Lectio 5 Lecture 5 Vita omnium per iustitiam uni Life of all through the justice of one ^5:15 Sed non sicut delictum, ita et donum: si enim unius delicto multi mortui sunt: multo magis gratia Dei et donum in gratia unius hominis Jesu Christi in plures abundavit. [n. 430] ^5:15 But not as the offense, so also the gift. For if by the offense of one, many died: much more the grace of God and the gift, by the grace of one man, Jesus Christ, has abounded unto many. [n. 430] ^5:16 Et non sicut per unum peccatum, ita et donum. Nam judicium quidem ex uno in condemnationem: gratia autem ex multis delictis in justificationem. [n. 435] ^5:16 And not as it was by one sin, so also is the gift. For judgment indeed was by one unto condemnation: but grace is of many offences unto justification. [n. 435] ^5:17 Si enim unius delicto mors regnavit per unum: multo magis abundantiam gratiae, et donationis, et justitiae accipientes, in vita regnabunt per unum Jesum Christum. [n. 438] ^5:17 For if by one man’s offense death reigned through one; much more they who receive abundance of grace and of the gift and of justice shall reign in life through one, Jesus Christ. [n. 438] ^5:18 Igitur sicut per unius delictum in omnes homines in condemnationem: sic et per unius justitiam in omnes homines in justificationem vitae. [n. 442] ^5:18 Therefore, as by the offense of one, unto all men to condemnation: so also by the justice of one, unto all men to justification of life. [n. 442] ^5:19 Sicut enim per inobedientiam unius hominis, peccatores constituti sunt multi: ita et per unius obeditionem, justi constituentur multi. [n. 445] ^5:19 For as by the disobedience of one man, many were made sinners: so also by the obedience of one, many shall be made just. [n. 445] 430. Postquam Apostolus posuit ingressum peccati in hunc mundum, hic agit de progressu gratiae abolentis peccatum. 430. After discussing the entry of sin into this world, the Apostle treats of the history of grace, which abolishes sin. Et circa hoc duo facit. And concerning this he does two things. Primo ostendit quomodo per Christi gratiam remotum est peccatum, quod per unum hominem in mundum intravit; First, he shows how the grace of Christ removed sin, which entered the world through one man; secundo ostendit quomodo per gratiam Christi peccatum est remotum, quod lege adveniente superabundaverat, ibi lex autem subintravit, et cetera. second, how it removed sin, which superabounded with the coming of the law, at now the law entered in (Rom 5:20). Ostendit autem quod per gratiam Christi removetur peccatum per Adam introductum in mundum, comparando gratiam Christi peccato Adae, quia scilicet plus potest gratia Christi in bono, quam peccatum Adae in malo. In showing how Christ’s grace removed the sin introduced into the world by Adam, he compares Christ’s grace to Adam’s sin, stating that Christ’s grace can accomplish more good than Adam’s sin accomplishes evil. Et circa hoc duo facit. And concerning this he does two things. Primo comparat ipsas causas, scilicet gratiam Christi peccato Adae: First, he compares the causes, namely, Christ’s grace with Adam’s sin; secundo ponit comparationem earum quantum ad effectus, ibi et non sicut per unum, et cetera. second, he compares their effects, at and not as it was by one sin. Circa primum duo facit. In regard to the first he does two things: Primo proponit comparationem; first, he gives the comparison; secundo, manifestat eam, ibi si enim unius, et cetera. second, he clarifies it, at for if by the offense of one. 431. Dicit ergo primo: dictum est quod Adam est forma futuri, sed non sicut delictum, etc., quasi dicat: non est aestimandum quod tantae efficaciae sit delictum Adae, quantae est efficaciae donum Christi. 431. First, therefore, he says: it has been stated that Adam is the type of the one who was to come, but not as the offense, so also the gift. As if to say: the efficacy of Adam’s trespass must not be considered the equal of Christ’s gift. Cuius ratio est ista: quia peccatum procedit ex infirmitate voluntatis humanae, gratia autem procedit ex immensitate bonitatis divinae, quam manifestum est voluntati humanae, praesertim infirmae, praeferri. Et ideo virtus gratiae excedit omne peccatum. Et idcirco dicebat David: miserere mei, Deus, secundum magnam misericordiam tuam. Et propter hoc iuste reprobatur verbum Cain, Gen. IV, 13: dicentis: maior est iniquitas mea, quam ut veniam merear. The reason is that sin came from the weakness of the human will, but grace comes from the immensity of the divine goodness, which excels the human will, especially in its weakness. Therefore, the power of grace exceeds every sin; consequently, David said: have mercy on me, O God, according to your abundant mercy (Ps 51:1). For this reason Cain’s attitude is justly reproved: my sin is too great to merit pardon (Gen 4:13). 432. Deinde cum dicit si enim unius, etc., manifestat quod dixerat, scilicet quod donum gratiae excedit delictum Adae, dicens si enim delicto unius, scilicet Adae, multi mortui sunt, id est, si ex delicto Adae peccatum et mors transivit in multos alios, quia in omnes qui in eo peccaverunt, multo magis gratia Dei et donum, id est, gratuitum Dei donum, ut et expositive teneatur. Vel gratia Dei refertur ad remissionem peccati. Supra eodem: iustificati gratis per gratiam ipsius, etc. Donum autem refertur ad bona superaddita ultra remissionem peccatorum, ut dicit Ps. LXVII, 19, secundum aliam litteram, dedit Dominus dona hominibus. Multo magis, inquam, huiusmodi gratia et dona, abundavit in plures, id est in multos. 432. Then, when he says for if by the offense of one, he explains what he had said, namely, that the gift of grace exceeds the offense of Adam, saying for if by the offense of one, namely of Adam, many died, that is, if from the offense of Adam sin and death crossed into many others, because into all who sinned in him, much more the grace of God and the gift, that is, the gratuitous gift of God, in order that and be expositively comprehended. Or the grace of God refers to the remission of sin. As above: being justified freely by his grace (Rom 3:24). Gift however is referred to the good superadded beyond the remission of sins, as a psalm says, according to another version, the Lord gave gifts to men (Ps 47:19). Much more, I say, grace and gifts of this kind, has abounded unto many. Quanto enim aliquid est potentius, tanto magis se potest ad multa extendere. Peccatum autem Adae ad multos se extendit, quod probatur per mortem. Unde signanter dicit quod unius delicto multi mortui sunt. Mors enim argumentum est peccati originalis, ut supra dictum est. Adae dixit Deus: quacumque die comederis, et cetera. Gratia Dei quae est fortior, multo amplius ad multos extenditur. Hebr. II, 10: qui multos filios in gloriam adduxit. For the more potent something is, the more it can extend to a greater number. But the fact of death, which was Adam’s sin, extended to many. Hence, he says significantly that by the trespass of one many have died. For death is the argument for original sin, as stated above, for God said to Adam: in the day that you eat of it, you shall die (Gen 2:17). God’s grace, which is stronger, extends much more abundantly to many: who brings many sons to glory (Heb 2:10). 433. Notandum est autem quod dicit abundavit, quia non solum gratia Dei processit in multos ad deletionem peccati per Adam inducti, sed etiam ad peccata actualia delenda, et multa alia bona consequenda. II Cor. IX, 8: potens est autem Deus omnem gratiam abundare facere in vobis. 433. It should be noted that he says, abounded, because God’s grace reached many not only to erase the sin incurred from Adam but also to remove actual sins and to bestow many other blessings: God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance (2 Cor 9:8). Sicut enim peccatum ex uno homine abundavit in multos ex prima suggestione diaboli, ita et gratia Dei per unum hominem processit ad multos. Unde signanter addit in gratia, id est, per gratiam unius hominis Iesu Christi. Sic enim a Deo gratia in multos effunditur, ut eam per Christum accipiant, in quo omnis plenitudo gratiarum invenitur, secundum illud Io. I, 16: de plenitudine eius omnes accepimus, gratiam pro gratia. For just as sin abounded from one man to many through the first suggestion of the devil, so God’s grace abounded to many through one man. Hence, he says, by the grace, i.e., through the grace, of one man, Jesus Christ. For grace is poured out by God upon many, in order that we might receive it through Christ, in whom every fullness of grace is found: from his fullness have we all received, grace upon grace (John 1:16). 434. Sic autem legenda est littera secundum expositionem Augustini, ut hoc quod dicitur plures, non accipiatur comparative, sed absolute: et ita vult quod attendatur comparatio quantum ad hoc, quod si delictum unius Adae processit in multos, multo magis gratia unius Christi in multos. 434. This is how the text should be read according to Augustine’s interpretation, such that the word many is not taken comparatively but absolutely. So Augustine would have it that the comparison points to this, that if the sin of the one man Adam spread to many, much more will the grace of the one man Christ spread to many. Sed secundum Ambrosium plures accipitur comparative, ut sit sensus, quod delicto, id est peccato actuali, unius, scilicet Adae, multi, non omnes, mortui sunt, scilicet morte peccati, imitando scilicet peccatum ipsius Adae per idololatriam, ut supra expositum est. Sap. XIII, 10 dicitur de idololatris: infelices autem sunt, et inter mortuos spes eorum. Et multo magis gratia Dei abundavit in plures, scilicet quam in idololatris qui peccaverunt in similitudinem Adae, quia non solum eorum peccata tolluntur per gratiam Christi, sed etiam peccata eorum qui in fide unius Dei permanserunt. Mich. ult.: deponet iniquitates nostras, et proiiciet omnia peccata nostra. But according to Ambrose the word many should be taken comparatively, so that the meaning is that by the offense, i.e., the actual sin, of one, namely Adam, many, not all, died by the death of sin, namely by imitating the sin of Adam by idolatry, as was explained above. It is said of idolaters: they are unhappy, and their hope is among the dead (Wis 13:10). And much more the grace of God . . . has abounded unto many, namely more than in the idolaters who sinned in the likeness of Adam, because not only their sins are taken away by the grace of Christ but also the sins of those who persevered in the faith of the one God: he will put away our iniquities: and he will cast all our sins into the bottom of the sea (Mic 7:19). 435. Deinde, cum dicit et non sicut, etc., comparat Christi gratiam peccato Adae, quantum ad effectum, quia non solum utrumque in multos redundat, sed etiam maiorem effectum habet gratia Christi quam peccatum Adae. 435. Then when he says, and not as it was, he compares Christ’s grace to Adam’s sin as regards the effect, because not only does each affect many, but Christ’s grace had a greater effect than Adam’s sin. Et circa hoc tria facit. And concerning this he does three things. Primo proponit quod intendit; First, he states his proposition; secundo manifestat propositum, ibi nam iudicium etc.; second, he clarifies it, at for judgment indeed; tertio probat, ibi si enim unius, et cetera. third, he proves it, at for if by one man’s offense. 436. Dicit ergo primo: non solum dictum est, scilicet quod Christi gratia magis abundat in multos, quam peccatum Adae, sed etiam in eis maiorem effectum facit. Et hoc est quod dicit et non sicut per unum peccatum, ita et donum, quasi dicat: non tantus effectus sequitur per unum peccatum Adae in multis, quantus consequitur in multis per donum gratiae Christi. Potentioris enim causae potentior est effectus. Unde cum dictum sit gratiam esse potentiorem quam peccatum Adae, consequens est quod maiorem effectum efficiat. 436. First, therefore, he says: not only does Christ’s grace more abound for many than Adam’s sin, but it produces a greater effect in them. And this is what he says: and not as it was by one sin, so also is the gift. As if to say: not as great an effect comes to many through the one sin of Adam as comes to many through the gift of Christ’s grace. For the effect of a stronger cause is stronger. Hence, since it has been established that grace is stronger than Adam’s sin, it follows that it produces a greater effect. 437. Deinde cum dicit nam iudicium, etc., manifestat quod dixerat, dicens: nam iudicium, id est divina punitio, procedit quidem ex uno, scilicet peccato primi parentis, in condemnationem, scilicet omnium hominum, quia in illo peccante peccaverunt, secundum illud quod supra dictum est, quod mors in omnes pertransiit, in quo omnes peccaverunt. Gratia autem Dei, quae datur per Christum, procedit ex multis delictis, id est, non solum ex illo uno originali sed etiam ex multis actualibus, in iustificationem, id est, perfectam emundationem. I Cor. VI, 11: et haec quidem fuistis aliquando, sed abluti estis, sed sanctificati estis, sed iustificati estis. 437. Then when he says, for judgment, he clarifies what he has said: for judgment, i.e., God’s punishment, indeed was by one, i.e., by the sin of the first parent, unto condemnation on all men, because they sinned in his sin, as stated above: death passed upon all men, in whom all have sinned (Rom 5:12). But the grace of God, which is given through Christ, is of many offences, i.e., following not only that one original sin but also many actual sins, unto justification, i.e., complete cleansing: and such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified (1 Cor 6:11). 438. Deinde, cum dicit si enim unius, etc., probat quod dixerat, scilicet quod gratia Christi procedit ex multis delictis in iustificationem. 438. Then when he says, for if by one man’s offense, he proves what he has said, namely, that Christ’s grace passes from many sins to justice. Et primo quidem hoc probat ex posteriori; First, he proves this from something later; secundo ex priori, ibi: sicut enim et cetera. second, from something earlier, at for as by the disobedience.