Death Through Adam, Life Through Christ
Romans 5:12-21 (NIV)
12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—
13 To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law. 14 Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come.
15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! 16 Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. 17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!
18 Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. 19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
20 The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, 21 so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
FOR
YOUR STUDY
All die because “all have sinned” in Adam. As we take a deeper look into pieces of biblical human race history, those who lived from Adam to Moses were people, who were undoubtedly sinning; but since God had not yet clearly spelled out His law, or given it to mankind as a legal code until Moses, He could not justly condemn these people to death for their personal sins. Paul explains this in verse 13, “but sin is not imputed ([i.e., counted or reckoned] when there is no law.”
All die because “all have sinned” in Adam. As we take a deeper look into pieces of biblical human race history, those who lived from Adam to Moses were people, who were undoubtedly sinning; but since God had not yet clearly spelled out His law, or given it to mankind as a legal code until Moses, He could not justly condemn these people to death for their personal sins. Paul explains this in verse 13, “but sin is not imputed ([i.e., counted or reckoned] when there is no law.”
Nonetheless, be mindful that New Testament scripture tells us that those who died in the flood did so because they rejected salvation, and not because they were sinners (see 1 Peter 3:18-20). However, Paul points out in verse 14, these people were dying even though their sins were not identical to Adam’s one transgression. The difference is that while the human race from Adam to Moses were “missing the mark” (meaning, to sin), Adam's act of disobedience was a “willful violation of a law” (meaning transgression) and which justly deserved death (Gen. 2:17). In view of this, the only valid reason these people were dying was because all humanity stands condemned to death in Adam.
The word death in Romans 5:12 appears twice, the first time applying to Adam
and the second to his posterity or mankind. The same death that came to Adam,
says Paul, passed on to all humanity.
The first or sleep-death, which
is experienced by both believers and unbelievers, became necessary because of the plan of redemption. Had there
been no “lamb slain from the foundation
of the world,” Adam would have forfeited his life the day he sinned and
mankind would have died eternally (the second death) in him (Gen. 2:17). It is only in Christ that we
can pass from death to life (John 5:24; 1
Corinthians 15:55-57; 2 Tim. 1:10; Rev. 20:6).
5:12. The expression as by
is a key to understanding vv.12-21. Paul
is going to show several parallels between the way Adam affected us and the way
Christ affected us. The whole force of the parallel in Romans 5:12-21 between
Adam and Christ depends on the idea of the solidarity of mankind in Adam and in
Christ.
5:18. All men…all men: The groups of people are not the same, or the verse would mean that every person ever born would be saved, something Scripture does not teach (see 2:8, 9; Matt.7:13, 14, 23:25:46). Rather, the first "all men" refers to all who were represented by Adam namely, the whole human race. The second "all men" refers to all who were represented by Christ, namely, all who would believe in Him.
5:19 A summary of God’s plan of representative heads for the human
race. Adam sinned (once), and all whom Adam represented were found guilty.
Christ obeyed (through his whole life) and all whom Christ represented will be made righteous. Some object to this idea of representative heads for the
human race. But if we do not think it fair that we were counted guilty for
Adam’s sin, then we also should not think it fair that we are counted righteous
for Christ’s obedience.
5:20, 21 One
purpose of the law was to make sin obvious and thus to make more evident the
need for redemption. ...to be cont'd
In Christ,
Playwright Janet Irene Thomas
Founder/CEO
Bible Stories Theatre of
Fine & Performing Arts
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