Thomas Aquinas

Here the Apostle manifests the solution assigned above. And first he sets forth the manifestation of the solution; second he concludes his principal intention, at the words "I do not cast away the grace of God," etc. But it must be noted that the Apostle, proceeding by way of inquiry, leaves no doubt undiscussed. And therefore, although his words may seem intricate, nevertheless if they are carefully attended to, he says nothing without a reason, and this is apparent in the words proposed. Here he does three things: first he manifests the solution; second he explains the manifestation of the solution, at the words "I am fixed to the cross with Christ," etc.; third he removes a doubt, at the words "and that I now live," etc.

Since, then, the Apostle had said, "for if the things I have destroyed," etc., which is understood of the old Law — for he could be reckoned by someone a destroyer of the Law, and consequently unjust, according to that word of Psalm 118:126: "The wicked have destroyed thy law" — the Apostle therefore wishes to show how he destroys the Law, and yet is not unjust, saying, "for I through the Law," etc. Here it must be known that when someone dissolves the law through the law itself, such a one is a transgressor of the law, not an unjust man. But the law is dissolved through the law when in the law some local or temporal precept is given — namely, that that law be observed at such a time, or in such a place, and not another, and this itself is expressed in the law. If someone then does not make use of the law at that time, or in that place, he destroys the law through the law itself, and in this way the Apostle destroyed the law. Hence, he says, I destroyed the law in a certain way, yet through the law, because I have died to the law through the law — that is, through the authority of the law I let it go, as one dead to the law. For the authority of the law, by which he died to the law, is found in many places of sacred Scripture: Jeremiah 31:31, though under other words: "I will confirm a new covenant upon the house of Israel," etc.; Deuteronomy 18:15: "The Lord will raise up a prophet from among your brethren," etc.; and in many other places. Therefore the Apostle is not a transgressor in destroying the law.

Or otherwise: I, through the law — namely, the spiritual law — have died to the carnal law. For then does one die to the law, when, released from the law, he casts it off, according to that word of Romans 7:2: "The husband being dead, the woman is loosed from the law of the husband." Insofar as the Apostle was subject to the spiritual law, he says that he is dead to the law — that is, released from the observance of the law. Romans 8:2: "The law of the spirit of life," etc.

There can be another way of letting go of the law without transgression, namely because when some law is written on paper, it is then called a dead law, and when it is in the mind of the lawgiver, it is then called a living law. Now it is clear that if someone were to act, according to the word of the lawgiver, against the written law, he would both dissolve the law and be released from the dead law, and would keep the living law according to the command of the lawgiver. According to this, then, he says: I have died to the law that is written and dead — that is, I am released from it — that I may live to God, that is, that I may direct my movements according to his own sayings, and be ordered to his honor. For the law established in writings hands something down on account of strangers, and those who cannot hear it word for word from him; but to those who are in his presence, he does not state it in writings, but by word alone. For from the beginning men were weak, unable to approach God. And therefore it was necessary to give them the precepts of the law in writings, so that through the law, as through a tutor, they might be led by the hand to this — that they might hear his precepts from him — according to what is said below, chapter 3:24: "The law was our tutor in Christ," etc. But after we have access to the Father through Christ, as is said in Romans 5:2, we are not instructed about the commandments of God through the law, but by God himself. And therefore he says: through the law that leads by the hand, I have died to the written law, that I may live to God — namely, to the very maker of the law — that is, that I may be instructed and directed by him.

Next, when he says "I am fixed to the cross with Christ," etc., he explains what he has said. For he had said that he is dead to the law, and that he lives to God. And these two things he manifests. And first, that he is dead to the law, by what he says: "I am fixed to the cross with Christ"; second, that he lives to God, when he says "I live, now not I," etc.

And the first indeed can be expounded in two ways. In one way, as in the Gloss, thus: every man according to his carnal origin is born a son of wrath, Ephesians 2:3: "For we were by nature children of wrath," etc. He is also born in the oldness of sin, Baruch 3:11: "Thou hast grown old in a strange land," etc. This oldness of sin indeed is taken away through the cross of Christ, and the newness of spiritual life is conferred. The Apostle therefore says, "I am fixed to the cross with Christ," that is, concupiscence, or the kindling-wood of sin, and everything of this sort, has died in me through the cross of Christ. Romans 6:6: "Our old man is crucified together with him," etc. Likewise, since I am fixed to the cross with Christ, and have died to sin, and Christ rose again, I too have risen together with him who rose. Romans 4:25: "He was delivered up," etc. Thus, then, Christ renews a new life in us, the oldness of sin having been destroyed. And therefore he says "but I live" — that is, because I am fixed to the cross with Christ, I have the vigor of acting well — "now not I" according to the flesh, because I no longer have the oldness which I had before, "but Christ lives in me," that is, the newness which has been given to us through Christ.

Or otherwise: a man is said to live with respect to that in which he principally fixes his affection, and in which he takes the greatest delight. Hence also men who take the greatest delight in study or in hunting say that this is their life. Now every man has a certain private affection, by which he seeks what is his own; therefore while someone lives seeking only what is his own, he lives to himself alone, but when he seeks the goods of others, he is said to live to them also. Since, then, the Apostle had laid aside his own affection through the cross of Christ, he was saying that he was dead to his own affection, saying "I am fixed to the cross with Christ" — that is, through the cross of Christ my own or private affection has been removed from me. Hence he was saying below, at the end: "Far be it from me to glory save in the cross of our Lord," etc.; 2 Corinthians 5:14f.: "If one died for all, then all died." And Christ died for all, that they also who live may now live not to themselves, but to him, etc. "But I live" — that is, "now I do not live," as it were having my own good in my affection, "but Christ lives in me," that is, I have only Christ in my affection, and Christ himself is my life. Philippians 1:21: "To me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."

Next, however, when he says "and that I now live," etc., he responds to a doubt which could be twofold from the word set forth above. One is how he himself lives, and yet is not the one — namely, who lives; the second is how he is fixed to the cross. And therefore he opens up these two things.

And first the first, namely how he lives, and yet he himself does not live, saying "and that I now live," etc. Here it must be noted that those things are properly said to live which are moved from an intrinsic principle. Now the soul of Paul was set between God and the body, and the body indeed was vivified and moved by the soul of Paul, but his soul by Christ. As to the life of the flesh, then, Paul himself lived, and this is what he says: "and that I now live in the flesh" — that is, the life of the flesh; but as to relation to God, Christ was living in Paul, and therefore he says "I live in the faith of the Son of God," through which he dwells in me and moves me. Habakkuk 2:4: "But my just man lives by faith." And note that he says "in the flesh," not "from the flesh," because this would be evil.

Second, he shows that he is fixed to the cross, saying: because the love of Christ, which he showed to me on the cross, dying for me, causes me always to be fixed to him. And this is what he says: "who loved me." 1 John 4:10: "He first loved us." And he loved me to such an extent that he delivered himself up for me, and no other sacrifice. Apocalypse 1:5: "He loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood." Ephesians 5:25: "As Christ also loved the Church, and delivered himself up for her," etc. But it must be noted that the Son himself delivered himself up, and the Father delivered up the Son, Romans 8:32: "Who spared not even his own Son, but delivered him up for us all"; and Judas delivered him up, as is said in Matthew 26:48. And it is all one and the same deed, but not one and the same intention, because the Father acted out of charity, the Son out of obedience together with charity, but Judas out of cupidity and treacherously.

Next, when he says "I do not cast away the grace of God," he infers the principal conclusion. And first he brings forth the conclusion; second he manifests the manner. He says therefore: since I have received so great a grace from God, that he delivered himself up, and I live in the faith of the Son of God, I do not cast away the grace of the Son of God — that is, I do not repudiate it, nor do I show myself ungrateful. 1 Corinthians 15:10: "The grace of God in me has not been void," etc. Hence another text also has: "I am not ungrateful to the grace of God" (Hebrews 12:15: "looking diligently lest any man be wanting to the grace of God"), namely by confessing oneself unworthy through ingratitude.

Now the manner of casting away and of ingratitude would be, if I were to say that the law was necessary for justifying. And therefore he says: "for if justice be by the law, then Christ died in vain" — that is, if the law is sufficient, that is, if the works of the law suffice to justify man, Christ died without cause, and in vain, because he died for this purpose, that he might justify us. 1 Peter 3:18: "Christ died once for our sins," etc. But if this could be done through the law, the death of Christ would have been superfluous. But he did not die in vain, nor did he labor in vain, as is said in Isaiah 49:4, because through him alone justifying grace and truth came to be, as is said in John 1:17. If any were just before the passion of Christ, this too was through faith in Christ who was to come, in whom they believed, and in whose faith they were saved.