Brian FoulksThe Apostle Paul letter to the Romans has been considered one of the staple monuments of the New Testament church. Nestled within its pages are some of the greatest theological concepts that have baffled man for centuries. William H. Griffith Thomas writes, “The peculiar position of the apostle at the time of writing, as he reviews the past and anticipates the future, enables us to understand the absence of controversy in this epistle, the conciliatory attitude, and the didactic and apologetic elements which are all found combined herein.”[1] William Tyndale states,
“For as much as this epistle is the principle and most excellent part of the New Testament, and most pure evangel, that is to say glad tidings, and that we call gospel, and also a light and a way into the whole Scripture, I think it meet that every Christian not only know it by rote and without the Book, but also exercise himself therein ever more continually as with the daily bread of the soul. No person, verily, can read it too oft or study it too well.” [2]
F.F. Bruce restates the same premise as he asserts, “No man verily can read it too oft or study it too well; for the more it is studied the easier it is, the more it is chewed the pleasanter it is, and the more groundly [sic] it is searched the preciouser [sic] things are found in it, so great treasures of spiritual things lieth hid therein.”[3] Martin Luther lends his literary prowess as he states,
“Romans is worthy not only that every Christian should know it word forward, by heart, but occupy himself with it every day, as the daily bread ofthe soul. It can never be read or pondered too much, and the more it isdealt with the more precious it becomes, and the better it tastes.”[4]
From the vantage point of these great theologians, you begin to see the genius that is captured in Paul’s letter to the Romans. He deals with the false teachings of his day with the unadulterated truth. As you get to Chapter 5, Paul enters into the realm of justification that has many questioning the sanity of his faith. Paul has explained the righteousness that was given to man through the work of Jesus on the cross.[5] He references back to Abraham[6] and his righteousness being counted back to him by faith. This sets the stage for a contentious event against some of the devote Hebrews that operated by the deeds of the Law. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the power of justification in contrast with the Law, in the life of a believer by examining Romans 5:12-17.
The Apostle Paul: Best of Both Worlds
The contrast that the Apostle Paul brings to the table rests upon the fact that he was a man that understood many people from many different areas. He was a devote Jew that went through all of the ritual to be called so and he was also a Roman.[7] He was trained by some of the finest institutions of his time.[8] By being the benefactor of a great education the Apostle Paul flourished in the area of theology as well as history. Through his education Paul was able to be taught as well as discipled by one of the great rabbis, Gamaliel. Unlike many of his times Paul was also a traveler and through his travels he began to spread the Gospel.
It was not usual for the Apostle Paul to be able to identify with many from many different walks of life. In 1 Corinthians 9:22 the Apostle Paul highlights this characteristics with “I have become all things to all people.” Some have viewed this as a place of inconsistency with Paul. Charles Barret asserts, “This is one of the most difficult sentences in the epistle, and also one of the most important, for in it Paul shows how the new relation to God which he has in Christ expresses his debt of obedience to God.”[9] This obedience to God is one of the main characteristics that put Paul in contention with many others. He main thrust was to share the gospel by any means necessary.
In the 17th chapter of Acts, the Apostle Paul seeks to display a model for evangelism that appears to be most effective. You find the Apostle Paul in Aeropagus or Mars Hill, in the midst of cultural intelligence and philosophical dogmas. He salutes the Epicureans and Stoics with a sense of respect for their insightfulness to being “very religious.”[10] As Campbell Morgan suggests “nothing calculated to offend, or drive away the men whom he was trying to gain.” [11] Paul’s main objective was to share the message of Christ to those who may have believed differently but still deserved to hear the Gospel. Paul, being in this major city, adapted to the scenery and culture of the natives in order to share the message of Christ. Now this was not an unusual thing for Paul because he was accustomed to meeting others where they were with the Gospel.[12] His concise attention to the culture proved extremely valuable while in Mars Hill as well as other cities. He engages the philosophers with a sense of purpose to win them to Christ.
You begin to see the genius of the Apostle Paul and the paradigm he establishes through this encounter at Mars Hill. Eric Dolce asserts, “See the Skill of Paul! He took what he found in that Culture of the people in that city and flipped it. In sort of a theological remix, Paul takes what has been presented to him in the architecture, poetry and perhaps song of the day and presents it with Jesus flavor. He is not preaching some quasi-gospel here. He accomplishes all of this without disrespecting…he only calls them to something higher.”[13]
Paul’s ability to mesh with many cultures proves invaluable when it comes to his life in ministry. He sustained focus upon the church was always at the top of his agenda and whatever he needed to do to accomplish the task he was game for it. The understanding of Paul as a man and as cultural figure can bring clarity to understanding his writings. The seriousness that he approaches the church with is measured by his willingness to give his life and his close attention to detail. [14] The intention of Paul’s life becomes imperative as you begin to check the letters that he has wrote.
The fact that the Apostle Paul has the ability to move within two cultures creditably plays very importantly upon the nature of his writings. Though he was born a Jew, he is also a Roman citizen. In Acts 16, the Apostle Paul and Silas are jailed and beaten for exorcising a demon out of a woman. They were later released because it was found that Paul was actually a Roman citizen. It was against the law for a Roman citizen to jailed and beaten without a trial. So the Bible gives evidence of Paul’s citizenship in Rome. This begins to paint the picture of how Paul was able to vacillate between the different cultures with such ease.
Literary Context of Romans 5:12-17
The literary context from which Paul writes highlights the sin of Adam against the justification of Christ. The accountability factor of Adam was shaky which caused man to enter into a sin nature. Because “Adam was not powerless to resist sin” [15] he as well as all mankind is held accountable for his sin. The justification of man “is the actual redeeming work of God in taking sinners from idolatry and sin and in to the position of fellowship with God…”[16] The battle ensues between which one is greater and who deserves justification or not.
The Apostle Paul has already given examples of justification with a close examination of Abraham. William Newell states,
“Christ being raised up, God announces to me, ‘Not only were your sins put away by Christ’s blood, so that you are justified from all things; but I have also raised up Christ; and you shall have your standing in Him. I have given you this faith in a Risen Christ, and announce to you that in Him alone now is your place and standing. Judgment is forever past for you, both as concerns your sin, and as concerns My demand that you have a standing of holiness and righteousness of your own before Me. All this is past. Christ is now your standing! He is your life and your righteousness; and you need nothing of your own forever. I made Christ to become sin on your behalf, identified Him with all that you were, in order that you might become the righteousness of God in Him.”[17]
From his example in Romans 1-4, Paul begins to lay the benefits of justification in a world riddled by sin. John Witmer sums up a conversation on Abraham and justification:
“In chapter 4, Paul presented several irrefutable reasons why justificationis by faith: (1) Since justification is a gift, it cannot be earned by works (vv. 1-8). (2) Since Abraham was justified before he was circumcised, circumcision has no relationship to justification (vv. 9-12). (3) Since Abraham was justified centuries before the Law, justification is not based on the Law (vv. 13-17). (4) Abraham was justified because of his faith in God, not because of his works (vv. 18-25).”[18]
Paul has delivered a magnificent dialogue that has started to really dig deep into the benefits of justification. As he comes to verse 12, he has displayed the characteristics of justification with elegant speech and terms. Newell states, “In the first eleven verses we have the blessed results of justification by faith, along with the most comprehensive statement in the Bible of the pure love and grace of God, in giving Christ for us sinners.”[19] This is the beginning of what is considered to be the most important part of Paul letter to the Romans.
Analysis of Romans 5:12-17
Analysis of the text will take place in five different sections. The analysis is based upon the necessary effort to unpack the scripture to identify the direct message it is trying to establish. Though the scripture may be denuded from the others the points will always stay connected. Some sections may be brief due to the nature of the verse while others may require more intense comments.
The Passing or Carrying of the Sin Nature (Romans 5:12)
Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—[20]
Paul has just finished discussing that man has been reconciled back to God by no means of his own work. Now Paul makes a move into the impact that Adam’s sin played upon man. A. Andrew Das writes, “all people from Adam experience death because of sin.”[21] Adam becomes the conduit for sin which has entered in the life of man. He introduces the sin nature to the life of mankind. Paul addresses the imputed sin in much of the same fashion as he has previously addresses justification. Though he never called the names of the conspirators of the sin, in this verse we still are able to see the impact that this one deed had on mankind. Dr. Thomas Constable writes, “Adam’s sin had a more direct and powerful effect than that of a bad example (v. 15). It resulted in his descendants inheriting a sinful human nature that accounts in part for our sinfulness. “[22]
The King James Version (KJV) uses “as by one man” instead of “just as” to identify sin that came into the world. Hodges submits that this does violence to the text.[23] The As (ὥσπερ) is an indication of a comparison. Hodge suggest that the mistake is made when and so (οὕτως) is meant to imply so also (οὕτω καί).[24] The comparison is no longer placed upon Adam and Christ but Adam toward man. This places man in an inescapable predicament that he is unable to escape. The comparison would place man in the same death as Adam; As he sinned and died so they sinned and died.[25]
The KJV introduces sin as a characteristic of the “one man” of the scripture. The English Standard Version (ESV) and New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) choose to use the word through instead of entered. This denotes more of a conduit for sin rather than a carrier of sin, thus highlighting the complaint of Hodge. John MacArthur asserts, “Since his sin transformed his inner nature and brought spiritual death and depravity, that sinful nature would be passed on seminally to his posterity as well. (Ps. 5:15).”[26] Once again it places the emphasis on passing and not being the carrier. If isolated the sentence would spell disaster for the body of Christ and would be totally inconsistent with the text.
The objective is to pinpoint the conduit of sin so that its prevalence and power can be identified. Paul introduces the carrier of the sin nature as a formula of that which will soon follow for those who have been chosen of Christ. The difference looms in the fact there is a rescue that is possible outside of Adam. Though man is held responsible for a sin that he did not commit he is also redeemed from an act that he did not commit as well. Douglas Moo states, “Death, then, is due immediately to the sinning of each individual but ultimately to the sin of Adam; for it was Adam’s sin that corrupted human nature and made individual sinning an inevitability.”[27] So through this imputed sin man is convicted but not sentence. Man as is not punished in similar fashion as Adam but is allowed the opportunity to be redeemed from what was delivered to him by the conduit of sin, Adam.
Sin and the Law (Romans 5:13-14)
for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.
Instead of Paul continuing the conversation he introduced in verse twelve, he now switches the theme; to sin and the Law.[28] The comparison between the two sparks another debate based upon accountability. How can a person be held accountable for something where no law has been established? The answer lies in the embodiment of Adam. Because of the imputed sin that man obtained due to Adam’s error man was connected to the sin nature by Adam. Newell states, “Every little white coffin,—yea, every coffin, should remind us of the universal effect of that sin of Adam, for it was thus and thus only that ‘death passed to all men.”[29]
Yet the scripture is very clear that “death reigned from Adam to Moses.” Now the Law was given to Moses but death was still present. This almost contradicts what the bible asserts. The Apostle Paul could have easily alluded back to his previous statements in Romans 2:14-15. This would have addressed the statements with clarity of the natural law of men that is written on their hearts. Dr. Constable writes,
“Adam was a “type” or “pattern” (Gr. tupos) of one who would follow him, namely, Jesus Christ. Adam’s act had universal impact and prefigured Christ’s act, which also had universal impact. The point of similarity between Adam and Christ is that what each did affected many others. Each communicated what belonged to him to those he represented.”[30]
Because of Adam’s disobedience mankind is born in condemnation. The universality of sin condemns man from the womb[31] but does not cut him off from redemption. Hodges replies that God sees “all men, from the first moment of their existence, as out of fellowship with himself, as having forfeited his favour.”[32] Paul concludes verse fourteen by introducing a new paradigm to the equation that would have the same effect for man but through the arms of redemption.
The Contrast of Adam and Jesus (Romans 5:15)
But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.
With verse fifteen, Paul now begins to counteract the effects of Adam’s disobedience with acts of Christ. His comparison of the offense of Adam with the gift of Christ sets the tone for the rest of the chapter. The KJV use of so also (οὕτω καί) indicates that the two are directly related.[33] The conjunction displays direct correlation between the two actions from each party. The process for one will be duplicated for the other. So the same way that sin was imputed to all those in Adam, grace will be imputed to all those in Christ. The ESV chooses to report that there are no similarities between the gift and the trespass. Though in nature they are different but as far as the effect upon man they are similar. The similarities rest in the fact that they both will affect people who had nothing to do with either action.
The interesting point comes when Paul denotes that many died through one man’s sin and many will benefit from God’s grace. The English fails to deliver the proper meaning that is implied from these words. The many (πολλοὶ)[34] implied from Adam’s standpoint relates to everyone that is living on the face of the Earth. While many (πολλοὺς)[35] in relationship to Christ is given to all those who have experienced the saving grace of Christ. Paul also concludes that the effects of Jesus grace will supersede that of Adam. The end result produces a counteraction that will eradicate the effects of Adam’s sin.
The Continuation (Romans 5:16)
And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification.
Paul continues to explain the benefits of receiving the free gift of God. Unlike the results of sin, the free gift produced justification for the believer. You begin to see that as one act of sin brought condemnation to all, one act of righteousness brought justification to many. The contrast is based upon the deed of judgment that brings about condemnation from one trespass while the free gift provides an escape from many trespasses. The scale is tipped when one is brought under the redemptive power of Christ.
The Benefit of Justification (Romans 5:17)
For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.
Paul continues to display the benefits of being connected to Jesus Christ through grace. It is as if Paul is trying to really drive home the point that in comparison of the two, what Christ did trumps that of Adam. Though similar to verse fifteen it is important to notice the “reign in life” that the scripture proclaims. The NASB chooses to use the word dominion instead of reign which highlights a continual abiding in Christ.
Paul also highlights that the grace and the gift of righteousness is received by a particular group. While the trespass of Adam was inevitably given to all that entered into the world. MacArthur states, “unlike Adam’s act, Christ act has -and will- accomplish exactly what He intended.” [36]
Readers can rest in the fact that Christ, endured hardship for the sake of the believers. Paul lays out the contrast between the first and second Adam in such an antiphonal style that makes it hard not notice which is greater. Having experience with many of the episodes that he discussed, he becomes an eye witness of the story. The final result of the matter serves as more evidence that what God speaks to Satan in Genesis is extremely important to the life of the believer[37].
[1] W. H. Griffith Thomas. St Paul‘s Epistle to the Romans. (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.1946.) p.20
[2] William Tyndale .Prologue to the Book of Romans
[3] Quoted by F. F. Bruce, The Letter of Paul to the Romans, p. 9
[4]Douglas J. Moo. The Epistle to the Romans. New International Commentary on the New Testament series. (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1996.) p22
[5] Romans 3:21-5:21
[6] Genesis 15:5-6
[7] See Philippians 3 for scriptural references.
[8] Acts 22:3
[9] Charles Kingsley Barrett. A Commentary on the First Epistle to the Corinthians.
Harper’s New Testament Commentaries series.( New York: Harper & Row, 1968.) p212
[10] Acts 17:22
[11] Campbell G. Morgan. The Acts of the Apostles. (New York: Fleming H. Revell Co., 1924;
reprint ed., London: Pickering and Ingli., 1965.)p.327
[12] See 1 Cor. 9:22
[13] Eric Dolce. Jesus & Jigga: Where Hip Hop meets Scripture.(United States: Crown Oak Press,2007)p16
[14] The changing of his name to Paul instead of Saul in order to reach the Gentile nations.
[15] Robert H. Gundry. “The Moral Frustration of Paul Before His Conversion: Sexual Lust In Romans 7:7-25.” in Pauline s Studies: Essays Presented to Professors F.F. Bruce on his 70thBirhtday ( Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1980) p228-245
[16] John Piper. The Future of Justification. (Wheaton Illinois: Crossway, 2007) p95
[17] William R. Newell. Romans Verse by Verse. (Chicago: Moody Press, 1970.) p157-158
[18] John A. Witmer, “Romans.” In The Bible Knowledge Commentary: New Testament, p. 435-503.
Edited by John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck. (Wheaton, Ill.: Scripture Press Publications, Victor Books, 1983.) p455
[19] Newell, p162
[20] All quotations of Scripture have been taken from the ESV unless otherwise noted.
[21] A. Andrew Das. Solving the Roman Debate.(Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2007) p215
[22] Thomas Constable. Notes on Romans.(available from www.soniclight.com) p57
[23] Charles Hodge. Commentary on the Epistle of the Romans.(Grand Rapids:Eerdmans, 1947)p145
[24] Ibid.p145
[25] Ibid. p145
[26] John MacArthur. The MacArthur Bible Commentary. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers,2005) p1520
[27] Moo.p325
[28] The Interpreter’s Bible Commentary calls this a grammatical construction which is characteristic of Paul’s writing. p463
[29] Newell, p. 183.
[30] Constable, p58
[31] See Psalms 51:5
[32] Hodges, p156
[33] See note 24.
[34] Many is used in as an Adjective in the Nominative Plural Masculine form
[35] Many is used as an Adjective in Accusative Plural Masculine form.
[36] MacArthur p1521
[37] Genesis 3:15
revolutionary intent 