What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
All Commentaries on Romans 6:1 Go To Romans 6
Thomas Aquinas
AD 1274
After showing that it is through Christ’s grace that we are freed from the sin of our first parent and from that which abounded by reason of the Law [n. 406], the Apostle now shows that Christ’s grace gives us the power to resist further sin. In regard to this he does two things: first, he raises a question suggested by the foregoing; secondly, he answers it [v. 2; n. 470]. 469. Above he had said that "where sin increased, grace abounded all the more." This could be misinterpreted by supposing that an increase of sin causes grace to abound all the more. That is why he asks: What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? One would have to say, Yes, if increase of sin were the cause and 239 not merely the occasion of grace abounding. Hence he had stated above (3:8): "And why not do evil that good may come? -- as some slanderously charge us with saying." "Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all who are treacherous thrive?" (Jer 12:1). 470. Then (v. 2) he answers the question. First, he states why we should not continue in sin; secondly, he ends with an exhortation [v. 12; n. 492]. In regard to the first he does two things: first, he shows why we should not continue in sin; secondly, he shows that we have the power not to continue in sin [v. 6; n. 478]. In regard to the first he presents the following argument: If we are dead to sin, we ought not live in sin. But we are dead to sin. Therefore, we ought not live in sin. Therefore, in regard to this he does four things: first, he states the conditional proposition; secondly, he proves the antecedent [v. 3; n. 472] thirdly, be concludes the consequent [v. 4; n. 476]; fourthly, he proves that the consequent necessarily follows [v. 5; n. 477]. 471. First, therefore, he says, By no means are we to continue in sin that grace may abound, because "God has not given anyone permission to sin" (Si 15:20). For how can we who died to sin, inasmuch as sin has been put to death in us, still live in it? For it is not the natural order of things to return from death to life: "They are dead, they will not live" (Is 25:14); "I had bathed my feet, how could I soil them?" (S of S 5:3). 472. Then (v. 3) he proves the antecedent, namely, that the faithful are dead to sin: 240 first, he presents the fact he uses to prove his point; secondly, he proves it [v. 4; n. 474]. 473. First, therefore, he says: Do you not know? As if to say: What I am about to propose to you is so obvious that you cannot fail to see it -- "if anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized" (1 Cor 14:38) -- namely, that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus. This can be interpreted in three ways: first, as indicating that baptism was instituted by Jesus Christ; "Make disciples of all nations, baptizing them" (Mt 28:19); secondly, as indicating that it is conferred in the name of Christ: "In the name of Jesus Christ they were baptized, both men and women" (Ac 8:12); thirdly, into Christ Jesus, i.e., into some likeness of Christ Jesus: "For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ" (Gal 3:27). Were baptized into his death, i.e., into a likeness of his death as re-presenting in ourselves the very death of Christ: "Always carrying in the body the death of Jesus" (2 Cor 4:10); "I bear on my body the marks of Jesus" (Gal 6:17). Or into his death, i.e., by virtue of his death: "He freed us from our sins by his blood" (Rev 1:5). Hence, from the side of Christ hanging on the Cross flowed blood and water after his death (Jn 19:34). Therefore, just as we are configured to his death, inasmuch as we have died to sin, so he has died to his mortal life, in which there was the likeness of sin, although no sin was there. Therefore, all we who are baptized are dead to sin. 474. Then (v. 4) he proves that we are all baptized in conformity with the death of Christ, saying, we were buried with him by baptism into death. As if to say: Burial is only for the dead: "Let the dead bury their dead" (Mt 18:22). 241 By baptism, however, men are buried with Christ, i.e., conformed to his burial. For just as a buried man is put under the earth, so one being baptized is submerged under water. Hence, there are three immersions in baptism not only to indicate belief in the Trinity but also to represent the three days of Christ’s burial. And just as the three days of burial were one burial, so the triple immersion constitutes one baptism. That is also why solemn baptism is celebrated in the Church on Holy Saturday, when the burial of Christ is commemorated and on the vigil of Pentecost in honor of the Holy Spirit, from whom the water of baptism derives its power to cleanse: "Unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven" (Jn 3:5). 475. Yet it must be noted that in the body one dies before he is buried, but in the spiritual order the burial of baptism causes the death of sin, because the sacraments of the New Law bring about what they signify. Hence, since the burial which occurs through baptism is a sign of the death of sin, it produces such a death in the baptized. And this is what he says, namely, that we were buried into death, so that in receiving in ourselves the sign of Christ’s burial we might obtain death to sin. 476. Then (v. 4b) he infers the consequent, namely, that we should not live in sin. To this end he adduces a likeness to the resurrection of Christ, saying that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, i.e., by the Father’s power, whereby the Father himself is glorified: "let thy glory be over all the earth" (Ps 57:5), we too might walk in newness of life, i.e., advance in the spiritual life through good works. For the life of sin carries with it the weakness of old age, because it leads to dissolution: "What is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away" (Heb 8:13); hence Bar (3:10) says: "Why is it, O Israel, that you are in the land of your enemies" but whatever 242 leads to restoration is called newness of life: "Your youth is renewed like the eagle’s" (Ps 103:5) "Be renewed in the spirit of your minds" (Eph 4:25). 477. Then (v. 5) he shows how the consequence follows necessarily. For after he died, Christ arose; hence it is fitting that those who are conformed to Christ’s death in baptism should be conformed also to his resurrection by leading a blameless life. And that is what he says: For if we have been united with him in a death like his, i.e., if we are incorporated into him as a branch is grafted to a tree, the, as we are united with Christ in his passion, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his, so as to lead a blameless life and attain to a glory similar to his in the future life: "He will change our lowly body to be like his glorious body" (Phil 3:21); "If we have died with him, we shall also live with him" (2 Tim 2:11). Thus, after using our likeness to the death of Christ to prove that we are dead to sin, the Apostle used our likeness to the resurrection of Christ to show that we should not live in sin; which he introduces above as a consequence.
