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48. That one sin, however, committed in a setting of
such great happiness, was itself so great that by it,
in one man, the whole human race was originally and,
so to say, radically condemned. It cannot be pardoned
and washed away except through "the one mediator
between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,"(92) who
alone could be born in such a way as not to need to
be reborn. 49. They were not reborn, those who were
baptized by John's baptism, by which Christ himself
was baptized.(93) Rather, they were prepared by the
ministry of this forerunner, who said, "Prepare a way
for the Lord,"(94) for Him in whom alone they could
be reborn.
For his baptism is not with water alone, as John's
was, but with the Holy Spirit as well. Thus, whoever
believes in Christ is reborn by that same Spirit, of
whom Christ also was born, needing not to be reborn.
This is the reason for the Voice of the Father
spoken over him at his baptism, "Today have I
begotten thee,"(95) which pointed not to that
particular day on which he was baptized, but to that
"day" of changeless eternity, in order to show us
that this Man belonged to the personal Unity of the
Only Begotten. For a day that neither begins with the
close of yesterday nor ends with the beginning of
tomorrow is indeed an eternal "today."
Therefore, he chose to be baptized in water by
John, not thereby to wash away any sin of his own,
but to manifest his great humility. Indeed, baptism
found nothing in him to wash away, just as death
found nothing to punish. Hence, it was in authentic
justice, and not by violent power, that the devil was
overcome and conquered: for, as he had most unjustly
slain Him who was in no way deserving of death, he
also did most justly lose those whom he had justly
held in bondage as punishment for their sins.
Wherefore, He took upon himself both baptism and
death, not out of a piteous necessity but through his
own free act of showing mercy--as part of a definite
plan whereby One might take away the sin of the
world, just as one man had brought sin into the
world, that is, the whole human race.
50. There is a difference, however. The first man
brought sin into the world, whereas this One took
away not only that one sin but also all the others
which he found added to it. Hence, the apostle says,
"And the gift [of grace] is not like the effect of
the one that sinned: for the judgment on that one
trespass was condemnation; but the gift of grace is
for many offenses, and brings justification."(96) Now
it is clear that the one sin originally inherited,
even if it were the only one involved, makes men
liable to condemnation. Yet grace justifies a man for
many offenses, both the sin which he originally
inherited in common with all the others and also the
multitude of sins which he has committed on his own.
51. However, when he [the apostle] says, shortly
after, "Therefore, as the offense of one man led all
men to condemnation, so also the righteousness of one
man leads all men to the life of justification,"(97)
he indicates sufficiently that everyone born of Adam
is subject to damnation, and no one, unless reborn of
Christ, is free from such a damnation.
52. And after this discussion of punishment
through one man and grace through the Other, as he
deemed sufficient for that part of the epistle, the
apostle passes on to speak of the great mystery of
holy baptism in the cross of Christ, and to do this
so that we may understand nothing other in the
baptism of Christ than the likeness of the death of
Christ. The death of Christ crucified is nothing
other than the likeness of the forgiveness of
sins--so that in the very same sense in which the
death is real, so also is the forgiveness of our sins
real, and in the same sense in which his resurrection
is real, so also in us is there authentic
justification.
He asks: "What, then, shall we say? Shall we
continue in sin, that grace may abound?"(98) --for he
had previously said, "But where sin abounded, grace
did much more abound."(99) And therefore he himself
raised the question whether, because of the abundance
of grace that follows sin, one should then continue
in sin. But he answers, "God forbid!" and adds, "How
shall we, who are dead to sin, live any longer
therein?"(100) Then, to show that we are dead to sin,
"Do you not know that all we who were baptized in
Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?"(101)
If, therefore, the fact that we are baptized into
the death of Christ shows that we are dead to sin,
then certainly infants who are baptized in Christ die
to sin, since they are baptized into his own death.
For there is no exception in the saying, "All we who
are baptized into Christ Jesus are baptized into his
death." And the effect of this is to show that we are
dead to sin.
Yet what sin do infants die to in being reborn
except that which they inherit in being born? What
follows in the epistle also pertains to this:
"Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into
death; that, as Christ was raised up from the dead by
the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk
in the newness of life. For if we have been united
with him in the likeness of his death, we shall be
also united with him in the likeness of his
resurrection, knowing this, that our old man is
crucified with him, that the body of sin might be
destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we are
dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live
with him: knowing that Christ, being raised from the
dead, dies no more; death has no more dominion over
him. For the death he died, he died to sin, once for
all; but the life he lives, he lives unto God. So
also, reckon yourselves also to be dead to sin, but
alive unto God through Christ Jesus."(102)
Now, he had set out to prove that we should not go
on sinning, in order that thereby grace might abound,
and had said, "If we have died to sin, how, then,
shall we go on living in it?" And then to show that
we were dead to sin, he had added, "Know you not,
that as many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ
were baptized into his death?" Thus he concludes the
passage as he began it. Indeed, he introduced the
death of Christ in order to say that even he died to
sin. To what sin, save that of the flesh in which he
existed, not as sinner, but in "the likeness of sin"
and which was, therefore, called by the name of sin?
Thus, to those baptized into the death of
Christ--into which not only adults but infants as
well are baptized--he says, "So also you should
reckon yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God
in Christ Jesus."
53. Whatever was done, therefore, in the
crucifixion of Christ, his burial, his resurrection
on the third day, his ascension into heaven, his
being seated at the Father's right hand--all these
things were done thus, that they might not only
signify their mystical meanings but also serve as a
model for the Christian life which we lead here on
the earth. Thus, of his crucifixion it was said, "And
they that are Jesus Christ's have crucified their own
flesh, with the passions and lusts thereof"(103) ;
and of his burial, "For we are buried with Christ by
baptism into death"; of his resurrection, "Since
Christ is raised from the dead through the glory of
the Father, so we also should walk with him in
newness of life"; of his ascension and session at the
Father's right hand: "But if you have risen again
with Christ, seek the things which are above, where
Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. Set your
affection on things above, not on things on the
earth. For you are dead, and your life is hid with
Christ in God."(104)
54. Now what we believe concerning Christ's future
actions, since we confess that he will come again
from heaven to judge the living and the dead, does
not pertain to this life of ours as we live it here
on earth, because it belongs not to his deeds already
done, but to what he will do at the close of the age.
To this the apostle refers and goes on to add, "When
Christ, who is your life, shall appear, you shall
then also appear with him in glory."(105)
55. There are two ways to interpret the
affirmation that he "shall judge the living and the
dead." On the one hand, we may understand by "the
living" those who are not yet dead but who will be
found living in the flesh when he comes; and we may
understand by "the dead" those who have left the
body, or who shall have left it before his coming.
Or, on the other hand, "the living" may signify
"the righteous," and "the dead" may signify "the
unrighteous"--since the righteous are to be judged as
well as the unrighteous. For sometimes the judgment
of God is passed upon the evil, as in the word, "But
they who have done evil [shall come forth] to the
resurrection of judgment."(106) And sometimes it is
passed upon the good, as in the word, "Save me, O
God, by thy name, and judge me in thy strength."(107)
Indeed, it is by the judgment of God that the
distinction between good and evil is made, to the end
that, being freed from evil and not destroyed with
the evildoers, the good may be set apart at his right
hand.(108) This is why the psalmist cried, "Judge me,
O God," and, as if to explain what he had said, "and
defend my cause against an unholy nation."(109)
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