THEOSISJohn Chrysostom
When the apostle has clearly proved this, he again uses the former inference and strengthens it by repetition. He says that if all were punished for Adam's transgression, then all can also be justified by Christ.
Therefore he says: "Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came upon all men, so also through one Man's righteous act justification of life came upon all men."
Then, setting forth the same argument, he says: "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous."
What the apostle says seems to raise no small difficulty. Yet with careful attention it is easily resolved.
What is this difficulty? It concerns the statement that through the disobedience of one man many were made sinners.
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There is nothing incomprehensible in this: all who descended from the one who sinned and became mortal also became mortal. But what sequence is there in another man becoming sinful through one man's disobedience?
For then it would appear that the latter is not subject to punishment, since he did not become a sinner by himself.
What, then, does the word "sinners" mean here? It seems to me that it means people liable to punishment and condemned to death.
The apostle has clearly shown by many arguments that after Adam's death we all became sinners. But the question remains why this happened.
Yet he does not touch on this, because it does not belong to the subject of his argument. He is disputing with a Jew who denies and mocks justification through one Man.
Therefore, after proving that punishment from one spread to all, he did not add an account of why this happened. The apostle says nothing superfluous, but confines himself to what is necessary.
The rule of the contest did not compel either the Jew, or still less the apostle, to speak of this. Therefore he leaves the question unresolved.
But if any of you should try to learn this, I will say that we have suffered no harm from that death and condemnation, provided we keep watch. Rather, we even profit from having become mortal.
The first benefit is that we do not sin in an immortal body. The second is that this gives us thousands of motives for philosophy.
The death that stands before us and awaits us disposes us to be moderate, chaste, and continent, and to withdraw from every evil.
After this, or rather before this, it has already brought us very many other blessings. From this come the crowns of martyrs and the rewards of apostles.
Thus Abel was justified. Thus Abraham was justified when he offered his son for slaughter. Thus John was justified, slain for Christ. Thus the three youths were justified. Thus Daniel was justified.
If we also are willing, not only death, but even the devil himself, will not be able to harm us.
Besides this, we must say that immortality awaits us. After brief corrections, we shall safely enjoy the good things to come.
In this present life we are prepared and instructed as in a kind of school. Through illnesses, sorrows, temptations, poverty, and other things that seem calamities to us, we become able to receive the good things to come.
What the apostle says seems to raise no small difficulty. Yet with careful attention it is easily resolved.
What is this difficulty? It concerns the statement that through the disobedience of one man many became sinners.
There is nothing incomprehensible in this: all who descended from the one who sinned and became mortal also became mortal. But what sequence is there in another becoming sinful through one man's disobedience?
For then it would appear that the latter is likewise not subject to punishment, since he did not become a sinner by himself.
What, then, does the word "sinner" mean here? It seems to me that it means people liable to punishment and condemned to death.
The apostle has clearly proved by many arguments that after Adam's death we all became sinners. Yet the question remains why this happened.
Nevertheless, the apostle does not touch on it, because it does not belong to the subject of his argument. He is disputing with a Jew who denies and mocks justification through one Man.
The rule of the contest did not compel either the Jew, or still less the apostle, to speak of this. Therefore he leaves the question unresolved.
But if any of you should try to learn this, I will say that we have suffered no harm from that death and condemnation, provided we keep watch. Rather, we even profit from having become mortal.
The first benefit is that we do not sin in an immortal body. The second is that this gives us thousands of motives for philosophy.
The death that stands before us and awaits us disposes us to be moderate, chaste, and continent, and to withdraw from every evil.
After this, or rather before this, it has already brought us very many other blessings. From this come the crowns of martyrs and the rewards of apostles.
Thus Abel was justified; see Gen 4:1-12. Thus Abraham was justified when he offered his son for slaughter; see Gen 22:1-19.
Thus John was justified, slain for Christ; see Mt 14:1-11 and Mk 6:14-29. Thus the three youths were justified; see Dan 3:1-33. Thus Daniel was justified; see Dan 6:1-28.
If we also are willing, not only death, but even the devil himself, will not be able to harm us.
Besides this, we must also say that immortality awaits us. After brief corrections, we shall safely enjoy the good things to come.
In this present life we are prepared and instructed as in a kind of school. Through illnesses, sorrows, temptations, poverty, and other things that seem calamities to us, we become able to receive the good things to come.