Fathers

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What the Fathers say

Romans 5:7

Eastern Fathers

John Chrysostom

Now what he says is somewhat of this kind. For if for a virtuous man, no one would hastily choose to die, consider thy Master's love, when it is not for virtuous men, but for sinners and enemies that He is seen to have been crucified-which he says too after this, "In that, if when we were sinners Christ died for us."

Homily on Romans IX ↗

Western Saints

Jerome

In what sense should we take what we read in the Epistle to the Romans: for scarcely for a righteous man will one die; for peradventure for the good man some would even dare to die. (Rom. 5:7) For two heretics, because they do not understand this testimony, being in different errors indeed, but with equal impiety, blaspheme. …

Letter 121, Chapter 7 ↗

Thomas Aquinas

Then when he says, for scarce, he shows a difficulty on the part of those for whom Christ died, i.e., the ungodly, saying, for scarce . . . will one, that is, anyone, die for the release of a just man; rather, the just man perishes and no one lays it to heart (Isa 57:1). That is why I say that scarce . . . will one die, yet perhaps for a good man some one would dare to die, on account of his zeal for virtue. …

Commentary on Romans ↗