Romans 5:17Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Therefore the Apostle did not say here "grace," but "abundance of grace." From grace we received not merely as much as we needed for deliverance from sin, but much more. We were freed from punishment, stripped of every evil, born again from above, raised after the burial of the old man, redeemed, sanctified, brought into adoption, justified, made brothers of the Only-begotten, made His co-heirs and of one body with Him, incorporated into His flesh, and united with Him as the body with the head.

All this Paul called the abundance of grace, showing that we received not only a remedy corresponding to our wound, but also health, beauty, honor, glory, and dignities far above our nature. Each of these gifts could by itself destroy death. But when all of them openly converge together, then death is destroyed by the root, and no trace or shadow of it can appear.

It is as if someone, for ten obols, cast one of his debtors into prison, and not only him but, because of his fault, also his wife, children, and servants. Then another comes and not only pays the ten obols, but also gives ten thousand talents of gold, brings the prisoner into the royal palace, seats him in the place of highest authority, and makes him a sharer in the highest honor and other distinctions. Then the lender could not even remember the ten obols.

So also it happened with us. Christ paid far more than we owed, and so much more as the sea is boundless compared with a small drop. Therefore do not doubt, O man, when you see such wealth of blessings. Do not ask how the spark of death and sin was extinguished, when a whole sea of gracious gifts was poured upon it.

Paul hinted at this when he said that those who "receive the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness will reign in life."

We have not received a simple and single kind of good, leaving us any possibility of doubting concerning the future. Our blessings are the fruit of abundant grace. Imagine that someone owed much and was cast into prison with his wife and children. Then he is not only freed from prison and from the debt, but also receives ten thousand talents, is brought into the royal palace, is counted worthy of high honor, and becomes the king's son. Exactly this has happened with us.

Notice again that he considers justifying grace stronger than the condemning curse. No one, he says, can say that although death gained dominion over those who live on earth through one man, life was deprived of strength. For much more will those who have grace through Christ and the gift of justification from the bounty above shake off the dominion of death and reign together with Christ, who gives life to all.

If Phinehas, by slaying in zeal the man committing shameful immorality, stopped the wrath of God (Num 25:8), then can Jesus, who did not slay another but gave Himself for redemption, not appease the wrath against men (1 Tim 2:6)?

Therefore let us not be ashamed of the Cross of the Savior, but rather let us boast in it. For "the word of the Cross" is "a stumbling block to the Jews" (1 Cor 1:18), foolishness to the Gentiles, but salvation to us. "To those who are perishing it is foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God" (ibid.).

For He who died for us was not a mere man, as has been said, but the Son of God, God become man. Moreover, if the lamb in the time of Moses turned away the destroying angel (Ex 12:23), will not the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, much more free us from sins? (Jn 1:29). The blood of an irrational lamb brought salvation. Will not the blood of the Only-begotten much more save?

"In punishment the Master God preserved the law of justice," remarks blessed Theodoret, "but the generosity of grace surpasses the ordinance of justice." And if the sin of one Adam was enough to subject all to death. "much more those who receive the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness" of Jesus Christ, through being grafted into Him by faith as into the good olive tree, as below in Rom 9:24 and following, "will reign in life through the one Jesus Christ" (Rom 5:17).

St. John Chrysostom, after explaining the meaning of the words "abundance of grace," concludes: "Christ paid far more than we owed. His payment, compared with the debt, is like an immeasurable sea compared with a little drop. Therefore do not doubt, O man, when you see such wealth of blessings."

Finally, the Apostle indicates the correspondence between sin and grace in this: as sin arose from disobedience to the commandment of God, so Christ's grace had its first beginning in obedience to the counsel of the Holy Trinity concerning the salvation of men. From this likeness the Apostle derives the same thought concerning the possibility of justification and salvation for all believers.

Life fills all through the one Lord Jesus Christ, because He, as God, is the source of life and the giver of every good. The superabundance of graces in Him, being received by believers, not only removes all the deprivations that passed to us from the first sinner, but instead fills us with every good.

This follows of itself from what has just been proved, namely that "the gift is not as through one who sinned." St. Chrysostom says of this: "What armed death against all men? The fact that one of them tasted from the tree. If death acquired such power through the trespass of one, then when there are people who have received grace and righteousness incomparably surpassing that sin, can they remain subject to death?"

"Therefore the Apostle did not say here 'grace,' but 'abundance of grace.' The gracious gifts communicated to us were not merely enough to destroy sin, but much more. We have been freed from punishment, stripped off all evil deeds, born again from above, raised after the burial of the old man, redeemed, sanctified, brought into adoption, justified, made brothers of the Only-begotten, made His co-heirs, united with Him into one body, made His members, and joined to Him as a body to the head."

"All this Paul called the abundance of grace, proving by it that we received not only a medicine healing our wound, but health, beauty, honor, glory, and dignities far above our nature. Each of these gifts could by itself destroy death. But when all of them flow together, then death is destroyed by the root, and no trace or shadow of it can appear."

"Imagine that someone owed a lender ten obols, and the lender casts not only the debtor himself into prison, but even his wife, children, and servants. Then another comes and not only pays the ten obols, but also gives ten thousand talents of gold, leads the prisoner into the royal palace, seats him in the most honorable place, and showers him with honors and distinctions. Exactly this has happened with us."

"Christ paid far more than we owed. His payment, compared with the debt, is like an immeasurable sea compared with a little drop. Therefore do not doubt, O man, when you see such wealth of blessings. Do not pry into how the spark of death and sin was extinguished when a whole sea of gracious gifts was poured upon it. This is what Paul meant when he said that those who receive the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness will reign in life."