Thomas Aquinas

Having set forth the harm inflicted by the law, and the law's defect in being unable to rescue man from it, here the Apostle consequently shows the power of Christ freeing us from that very harm. And first he shows how through Christ we are freed from that harm; second, how we also acquire help from Christ beyond this, at the place "that upon the Gentiles," etc. Concerning the first he does three things. For first he sets forth the authority of the liberation; second, the manner of the liberation, at the place "made for us," etc.; third, the prophetic testimony, at the place "for it is written," etc.

He says therefore first: whoever kept the works of the law were under the curse, as has been said, and they could not be freed through the law. Therefore it was necessary to have someone who would free us, and this one was Christ. And therefore he says "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law," etc. Romans 8:3: "what was impossible for the law," etc., "God sending his own Son," namely Christ, etc. "He redeemed," I say, "us," namely the Jews, with his precious blood, Apocalypse 5:9: "you have redeemed us in blood," etc. Isaiah 43:1: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you," etc. "From the curse of the law," that is, from guilt and punishment. Below, chapter 4, verse 5: "that he might redeem those who were under the law"; Hosea 13:14: "I will redeem them from death."

He sets forth the manner of the liberation when he says "made a curse for us." Here it should be noted that a curse is what is called an evil. And according to a twofold evil, a twofold curse can be spoken of, namely the curse of guilt and the curse of punishment. And in both ways this text can be read: in two ways he was made a curse for us.

And first indeed concerning the evil of guilt. For Christ redeemed us from the evil of guilt. Hence just as he redeemed us from death by dying, so he redeemed us from the curse of guilt by being made a curse, namely of guilt — not indeed that there was any sin in him, "who committed no sin, nor deceit," etc., as is said in 1 Peter 2:22, but according to the opinion of men, and especially of the Jews who considered him a sinner. John 18:30: "If he were not an evildoer, we would not have handed him over to you." And therefore concerning this it is said in 2 Corinthians 5:21: "Him who knew no sin, he made to be sin for us." But he says "a curse," not "cursed," in order to show that the Jews considered him utterly wicked. Hence it is said in John 9:16: "This man is not from God," etc.; and John 10:33: "It is not for a good work that we stone you, but for sin and for blasphemy." And therefore he says "he was made a curse for us," in the abstract; as if to say: he was made the very curse itself.

Second, it is explained concerning the evil of punishment. For Christ freed us from punishment by sustaining our punishment and death, which indeed came upon us from the very curse of sin. Insofar, therefore, as he took up this curse of sin by dying for us, he is said to have been made a curse for us. And it is similar to what is said in Romans 8:3: "God sent his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh," that is, of mortal flesh. "Him who knew no sin," namely Christ, who committed no sin — God, namely the Father, "made to be sin for us," 2 Corinthians 5:21, that is, made him suffer the punishment of sin, namely when he was offered up on account of our sins.

Consequently he sets forth the testimony of Scripture when he says "for it is written: cursed is everyone," etc. And this is Deuteronomy 27. Here it should be known, according to the Gloss, that in Deuteronomy, whence this word is taken, both in our texts and in the Hebrew codices it is found: "cursed by God is everyone," etc.; but that phrase, namely "by God," is not found in the ancient Hebrew volumes, whence it is believed that it was added by the Jews after the Lord's passion, for the disgrace of Christ.

Now the authority can be explained concerning the evil of punishment and the evil of guilt. Concerning the evil of guilt thus: "cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree," not because he hangs on a tree, but on account of the guilt for which he hangs. And in this way Christ was reckoned cursed while hanging on the cross, because he was punished especially by such a punishment. And according to this it is connected to what precedes. For the Lord commanded in Deuteronomy that whoever was hanged should be taken down in the evening; and the reason for this is that this punishment was more base and more ignominious than the others. He says therefore: he was truly made a curse for us, because the very death of the cross, which he sustained, suffices for a curse — explaining it in this way concerning the evil of guilt, but only in the estimation of the Jews, since it is written "cursed is everyone," etc. But concerning the evil of punishment it is explained thus: "cursed is everyone who," etc., because the punishment itself is the curse, namely that he died in this way. And explaining it in this way, he was truly cursed by God, because God ordained that he should sustain this punishment, in order to free us.

Consequently, when he says "that upon the Gentiles the blessing," etc., he sets forth the hope which we acquire through Christ, beyond the fact that through him we are freed from the curse — as is said in Romans 5:16: "not as the offense, so also the gift"; rather it is much greater, namely because it frees from sin, and confers grace.

First, then, he sets forth the fruit, and to whom it is given, saying "that upon the Gentiles the blessing of Abraham," etc.; as if to say: he was made a curse for us, not only that he might remove the curse, but that upon the Gentiles, who were not under the curse of the law, the blessing of Abraham might come to be, as promised in Genesis 22:18: "in your seed shall all nations be blessed," etc. And this blessing indeed was made to us, that is, was fulfilled, through Christ, who is of the seed of Abraham, to whom the promises were spoken, and to his seed, who is Christ, as is said below.

And this blessing and fruit is that we might receive the promise of the Spirit, that is, the promises which the Holy Spirit makes in us, namely concerning eternal blessedness — who, given to us as a kind of pledge and guarantee, promises it to us, as is found in Ephesians 1:14 and 2 Corinthians chapter 6. And indeed it is given as a pledge for the sake of certainty. For a pledge is a certain sure promise concerning a thing to be received. Romans 5: "for you have not received the spirit of servitude," etc., and below: "if sons, then heirs also."

Or "that we might receive the promise of the Spirit," that is, the Holy Spirit himself; as if to say: let us receive the promise made concerning the Holy Spirit to the seed of Abraham, Joel 2:28: "I will pour out of my spirit," etc.; because through the Holy Spirit we are joined to Christ, and are made the seed of Abraham, and worthy of the blessing.

Second, he shows through what this fruit comes to us, saying "through faith," through which indeed we also acquire the eternal inheritance. Hebrews 9: "he who approaches God must believe that he exists, and that he is a rewarder of those who seek him." Through faith also we acquire the Holy Spirit, because, as is said in Acts 5:32, "the Lord gives the Holy Spirit to those who obey him," namely through faith.