Romans 5:10Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved by His life."

It may seem as though these words contain repetition, but careful reading will not find it. Consider this. The Apostle wishes to persuade the Romans concerning future blessings. First he persuades them by the example of the righteous man, saying that he was fully assured that "what God had promised He was able also to do" (Rom 4:21). Then he proves it by the gift of grace. Next, he proves it by afflictions, saying that they can lead us to hope. Again, he proves it by the fact that God has given us the Spirit, whom we have received. Finally, he proves it by Christ's death and by our former wickedness.

Although, as noted above, it first appears that the same thing is being said, in fact two, three, and more distinct thoughts are disclosed. The first is that Christ died. The second is that He died for the ungodly. The third is that He reconciled, saved, justified, and made us immortal sons and heirs.

Therefore, says the Apostle, we must be strengthened in hope not only by Christ's death, but also by what was given through that death. Even the fact that Christ died for us while we were such sinners was the greatest proof of His love. But when the One who dies is also shown to be the giver of gifts, and very great gifts to those who did not deserve them, such a benefaction surpasses every measure and should bring even the wholly insensible to faith.

Nor is it another who wishes to save us, but the very One who loved us while we were still sinners, so much that He delivered Himself up for us. Do you see how here also there is proof concerning hope for the future?

Before this, there were difficulties for our salvation: that we were sinners, and that salvation had to come through the Master's death. Before it happened, the latter was incredible and required great love in order to be accomplished. But now that it has been accomplished, the rest has become far easier. For we have become friends, and the Lord's death is no longer needed.

Therefore, will He who spared His enemies so greatly that He did not spare His Son fail to defend those who have become friends, especially when He no longer needs to deliver up His Son? A man often does not save because he does not wish to, or because he cannot, even if he wishes. Neither can be said of God after He has given His Son. The Apostle has also proved that God can save, by showing that God justified us when we were sinners. What obstacle, then, remains for us in attaining future blessings? None at all.

His blood had such a price that the one who unjustly killed Christ for a time, ad tempus, cannot hold in deserved eternal death any of those who have put on Christ, Christo indutum.

"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him."

In the Apostle's words, "justified by His blood," "justified" clearly means that we have been freed from all sins. We have been freed from all sins because the Son of God, who had no sin at all, was slain for us.

In the words "we shall be saved from wrath through Him," the Apostle certainly means the wrath of God, which is nothing other than just punishment.

For the wrath of God is not a disturbance of soul, as in man. It is the wrath of Him to whom Holy Scripture says elsewhere, "Though You have strength, You judge with mildness" (Wis 12:18).

If, therefore, just divine punishment has received this name, what else should reconciliation with God mean except that such wrath comes to an end?

We were enemies of God only in the way that sins are enemies of righteousness. When sins are remitted, such enmity comes to an end, and those whom He Himself justifies are reconciled to the Righteous One.

Yet He undoubtedly loved us even as enemies, for "He did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all," when we were still enemies.

Thus the Apostle rightly said first that "if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son," by which remission of sins was accomplished.

Then he said, "much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life." Thus we, reconciled by death, are saved by life.

For who doubts that He will give His life to His beloved friends, amicis, for whom, when they were enemies, He gave His death?

His death blotted out our sins and reconciled us to God. Being justified by His life after the resurrection, we became worthy of eternal life and salvation. "He was delivered up," says the same Apostle, "for our trespasses, and was raised for our justification" (Rom 4:25). Behold the firm foundation of our hope. Behold the clearest proof that our hope will not put us to shame.

Blessed Theophylact paraphrases this place thus: "Apparently the same thing is said here, but the comparisons for the conclusions are different.

Above, he places our sinfulness before us and then adds that we have been justified. Through this comparison he concludes: He who justified us sinners by His death will all the more save the justified.

Now, mentioning Christ's death and life, he again draws an inference through comparison: when we have been reconciled by the blood and death of the Lord, how shall we not now be saved in His life?

For He who did not spare His Son, but gave Him to death for our reconciliation, will He not all the more now save us by His life?"

Saint Chrysostom draws these indications from this: "Therefore, observe. The Apostle wants the Romans to be assured of future blessings.

After many persuasions, he especially encourages them to hope by the death of the Son of God and by the resurrection.

It would already have been a very strong proof that Christ died for us, who had not deserved it in the least.

But when the One who died is shown to be the Giver of gifts, for He lives, sits at the right hand of the Father, and assures us that where He is, there His servant will also be, and when the gifts are very great, such a benefit surpasses every measure.

It leads even the most insensible person to faith.

No other will save us, but He who loved us while we were still sinners, to the point that He gave Himself up for us.

Do you see how strongly here the Apostle persuades us to hope for the future?

Until now there were two difficulties for our salvation: that we were sinners, and that we had to be saved by the death of the Master.

But the latter, before it took place, was unbelievable and could not have occurred otherwise than through boundless love.

Now this has truly been accomplished, and therefore the rest has become much easier. We have become friends, and the Lord no longer needs to die.

He who so spared His enemies that He did not spare His Son for them, will He not save those who have become friends, when there is no longer any need for Him to deliver up His Son?

One man does not save because he does not wish to, and another because he cannot, even if he wished. Neither can be said of God after He gave His Son.

That God can save, the Apostle also proved by the fact that God justified us while we were sinners.

What obstacle remains, then, to our receiving future blessings? None."