He sets gift in opposition to judgment: by the latter he means strict justice; by the former,
gratuitous pardon. From strict justice comes condemnation; from pardon, absolution. Or, which is
the same thing, were God to deal with us according to justice, we should be all undone; but he
justifies us freely in Christ.
Romans 5:17
- Si enin unius delicto mors regnavit per
unum; multo magis qui exuberantiam gratiæ et - For if by one man’s offence death reigned
by one; much more they which receive abundance
doni justitiæ acceperunt, in vita regnabunt per
unum Iesum Christum.)
of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall
reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)^171
17.For if the offense of one, etc. He again subjoins a general explanation, on which he dwells
still further; for it was by no means his purpose to explain every part of the subject, but to state the
main points. He had before declared, that the power of grace had surpassed that of sin: and by this
he consoles and strengthens the faithful, and, at the same time, stimulates and encourages them to
meditate on the benignity of God. Indeed the design of so studious a repetition was, — that the
grace of God might be worthily set forth, that men might be led from self-confidence to trust in
Christ, that having obtained his grace they might enjoy full assurance; and hence at length arises
gratitude. The sum of the whole is this — that Christ surpasses Adam; the sin of one is overcome
by the righteousness of the other; the curse of one is effaced by the grace of the other; from one,
death has proceeded, which is absorbed by the life which the other bestows.
But the parts of this comparison do not correspond; instead of adding, “the gift of life shall
more fully reign and flourish through the exuberance of grace,” he says, that “the faithful shall
reign;” which amounts to the same thing; for the reign of the faithful is in life, and the reign of life
is in the faithful.
It may further be useful to notice here the difference between Christ and Adam, which the
Apostle omitted, not because he deemed it of no importance, but unconnected with his present
subject.
The first is, that by Adam’s sin we are not condemned through imputation alone, as though we
were punished only for the sin of another; but we suffer his punishment, because we also ourselves
are guilty; for as our nature is vitiated in him, it is regarded by God as having committed sin. But
through the righteousness of Christ we are restored in a different way to salvation; for it is not said
to be accepted for us, because it is in us, but because we possess Christ himself with all his blessings,
as given to us through the bountiful kindness of the Father. Hence the gift of righteousness is not
a quality with which God endows us, as some absurdly explain it, but a gratuitous imputation of
righteousness; for the Apostle plainly declares what he understood by the word grace. The other
(^171) This verse, according to the usual manner of the Apostle, whose style is that of the Prophets, includes the two main ideas
of the two preceding verses, in another form, and in an inverted order, as it refers first to the one offense and then to the one
man, in the first clause; and the same order is followed in the second; “the exuberance of grace” is to cover the many offenses
before mentioned, as opposed to the one offense, and to one man is opposed one Christ Jesus.
The reading , though according to Griesbach, it is not, as to MSS., of equal authority with the received text, is yet to
be preferred; for makes a tautology, and destroys the order which we find preserved in the second clause. — Ed.