Lectionary Bible Studies and Sermons


Romans

God's gift: Jesus Christ. 5:12-17

[Seed logo] Introduction
      In chapter 5:12-21 Paul explains how Christ's saving death has affected all humanity. Paul does this by comparing the saving work of Christ with the condemning work of Adam. He begins this comparison in v12, but then in v13-17 he qualifies it. Finally, in v18, he makes the comparison, repeats it in v19, and then in v20-21 notes the part the law plays. In our passage for study, Paul explains that Adam's one sin has brought death to the whole human race, v12-14, and then, before going on with his comparison, he explains how the work of Adam and Christ is dissimilar, v15-17. Christ's work is dissimilar to Adam's in that his work did much more for humanity than just remove the stain of Adam's one sin. Christ's work removes the stain of all sin, achieving justification for all who believe.

The passage
      v12. Paul, in this verse, begins to make a comparison between the universal effect of Adam's sinful deed and the universal effect of Christ's righteous deed, but he stops to qualify the comparison before going on with it. His point is that Adam's sin has infected the whole human race and as a result, death has gained control. So, death reaches all people, not only because of Adam's sin, but because of the contribution of the sin of each individual. Death is the consequence of human sin - Adam's primal sin plus our own.
      v13-14. These verses answer a question arising from v12. How is it possible for all to sin at a time when there was no law? Sin was in the world even before the Law was given by God through Moses, although without the law, sin is not easily seen for what it is (ie. it is not as clearly defined). As a result of sin's presence, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sin was not like Adam's, ie. not the breaking of a direct command from God. Paul rounds off with the comment that "Adam was a pattern of the one to come." By pattern, he means "type" or "example". Adam, in his universal effectiveness for ruin, is a pattern of Christ's universal effectiveness for salvation.
      v15. Having suggested that Adam is a "type" of Christ, Paul now contrasts the dramatic difference between Adam's "trespass" and Jesus' "gift" (his sacrifice for sin). God's gracious kindness ("grace"), enacted through Jesus Christ, bears no comparison to the consequences of Adam's sin. Adam's act of rebellion brought death to all humanity, but Christ's act of obedience (his "gift") brought life to all who believe. "The gift" transcends ("how much more") "the trespass."
      v16-17. Paul now compares the consequences of "the trespass" and "the gift": a) Judgement dealt with the single sin of Adam, but the free gift deals with the accumulated sin of mankind; b) The judgement of Adam brought condemnation, but the free gift of God brings justification; c) Adam's sin brought about the reign of death, but the unspeakable generosity of divine grace brings about the reign of life, v17. The "reign of life" refers to resurrected believers ruling with Christ in the age to come.

Inheritance
      The central idea of our passage for study serves to remind us that humanity is saved in the same way it is lost - through the act of another person. Adam, through his transgression, brought condemnation to all who are connected to him. Christ, through his righteousness, brings justification to all who are connected to him. So, the path to life, or the path to death, is a simple one to follow. It all comes down to whom we choose to connect with.

      Nature or nurture, what makes us the way we are? Up till recent times we argued that humans are moulded by the environment. Little weight was put on the power of genes. This was probably a reaction to the Nazi view of humanity - genetic purity. So, the shaping powers of nurture, education, parenting.... these are the elements that make us who we are.
      Today, there is a move away from this behaviorist model toward the power of genetic shaping. Many now argue that we are the product of inherited genetic coding. Some of the recent twin studies are very interesting. Separated identical twins tend to adopt similar behavior patterns. Obviously, genes play an important part in the shaping of a person.
      We are probably best to take a 50/50 approach; it's 50% nature and 50% nurture. What is clear is that we inherit the traits of others, either through genes or nurturing. The Bible says we inherit something else which, although easily observed, is rarely admitted by a godless society. The Bible tells us that we inherit the sinfulness of Adam and thus, his condemnation. A society, either capitalist or socialist, which ignores the inherited sinfulness of the human species, is doomed.
      The good news is that we can inherit, through the gift of a spiritual new birth, the righteousness of Jesus and thus, stand approved in the sight of God. All this a gift of God's kindness, a gift for the asking.

Discussion
      1. The "death" that followed sin. What does death entail?
      2. Why does Paul stress that all are guilty as a result of one man's sin?
      3. In what way is Adam a "type" or "figure" of Jesus Christ?
      4. Adam and Jesus differ in that Christ did much more for us than just remove the guilt of Adam's one sin. What was the "much more"?


Notes

Textual notes   Abbreviations,   Bibliography
 
      Paul's letter to the Romans is an exposition of the gospel set against law-bound believers (mainly Jewish believers - judaizers, the circumcision party) who regard submission to the law (primarily the law of Moses) as the means of maintaining and/or advancing their standing before God. For Paul, this heresy (nomism / pietism) not only undermines the substance of the gospel, but actually undermines a believer's standing before God, a standing which rests wholly on the covenant faithfulness of God appropriated through faith in the person and work of Christ.
      Paul, having stated his thesis in 1:16-17, that the covenant faithfulness of God is appropriated through faith, proceeds in 1:18-2:11 to establish the universality of sin, reminding self-righteous (law-bound) Jewish believers ("the weak", 15:1) that they too are infected by the stain of sin, 2:1-5, the consequence of which is divine condemnation, 2:6-11. Then, in 2:12-29, Paul examines the place of the law in the righteous judgment of God, making the point that those Jewish believers who have retained their standing under the law, even though circumcised, actually break the law and thus face the curse of the law and the "wrath and fury" of God's condemnation. In 3:1-8 Paul answers two objections to his rather negative view of the standing of Jewish believers under the law, namely, that he devalues the covenant/law and that he promotes libertarianism. Then, in 3:9-20, Paul drives home his conclusion, namely that the human condition of universal sin and its consequence is not avoided by submission to the law, for the law only serves to make sin more sinful. In 3:21-30 Paul draws a conclusion from his argument so far. When it comes to the covenant faithfulness of God, whether in judgment or vindication, there is no "distinction" between a person under the law, or a person outside the law. All have sinned and stand condemned, and all who believe are justified, and this because they rest, not on their own faithfulness, but the faithfulness of Christ - his "sacrifice of atonement." So, for believing Jews, like Paul, there is no ground for "boasting" about their faithfulness under the law, for a person is judged in the right with God ("justified") by faith and not by obedience. From 3:31 to 4:25, Paul explains, with reference to the life of Abraham, how his gospel of right-standing in the sight of God by faith does not "nullify" the law, rather, it "fulfills" the law; faith "fulfills / completes" the justification to which the law of Moses pointed. Then in 5:1-11 Paul draws together the consequence of his argument so far, namely, a believer's "reconciliation with God."
      Having dealt with the business of standing right before God, Paul, in 5:12-8:39 examines the business of living right before God, of possessing the fullness of life which belongs to those who are 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 eternal life.
      Paul's argument in v13-17, our passage for study, 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 before the judgement seat of God = an eternal right-standing before God = "the free gift of righteousness") and "dominion in life" (the heavenly reign of believers with Christ), as compared with Adam's act of disobedience ("the one man's trespass/sin") producing "judgment / condemnation" and "the dominion of death."

      As noted in previous studies, Paul may have used a chiastic structure (a ring composition) for his argument in chapters 5-8. It is important to consider the possibility as it can improve our understanding of the flow of Paul's argument:
        A. Assurance of future glory, 5:1-11;
          B. Basis for assurance - the work of Christ, 5:12-21;
            C. The problem of sin, 6:1-23;
            C'. The problem of sin and the law, 7:1-25;
          B'. Basis of assurance - the work of Christ through the Spirit, 8:1-17;
        A'. Assurance of future glory, 8:18-39.

v12
      In this verse Paul begins a comparison between death in Adam and life in Christ. The comparison is not completed until v18, "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. As noted above, 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.

v13
      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.

v14
      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.

v15
      In v15-17, Paul now 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 "if ...... how much more ......." - Conditional clause, 1st class, where the condition is assumed to be true.
      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 graciousness, his kindness expressed in the salvation of a people on the basis of his covenant fidelity, 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.

v16
      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 are 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".

v17
      ei "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, "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, but actually we will reign, reign "in (eternal) life." The future tense reinforces the amazing truth that the saints will reign with Christ in eternity, cf. 1Cor.6:2.


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