passing to all men, whether by propagation or imitation, there proceeded by God’s sentence condemnation; so fittingly through the righteousness of one man — Christ — extending to all men in sufficiency (though in efficacy only to the elect), there proceeds justification of life. “By His knowledge shall My righteous servant justify many” (Isaiah).
“All men,” according to the Gloss, does not mean all are regenerated — for as no one is carnally generated except through Adam, so no one is spiritually regenerated except through Christ. All correspond: Adam unjust, Christ just; Adam condemning, Christ justifying; Adam killing, Christ giving life — so that Christ’s righteousness is cause, justification effect, life the end.
Rom 5:19 “For as through the disobedience of one man many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of one many shall be made righteous.”
He proves the same again by comparison of causes: the cause of condemnation is Adam’s disobedience; the cause of justification is Christ’s obedience.
Through Adam’s disobedience (Genesis 3) many were made sinners — either by contracting original sin or by imitating actual sin. Through the obedience of Christ — who became obedient unto death (Philippians 2:8) — many shall be made righteous, receiving from His fullness (John 1:16).
The Gloss notes: by saying “through the obedience of one,” lest you think the ancient righteous were saved by faith in the Word alone without faith in the Incarnation — without which neither the ancients nor the moderns could be saved.
CONTINUE
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