Romans

5:12-21

Arguments in support of the proposition, 1:18-11:36

3. The consequential blessings that flow to the righteous in Christ, 5:1-8:39

iii] Life eternal

Paul, in 5:1-8:39 examines the business of possessing the fullness of life which belongs to those who are righteous in Christ. In 5:12-21 Paul explains how "Christ's saving death has affected all humanity", Dumbrell. Christ's death has overcome the curse of Adam's sin. This truth is exegeted by comparing the disobedience of Adam with the obedience of Christ. The consequences of both acts are beyond comparison, for sin leads to eternal death, but grace in Christ leads to life.

Paul's argument in v13-17 is tight and complex. The elements and their meaning, by which Paul compares Adam and Christ, are not easily discerned and are open to dispute. The comparison may be viewed as follows: Christ's act of obedience ("the gift" = Christ's sacrifice for sin. Often interpreted as the gift of [imputed] righteousness), prompted by "the grace of God" (God's covenantal faithfulness), produces "justification" (acquittal / set right before the judgement seat of God = an eternal right-standing before God = "the free gift of righteousness") and "dominion in life" (reign of believers with Christ / new life in Christ), as compared with Adam's act of disobedience ("the one man's trespass/sin") producing "judgment / condemnation" and "the dominion of death."

In v18-21 Paul makes the point that just as all humanity participates in Adam's disobedience and its consequence, so may all participate in the obedience of Christ and its consequence, namely right-standing before God, with all its inherit blessings - "eternal life", the fullness of life in Christ now and for eternity.

In v20-21, Paul notes the place of the law in the Adam/Christ dichotomy, identifying the Torah ("law") as the divine mechanism of exposing Israel's standing with all humanity under sin and thus reminding Israel that covenant compliance and thus blessing (the Abrahamic blessings) rests on promise - God's faithfulness appropriated through faith. The Torah identifies sin as sin and magnifies its consequences ("the curse of the law"). Having "entered / penetrated / arrived", the law then undermines any notion that sin can be restrained by an effort of the will. So, the law exposes us as sinners under the condemnation of death, but, argues Paul, God's grace in Christ is far more powerful. The atoning work of Christ has conquering sin and provided access to eternal life.

The reader will note that these two verses play a significant role in the debate over the new perspective on Paul. New perspective commentators tend to see the Torah as a mechanism designed to sanctify the national life of Israel for the maintenance of the covenant and that for the faithful remnant, it performed this role. For Gentile believers in Christ, the indwelling compelling of the Spirit supersedes this role, which truth drives Paul to have "works of the law" lifted from Gentile believers. Yet, in these two verses, Paul is quite adamant that the divine purpose of the law is to expose the human condition of loss, a loss shared by Israel.

Romans 5:12-21 serves to contrast the universal loss caused by Adam and the universal salvation achieved by Christ, a contrast between sin and grace. In verses 20-21, Paul notes the relationship of the law to Adam and Christ. In unequivocal terms he ties law to sin, not grace, such that law remains independent of grace (law but exposes our need for grace), and he identifies the divine purpose of the law in terms of exposing the human condition of sin, death and judgment.

Paul has much more to say on the issue of the law and it does seem that his critique is not against legalism, but rather nomism, the notion that law obedience serves to maintain covenant compliance by restraining sin and advancing holiness (progress sanctification). As far as Paul is concerned, the law never served this end. Righteousness before God has always rested on faith, a faith like Abraham's; righteousness has always rested on the promises of God, upon God's covenant fidelity. Paul's gripe is particularly focused on those believers who have adopted the pharisaic heresy of nomism. To return to the law to progress the Christian life is to undermine our standing before God.

In this verse Paul begins a comparison between death in Adam and life in Christ. The comparison is not completed until v18 where Paul states "so one man's act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all." In v13-17, a kind of parenthesis, Paul exegetes the comparison.

dia touto "therefore" - because of this. Because of Christ's work of reconciliation, as expounded in v1-11, Adam's curse is overcome, ie. the phrase is inferential.

wJsper ...... ouJtwV "as ..... " - as, just as ..... thus, so. This conjunction and adverb usually go together to form a comparative sentence, although in this verse the comparison does not eventuate, since Paul seemingly moves into a digression in v13-17. The comparison presumably being: Adam's sin = death, Christ's obedience = life. Given that the adverb is present in the verse, some argue that the sentence is an anacoluthon (the writer looses track of the grammar), but the comparison does eventually emerge.

eJnoV adj. "one" - The "one man" is obviously Adam.

dihlqen (diercomai) aor. "[death] came" - pass through. Death came to all humans, "death spread to all", Moffatt.

ef + dat. "because" - over, on, at, upon [in whom]. A causal sense, "because", seems best, but Turner and others have opted for "over/on/upon", where sin has spread "over" humanity due to our identification with Adam. "Death passed upon all men through him in whom all men sinned", Turner.

hJmarton (aJmartanw) aor. "[because all] sinned" - The aorist is probably gnomic, ie. sin is universal. Some commentators have suggested that it means "all have sinned in Adam's sin." Either way, "everyone has sinned and so everyone must die", CEV.

In v13-14, Paul establishes the universal condition of human sin, quite apart from the law, with its consequence, death.

gar "for" - Conjunction establishing cause or reason. All humans sin and face death "for" sin existed even before there was law.

nomou (oV) "law" - There is no definite article so it may be "before there was law", NEB, "law" taken in a general sense, but the REB reverts to "the Law", meaning, "the Law of Moses."

ellogeitai (ellegew) pres. pas. "taken into account" - reckoned, accounted. A person cannot be a lawbreaker with an account kept of their law-breaking, if there is no law. "Sin is not entered into the account when no Law exists", Weymouth. Of course, just because sin is not identified as sin, due the absence of law, doesn't men that it doesn't exist and that it won't be condemned. Adam's sin infects the whole human race and brings about the condemnation of all.

alla "nevertheless" - but, on the contrary. The adversative sense is paramount. Irrespective of the fact that sin cannot be identified without the evidence of a broken law, v13, due to the solidarity humanity shares with Adam's sin, "death reigned."

ebasileusen (basileuw) aor. "reigned" - Even though there was no law, death reigned supreme over the human race. "Yet death still had power over all who lived from ...", CEV. Obviously, if this is the case, why is humanity punished? Commentators usually opt for: i] humanity stands guilty in Adam's sin, or ii] humanity always falls short of the divine standard of goodness (a law written on the heart) due to the infection of Adam's sin, or iii] both.

tupoV (oV) "a pattern" - a type. In what sense is Adam a type of Christ? Phillips covers himself with "Adam, the first man, corresponds in some degree, to the man who was to come." The "some degree" is Adam's headship over those who are perishing. Adam led the charge to destruction, whereas Christ led the charge to life.

tou mellontoV (mellw) part. "the one to come" - of the one coming. Participle as a substantive. "The one who is coming / the coming one" is most likely a messianic title.

In v15-17 Paul explains how the consequences of Christ's act of obedience surpass the consequences of Adam's act of disobedience.

all "but" - The adversative underlines the fact that Adam is only "a type" "to some degree."

wJV ..... ouJtwV "the gift is not like the trespass" - not as the trespass so even the gift. A conditional clause where it is implied that the condition has been fulfilled. The negation can produce a question expecting a positive answer. Paul now exposes the difference. Both Adam and Christ perform a significant act, but the acts are significantly different. Christ's act of obedience, his cross ("the gift"), brings life, whereas Adam's act of disobedience ("the trespass") brings death.

to carisma (a atoV) "gift" - grace / gift. Emphasizing the act of giving, namely, the life-giving sacrifice of Christ. It is possible that the ma ending implies result/consequence and therefore, as death is the result of human rebellion (the "trespass", false step), so life ("justification", v17) is the result of God's "grace" - his gracious kindness. "Free gift", RSV.

ei ..... pollw/ mallon + ind. "if ...... how much more ......." - Conditional clause, 1st class, where the condition is assumed to be true; "if as is the case .... then ...."

oiJ polloi "the many" - Most probably used as a Hebrew equivalent of "all", ie. it is inclusive; a whole consisting of many.

hJ cariV tou qeou kai nJ dorea "God's grace and the gift" - the grace of God and the gift. The repetition of the article supports the NIV translation, indicating that "grace" and "gift" are separate entities. "Grace", being God's covenant fidelity, his kindness expressed in the salvation of a people in accord with the covenant, and the "gift" being Christ's sacrifice for sin on behalf of lost humanity. "The gracious gift of God" is a possible translation, but unlikely. "His favour through the one man Jesus Christ has overflowed for the whole human race", Williams.

en cariti "that came by the grace" - in grace. The preposition is probably instrumental (by, through) and the prepositional phrase probably serves to modify "the gift." "The gift which comes through the grace of the one man Jesus Christ", Cranfield. The "gift", as above, although in reformed circles it is often viewed as "the gifted benefits" = imputed righteousness. Salvation stems from God's unmerited favour.

pollouV (poluV) adj. "the many" - The whole number who rely on God's grace in Christ, as against the whole number who remain bound in their sins.

kia "again" - Introducing a further comparison, the consequences of the "trespass" and the "gift".

ouc wJV di enoV aJmarthsantoV to dwrhma "the gift of God is not like the results of the one man's sin" - the gift not as through one man having sinned. The sentence may be an ellipsis in that key words seem to have been omitted. The verb is certainly missing, but it is the contrast between "gift" and "one man's sin" that has caused the greater problem. Moo suggests "condemnation" from the following sentence. "The gift is not like the condemnation that came through the one who sinned", Moo. Morris sees the contrast as "the gift" (the bestowed benefits of one man's act of righteousness) as against "one having sinned" (the downside, "results", of one man's act of disobedience). The NIV "result", or Cassirer "effect", is where the comparison lies, a comparison between the "effects" of "one man's sin" and another man's "gift", ie. Adam's disobedience and Christ's obedience. "Gift of God", NIV, is misleading since "God" is not in the Gk.

to krima (a atoV) "the judgment" - The contrast is further developed: "judgment", the condemnation of humanity due to the one man's sin, is contrasted with ....., with what? Some suggest "the gift" (grace gift), God's gift of life through the one man's obedience. This contrast, argued by Morris, does defy the word order, but article identification is in his favour. Few follow his lead. Moo argues that the contrast is as rendered in the NIV: the judgment that resulted in condemnation and death, was from one sin, whereas, the gift that led to justification followed many sins. This interpretation is adopted by most translators. "For the sentence resulted from the offense of one man, and it meant condemnation; but the free gift resulted from the offenses of many, and it meant right standing", Williams.

katakrima (a atoV) ....... dikaiwma (a atoV) "condemnation ...... justification". The third contrast suggested by Morris. Adam's act of disobedience led to the condemnation of "many", but Christ's act of obedience led to the justification of "many".

ei + ind. "if" - Introducing another conditional clause where the condition is believed to be true. "If" death has reigned supreme because of Adam's act of disobedience, then "how much more" will justification reign supreme because of Christ's act of obedience.

ebasileusen (basileuw) aor. "reigned" - Ingessive aorist, ie. the weight is put on the beginning of the action. "Death began to rule", TEV.

oiJ ..... lambanonteV (lambanw) pres. part. "those who receive" - the ones receiving. The "many" (all) who "respond to / accept"; "receive the "overflow of His unmerited favor and His gift of right standing with Himself", Williams

thn perisseian thV caritoV "[God's] abundant provision of grace" - the abundance of the grace. "God's overflowing mercy", Goodspeed ("God" is not in the Greek).

thV dwreaV thV dikaiosunhV "the gift of righteousness" - of the gift of righteousness. Righteousness is an epexegetic genitive defining the nature of the gift, namely, a gift in the nature of an eternal right-standing before God. An actual righteousness, or status of righteousness, is constantly debated, although what God says so is so. If God says we are right with him then we are right with him.

basileusousin (basileuw) fut. "reign" - will reign. We would expect that since death reigned, the logical contrast would be that life will reign in life. The future tense reinforces the amazing truth that the saints will reign with Christ in eternity, cf. 1Cor.6:2, ie. a reign "in (eternal) life". Yet, it is more likely that Paul has in mind here the reign of a believer in the present, their appropriation of the new life that is theirs in Christ, a live lived in contrast to a life lived under the dominion of sin and death. "Imagine the breathtaking recovery life makes, sovereign life, in those who grasp with both hands this wildly extravagant life-gift, this grand setting-everything-right, that the one man Jesus Christ provides", Peterson.

Paul restates the comparison between Adam and Christ commenced in v12 and completes it in this verse.

ara oun "consequently" - so therefore. Serving as an emphatic "therefore".

wJV ..... ouJtwV - "just as .... so ...." - Forming a comparative clause.

dia + gen. "-" - through, by means of [one trespass]. "Through the lapse of one / through one lapse", Morris.

eJnoV paraptwmatoV "one trespass" - Adam's sin, although note, it is unclear whether Paul intends "one man's sin" or "one sin."

eiV "result" - to. Here probably expressing result, obviously not purpose, and so helping to provide the verbal element of sentence, as NIV. The sentence in Gk. has no verb. The result of the one sin is the condemnation of all mankind.

katakrima (a atoV) "condemnation" - Guilty and thus subject to punishment. Used 3 times in NT. The prefix strengthens the sense of judgment, so "condemnation", even "punishment", BAGD.

dikaiwmatoV (a atoV) "[one] act of righteousness" - righteous act / judicial sentence. Most commentators opt for "just deed / righteous act", cf. Moo, which nicely balances the sinful act that led to condemnation, but elsewhere in the NT the word often carries the sense of "judicial sentence / ordinance." If this sense is followed we head toward a tautology, although only if "justification" is understood as a judicial sentence ("judicial sentence [resulting] in/to justification"). Morris suggests "sentence of justification", "justificatory sentence", Godet. Moo points out that the word used for "justification" in this verse is not the one usually chosen by Paul. So, dikaiwsiV ("justification") may just mean here "right standing before God" rather than the act of declaring/making right before God. This possibility deals with the tautological problem. "Just as a single transgression resulted in a condemnation extending to all men, so one acquittal results in a life giving justification extending to all men", Cassirer.

dikaiwsin (iV ewV) "justification" - justification, put in a right relationship with / set right with. See above.

zwhV (h) gen. "life" - [to justification] of life. The genitive is probably epexegetic, explaining something about "justification", it "leads to / issues in life", Morris, so also Zerwick, Turner. Possibly appositional, "justification which is life"; or expressing result, "this righteous status has life, eternal life, as its result", Cranfield, so also Murray, Moo, cf. BDF 166; even possibly descriptive, "a life-giving justification." "This justifying, by which God was true to his nature and his covenant promises, leads to and reflects a life of ultimate triumph for all people in Christ", Dumbrell.

This verse is an uncluttered restatement of v18.

wJsper ..... ouJtwV "just as ... so ..." - Forming another comparative clause.

thV parakohV "the disobedience" - Used rather than "sin / trespass" and promoting a balance with Christ's "obedience", presumably his submission to the cross.

katestaqhsan (kaqisthmi) aor. pas. "were made" - "Constituted".

katastaqhsontai (kaqisthmi) fut. pas. "will be made" - The legal / "forensic flavor" of this word should be noted; not just "made", but rather, "people are inaugurated into the righteous state", Moo. A logical future tense, rather than predictive, cf. Fitzmyer; "by one man's obedience the rest of mankind can be constituted righteous", Barclay.

dikaioi adj. "righteous" - "Righteous" in a legal sense, not moral, "ranked as being righteous", Cassirer.

In 5:12-19, Paul has established the universality of sin and presumably he now wants to include Israel in this state of loss, identifying the Torah ("law") as the divine mechanism of exposing Israel's standing with all humanity.

nomoV "the law" - Presumably the Torah, the law of Moses.

pareishlqen (pareisercomai) aor. "was added" - Added at a later date. Not "come / enter between", as if standing between Adam and Christ, nor "snuck in" as if the law deceptively came, so Dunn, rather simply "arrived / penetrated / entered." "The law has been added to the nexus of sin and death that was initiated with and by Adam", Hofius.

iJna + subj. "so that [the trespass might increase]" - Forming a purpose clause explaining the intended aim of the addition of the law. The law was given in order to Increase the awareness of sin (make it visible) and increase the reality of sin (make it more sinful by making it a conscious act of disobedience). The law does not prompt obedience, nor does it actually damn us, since we are already damned. "The law compels sin to demonstrate its full power and greatness by arousing within us sleeping sinful passion and by kindling the latent epiqumia (desire, longing) directed against God", Hofius.

pleonash/ (preonazw) aor. subj. "might increase" - Increase in what sense? i] The law serves to increase the number of actual transgressions against God's revealed will exponentially starting with the one command, don't eat the apple, to the many commands of the Torah, so Dunn, Godet; ii] The law encourages legalism and therefore leads to damnation, so Bultmann; iii] The law serves to heighten our awareness of what constitutes sin and therefore our state of loss; iv] The law serves to increase the seriousness of sin by making it "transgression", "rebellion against the revealed will of God", Moo. Something like [iii] or [iv] is best.

ou| de "but where" - Most likely introducing a conditional sentence, rather than local, as NIV. "But when sin increased, then grace ...."

uJpereperisseusen (uJperperisseuw) aor. "[grace] increased all the more" - Sin and law together are a potent power for loss, but God's grace is more than able to overpower them. The superlative sense is best expressed, "grace super-increased / super abounding grace", Moo; "superabundant grace", Morris.

iJna + subj. "so that" - Forming a purpose clause. "Grace increased all the more in order that ... grace will reign [replace the reign of sin]"

wJsper .... ouJtwV "just as ..... so .." - even as. Comparative clause: comparing the reign of sin and death with the reign of grace through righteousness unto life.

hJ aJmartia "sin [reigned]" - The power of sin took control, "established its reign", NEB.

en + dat. "in [death]" - Possibly expressing sphere, "in the sphere of / dominion of death", Moo; or possibly means, "by means of"; or accompaniment, "with; or instrument, "through", "sin used death as the instrument of its tyranny", Barrett. It is also possible that the proposition is used here for eiV = movement toward, "to death", "sin reigned such that all come to death." "Sin exercised its kingly rule by bringing death (spiritual and physical)", Cassirer.

basileush/ (basileuw) aor. subj. "[grace] might reign" - The eschatological note here can be captured by "will reign", although grace reigns now. Sin may exercise its kingly rule and bring death, but "super abounding grace" exercises its rule and brings life.

dia + gen. "through" - through, by means of. A purpose clause would make sense, although the preposition would normally be followed by an acc., and even then such usage is rare, "in order that they might receive the gift of justification that results in eternal life", Hofius. None-the-less, the more likely "through / by means of" is best. Super abounding grace exercises its rule "by means of" righteousness and as a consequence, brings life eternal.

dikaiosunhV (h) "righteousness" - As always, there are many possible meanings: "conduct that reflects the New Covenant relationship", Dumbrell; a "status of righteousness", Cranfield; "the gift of righteousness", Osborne, Schreiner (Schreiner includes both the forensic gift of a righteous status along with a grace-produced righteous living); Imputed ("donated") righteousness, Murray; "uprightness", Fitzmyer. The chances are that as the grace is God's, so the righteousness is God's, ie. "righteousness" as his "covenant fidelity", his determined action-plan, in Christ, to gather a people to stand right with him for eternity, to justify a people for himself in union with Christ. "So grace might also exercise dominion through [the gift of] justification leading to eternal life", NRSV.

zwhn aiwnion "eternal life" - This dimension of "life" is certainly eschatological, but also a present reality. "Life" for Paul is the fullness of new life in Christ, now and for eternity, a life that fulfills God's promised blessings to Abraham and his seed.

Romans Introduction.

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