376. Then when he says, giving glory to God, he gives the reason why Abraham’s faith was firm, for he grew strong in his faith giving glory to God by considering his omnipotence: great is his power (Ps 147:5).
376. Consequenter cum dicit dans gloriam Deo, assignat rationem firmitatis fidei eius dicens: confortatus est, inquam, fide, dans gloriam Deo, in quantum scilicet consideravit omnipotentiam eius. Ps. CXLVI, 5: magna virtus eius, et cetera.
Hence he continues: most fully knowing that whatsoever he has promised, he is able also to perform: you have power to act whenever you choose (Wis 12:18).
Unde et hic subditur plenissime sciens quia quaecumque promisit Deus, potens est et facere. Sap. XII, 18: subest tibi enim cum volueris posse.
From this it is clear that whoever is not firm in faith detracts from God’s glory either in regard to his veracity or his power.
Ex quo patet quod quicumque non est firmus in fide Dei, quantum est in se divinae gloriae derogat vel quantum ad eius veritatem, vel quantum ad eius potentiam.
377. Then when he says, and therefore it was reputed to him, he commends Abraham’s faith in regard to its effect.
377. Deinde cum dicit et reputatum est ei, commendat fidem Abrahae quantum ad eius effectum.
First, he mentions the effect it had in him, saying, and therefore, namely, because Abraham believed this so firmly, it was reputed to him unto justice: and it was reckoned to him as justice (1 Macc 2:52).
Et primo ponit effectum quem in ipso habuit, dicens: ideo, scilicet quia Abraham tam perfecte hoc ipsum credidit, reputatum est illi ad iustitiam. Mach. II, 52: et reputatum est ei ad iustitiam.
378. Second, he shows the effect which his faith had on others. In regard to this he does three things.
378. Secundo ostendit effectum, quem fides eius habet etiam in aliis. Et circa hoc tria facit.
First, he shows the likeness between the effect it had in him and in others, saying, now it is not written only for him, that it was reputed to him unto justice, so as to make us think that for Abraham alone faith was reckoned as justice, but also for us, to whom it, namely, faith, shall be reputed as justice: what things soever were written were written for our learning (Rom 15:4).
Primo ponit similitudinem effectus, dicens non autem scriptum est tantum propter ipsum, quia reputatum est illi ad iustitiam, ut scilicet reputemus quod soli Abrahae fides ad iustitiam reputata sit, sed, scriptum est, propter nos, quibus reputabitur, scilicet fides, ad iustitiam. Infra XV, 4: quaecumque scripta sunt, ad nostram doctrinam scripta sunt.
Therefore, it was written for him that he might be an example to us, and for us that he might raise our hope for justice.
Sic ergo scriptum est propter eum ut sit nobis in exemplum, et propter nos ut sit nobis in iustificationis spem.
379. Second, at if we believe in him, he shows a likeness in faith.
379. Secundo, ibi credentibus in eum, ostendit similitudinem fidei.
For what was reckoned as justice was Abraham’s faith in believing that his body, as good as dead, and the barren womb of Sarah could be vivified for procreating children. It shall be reputed also to us if we believe in him that raised up Jesus Christ, our Lord, from the dead and in God the Father, to whom he says in a psalm: but do you, O Lord, be gracious to me and raise me up (Ps 41:10). And because the power of the Father and of the Son is the same, he also rose by his own power.
Reputata est enim ad iustitiam fides Abrahae credenti, quod corpus suum emortuum, et emortua vulva Sarae posset vivificari ad filiorum procreationem. Reputabitur, et nobis, credentibus in eum, qui suscitavit Dominum nostrum Iesum Christum a mortuis: et in Deum Patrem, cui ipse dicit in Ps. XL, 11: tu autem, Domine, miserere mei et resuscita me. Et quia eadem est virtus Patris et Filii, ipse etiam in propria virtute surrexit.
That this faith justifies is shown below: if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised him up from the dead, you shall be saved (Rom 10:9).
Quod autem haec fides iustificet, habetur infra X, 9: si confitearis in ore tuo Dominum Iesum, et in corde tuo credideris quod Deus illum suscitavit a mortuis, salvus eris.
380. Third, at who was delivered up for our sins, he assigns the cause why faith in the resurrection of Christ justifies, saying, who, namely, Christ, was delivered up, namely to death, by God the Father: he that spared not even his own Son, but delivered him up for us all (Rom 8:32), by himself: he gave himself up for us (Eph 5:25), by Judas: he who delivered me to you has the greater sin (John 19:11), and by the Jews: they will deliver him to the gentiles to be mocked (Matt 20:19).
380. Tertio, ibi qui traditus est, etc., assignat causam quare fides resurrectionis Christi iustificet, dicens qui, scilicet Christus, traditus est, scilicet in mortem, a Deo Patre, infra VIII, 31: proprio Filio suo non pepercit Deus, sed pro nobis omnibus tradidit illum; et a seipso, Eph. V, 25: tradidit semetipsum pro nobis; et a Iuda, Io. XIX, 11: qui me tradidit tibi maius peccatum habet; et a Iudaeis, Matth. XX, 19: tradent eum gentibus ad illudendum.
And rose again for our justification, i.e., to justify us by rising: that, as Christ is risen from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we also may walk in newness of life (Rom 6:4).
Et resurrexit propter iustificationem nostram, id est, ut nos resurgendo iustificaret. Infra VI, 4: quomodo Christus resurrexit a mortuis per gloriam Patris, ita et nos in novitate vitae ambulemus.
That he was put to death for our sins seems plain from the fact that by his death he merited the remission of our sins, but he did not merit by rising, because in the risen state he was not a pilgrim but one who had arrived.
Et quod propter delicta nostra sit traditus in mortem, manifestum videtur ex hoc quod sua morte meruit nobis deletionem peccatorum, sed resurgendo non meruit, quia in statu resurrectionis non fuit viator, sed comprehensor.
Therefore, it must be said that Christ’s death was salutary for us not only by way of merit but also by way of effecting it. For since Christ’s human nature was somehow the instrument of his divinity, as Damascene says, all the acts and sufferings of his human nature were salutary for us, considering that they flowed from the power of his divinity. But because an effect has to some extent a similarity to its cause, the Apostle says that Christ’s death, by which mortal life was extinguished in him, is the cause of extinguishing our sins. But his resurrection, by which he returns to a new life of glory, he calls the cause of our justification, by which we return to the new life of justice.
Et ideo dicendum est quod mors Christi fuit nobis salutaris, non solum per modum meriti sed etiam per modum cuiusdam efficientiae. Cum enim humanitas Christi esset quodammodo instrumentum divinitatis eius, ut Damascenus dicit, omnes passiones et actiones humanitatis Christi fuerunt nobis salutiferae, utpote ex virtute divinitatis provenientes. Sed quia effectus habet aliqualiter similitudinem causae, mortem Christi, qua extincta est in eo mortalis vita, dicit esse causam extinctionis peccatorum nostrorum: resurrectionem autem eius qua redit ad novam vitam gloriae, dicit esse causam iustificationis nostrae, per quam redimus ad novitatem iustitiae.
Chapter 5
Caput 5
Redemption from Death by Christ
Redemptio ex Mortem per Christum
Lecture 1
Lectio 1
Glory in hope and tribulation
Gloria in spe et tribulatione
5:1 Being justified therefore by faith, let us have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ: [n. 381]
5:1 Justificati ergo ex fide, pacem habeamus ad Deum per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum: [n. 381]
5:2 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. [n. 383]
5:2 per quem et habemus accessum per fidem in gratiam istam, in qua stamus, et gloriamur in spe gloriae filiorum Dei. [n. 383]
5:3 And not only so: but we glory also in tribulation, knowing that tribulation works patience;
5:3 Non solum autem, sed et gloriamur in tribulationibus: scientes quod tribulatio patientiam operatur:
5:4 And patience trial; and trial hope;
5:4 patientia autem probationem, probatio vero spem,
5:5 And hope does not confound: because the charity of God is poured forth in our hearts, by the Holy Spirit who is given to us. [n. 390]
5:5 spes autem non confundit: quia caritas Dei diffusa est in cordibus nostris per Spiritum Sanctum, qui datus est nobis. [n. 390]
381. After showing the need for Christ’s grace, because without it neither the knowledge of the truth benefited the gentiles nor circumcision and the law benefited the Jews unto salvation, the Apostle now begins to extol the power of grace (C. 3, L. 3–C. 4, L. 3).
381. Postquam Apostolus ostendit necessitatem gratiae Christi, quia sine ea nec cognitio veritatis gentibus, nec circumcisio et lex Iudaeis profuerunt ad salutem, hic incipit commendare virtutem gratiae.
Concerning this, he does two things.
Et circa hoc duo facit.
First, he shows what goods we obtain through grace;
Primo ostendit quae bona per gratiam consequamur;
second, from what evils we are freed by it, at wherefore as by one man (Rom 5:12).
secundo, a quibus malis per eam liberemur, ibi propterea sicut per unum hominem, et cetera.
In regard to the first he does two things.
Circa primum duo facit.
First, he indicates the manner of reaching or the way by which we come to grace;
Primo proponit modum perveniendi, seu viam qua venimus ad gratiam;
second, the good things we obtain through grace, at and glory in the hope of the glory.
secundo ostendit bona quae per gratiam consequimur, ibi et gloriamur in spe gloriae, et cetera.
In regard to the first he does two things.
Circa primum duo facit.
First, he exhorts to the due use of grace;
Primo exhortatur ad debitum gratiae usum;
second, he shows us the entrance to grace, at by whom also we have access.
secundo ostendit nobis gratiae aditum, ibi per quem accessum, et cetera.
382. First, therefore, he says: it has been stated that faith will be reputed as justice to all who believe in Christ’s resurrection, which is the cause of our justification. Being justified therefore by faith, inasmuch as through faith in the resurrection we participate in its effect, let us have peace with God, namely, by submitting ourselves and obeying him: agree with God and be at peace (Job 22:21); who has hardened himself against him and been at peace? (Job 9:4).
382. Dicit ergo primo: dictum est quod fides reputabitur omnibus ad iustitiam credentibus resurrectionem Christi, quae est causa nostrae iustificationis. Iustificati igitur ex fide, inquantum scilicet per fidem resurrectionis effectum eius participamus, habeamus pacem ad Deum, scilicet subiiciendo nos et obediendo ei. Iob XXII, 21: acquiesce igitur ei et habeto pacem. Iob IX, 4: quis restitit ei, et pacem habuit?
And this through our Lord Jesus Christ, who has led us to that peace: he is our peace (Eph 2:14).
Et hoc per Iesum Christum Dominum nostrum, qui nos ad istam pacem perduxit. Eph. II, 14: ipse est pax nostra.