Romans Chapter 5.

Romans Chapter Five.

An Outline.      

Abraham's Faith :

*   The blessing of his faith.  Righteousness.                  5:1-11.

*   The Inheritance of  his faith.   Sonship.                       5:11-16.

*   The Character of his faith.   Power.                5:17-25.

      (He believed in God who raised the dead).   

Chapters 5 - 8.  Life in Christ.

           

Paul has discussed man's need as under sin, and he has expounded the way of righteousness through faith and he now begins the third part of the discussion, the new life of the justified in Christ.  The close relationship of justification and life, has already been suggested in the closing verses of chapter 4, where Paul has shown that we are believers in God who has raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead.  That justification issues in life, is the vital topic.  Justification by faith brings us into life which has the pledge of complete and final salvation.  This theme is developed in the following chapters, down to the end of chapter 8.  Thus, righteousness by faith is the qualification and guarantee of full and final salvation.

           

5:1-11.  The blessedness and security of the justified.  Acquitted through faith is the beginning of a rich experience of fellowship with God.

*   5:1-5.      The happiness of the justified, for they are sure of God's love.

*   5:6-11.    The love of God assures us that Christ shall continue to save us.

           

5:1.       "Therefore." (noun).   Note some of the important 'therefores' of the Epistle, 3:27;  5:1;  6:4;  12:1.  We are now justified.  The aorist participle passive is translated by the N.E.B. "now that we have been justified."  "Let us have peace with God."  R.V.  See also N.E.B.  The majority of the best manuscripts read 'echomen', "let us have."  However, some manuscripts read  'echomen', as, "we have."  The difference in the Greek consists in the long or short O.  Many think the context favours the indicative, "we have."  So also A.S.V.,  R.S.V., and  J.N.D.  This is more probable, but if we feel that "let us have" must be received, then, we must follow the interpretation Moulton gives in his grammar (Prologemena) - "let us enjoy the possession of peace."  See also N.E.B.

           

But the context strongly favours the reading, "we have."  Peace is the opposite of wrath.  Apart from the blessing of justification, there could only be wrath and condemnation.  Peace is only possible on the basis of righteousness; it is the consequence and fruit of justification through faith.  We are at peace with God, - this is the peace of reconciliation. (Col.1:20-22;  Eph.2:13-18).  The peace made through the Cross, is the basis of reconciliation.  Christ made peace, the believer receives it.  All Christians have the peace of reconciliation - that is, peace with God, but the Christian may also experience the peace of God,  (Phil.4:7), and realise the abiding presence of the God of peace.  (Phil.4:9).

           

5:2. Paul underlines the mediatorial function of the Lord Jesus Christ.  It is through Him, we have both peace and access into the whole of God's grace.  Christ has introduced and led us into a haven of grace.  The word 'access' is 'prosagoge', and occurs also in Eph.2:13 and 3:12.  The word was sometimes used to designate a landing-stage.  The Christian now stands in the sphere of God's grace.  This is not to be confined to the grace that justified, but includes all that justification by faith brings to us.  The word grace ('charis') points to what God has so freely given us, and stands in contrast to human merit.  Our new standing in grace has a future dimension for we already boast or exult in hope of the glory of God.  So grace and glory are linked together.  Grace shall have its consummation in glory.  As sinners we fell short of the glory of God (3:23) but now, as those justified by faith, we triumphantly rejoice in hope of the glory of God.  Justification is the beginning of the Christian life, but it holds the pledge of final salvation in glory.  The Christian hope is distinctly identified with the manifestation of the glory of God.

           

5:3-4.    Gladness in tribulation.  The word 'rejoice' R.V., is  'kauchaomai',  "boast, glory (exult), proudly."   To rejoice in hope, is to be assured God has a plan for our lives, and trials are part of His plan.  The tribulations that belong to this life do not spoil the spiritual gladness and exultation of the justified who stand in the sphere of God's grace.  Rather they turn their afflictions to good account and to their spiritual gain. They know that tribulation trains us to endure and endurance brings proof that we have stood the test - and this proof is a ground of hope, see N.E.B.

           

The patience that Paul speaks of here is endurance under trial.  The word is 'huponen' (abiding under), "patient endurance,"  'masculine constancy in holding out under trials'.  S+H.  The believer exults in hope of the glory of God and this enables him to exult in the physical hardships that accompanies the service of Christ.  The greater measure in which the believer exults in hope of the glory of God to be revealed to us, the less worthy shall he count the sufferings of this present time to be compared with that glory.

           

5:4.       "Experience."  A.V.  "Probation."  R.V.  "Character."  R.S.V.  "Proof that we have stood the test," N.E.B.  The word is 'dokime'.  Bn., has "tested virtue," and as S+H say, "the character which results from the process of trial, the temper of the veteran as opposed to that of the raw recruit."  It is the character that has stood the test and can confidently be put to any test again.  It is the thoroughly tested character.  'Dokime' means, "the quality of being approved."

           

5:5.       "Hope putteth not to shame."   See Isaiah 26:16, LXX.   This hope is no broken reed.  It will not fall short of realisation nor disappoint.  The source of confidence, though circumstances seem adverse, is the assurance we have in our hearts that God loves us.  The tribulations which Christians encounter are not inconsistent with God's love to us.  They do not deny God's love to us, but are a necessary part of it.  The love of God cannot be content with less than complete moral conformity in the Christian to God himself.  The love of God must form the Christian character.  Discipline is essential to this end.  Therefore the Christian accepts tribulation as part of the will of God for his life.  Such things are for the moment and, when received as the will of God for us, they do not depress, but strengthen us.  The Christian exults in tribulation, confident that tribulation develops endurance and endurance brings approvedness of character, and approvedness inspires hope, and our hope will not disappoint, for it is founded in the love of God.  The love of God is His love to us, as the following verses prove.  It is His love to us that guarantees to our hearts the realisation of our hope.  This love, His love, has been shed abroad in our hearts.

           

'Ekchuno'  means "poured out, shed."  It is an abundant outpouring or supply.  The perfect tense suggests that the outpouring is constant, continuous, abiding.  The love of God comes like a mighty torrent that sweeps away all doubt about the realisation of our hope.  It continually pervades, penetrates the believing personality. It guarantees the fulfilment of our hope, inspires in our hearts with expectation and love for God.  The first mention of the Holy Spirit in the epistle, except probably 1:4.  The form 'Holy Spirit' draws attention to His personal agency.  God has given Him to us as proof that we belong to God.

           

5:6-8.    The proof of God's love to us.

           

5:6.       The testimony of the Holy Spirit is not a thing apart from the testimony of the Word.  The activity of the Spirit has to do with the testimony concerning Christ.  The Holy Spirit works by bringing home to our hearts the truth of the Gospel, for the Cross is proof of the love of God to sinners.  We should never had known God's love had it not been manifested at Calvary.  The Spirit of God, who is himself the 'firstfruits' of the glory, pervades our hearts with the love of God, by unfolding to us the death of Christ for sinners.

           

"Yet weak,"  'asthenes', "not strong."  The sinner has no strength.  The Law was ineffectual through man's weakness (8:3) and became the strength of sin, (1.Cor.15:56).  The Gospel comes to man in his weakness, as the power of God to save (1:16), and reveals the Saviour with power (1:4).

           

"In due season" It signifies the proper, right, or fitting time in the world's history.  It suggests the over-ruling hand of God.  He had all along been preparing the way for the fulfilment of  His purpose and promise, and at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly.  Two things are clearly suggested:-

*   The death of Christ was central to the Divine purpose.  It proved God's love, revealing a  loving purpose which fully expressed itself at the fitting time.

*   The voluntary character of Christ's death.  He was one with the Father in the accomplishment of God's purpose of love.

           

5:7.       "For scarcely"  'molis', "with difficulty, hardly."  It is difficult to imagine.  This verse explains why Christ's death for the ungodly is proof of extraordinary love.  It would be difficult to find any one ready to die for a man eminent for his righteousness.  The righteous man whom Paul has in mind, is almost certainly not a Pharisaical type of man, full of legal scrupulousness.  Paul is thinking of a kind of man who has admirable qualities.  He is a fair and upright man, zealous in almsgiving and honourable in all his dealings.  A man to be admired and respected, yet it is difficult to imagine that anyone would die for him.

           

"Peradventure,"  'tacha', "perhaps."   "Perhaps, for a good man, a man noted for his benevolence, someone might die."  It is imaginable that someone die for his benefactor; a servant might die for a master who had been extremely kind to him.  But the love of God is distinguished in that while we were morally impotent - dead and worthless fellows - irreligious He, Christ, died for us.

           

5:8.       "Commendeth,"  'sunistemi', "recommend, commend, introduce."  Human love must be prompted by some excellence in its object, but the love of God to sinners is His own love - for there is no excellence in the sinner to provide a motive for the manifestation of His love.  The second thing to notice in verse 8 is the unity between the Father and the Son.

           

Christ did not die to make God love us, but because God loved us.  Christ fully shared in the love of God for men.  The love of God is fundamentally one with the love of Christ.  God's love is revealed in the work of Christ on the Cross.  God's love is Calvary-love, for God's love and Christ's death are one.  The word translated 'sinner', frequently had the idea of 'big sinners'.   It was to translate an Aramaic word that very respectable people used to describe far less respectable people.  People despised as sinners.

           

5:9.       The phrase "much more," occurs 5 times in the A.V. in this chapter.  It is often called the "chapter of the 5 'much more's.'   In verse 9, Paul returns to the main theme of verses 1-11, "the certainty of the final salvation of the justified.”  In verses 6-8, he turned aside for a moment to consider Christ's death as the proof of God's love.  But although verses 6-8 is in some measure a diversion they are necessary to show the true source of the believer's confidence of complete salvation.  So they really belong to the main theme.  If His love has been shown in such a manner, shall He not fulfil our hope?  Justification is a present blessing - "being now justified!   Note the 'now' of the R.V.

           

"By His blood"  means “His sacrificial death.” N.E.B.  It indicates the cost.  If God has already justified us at such great cost is it not much more certain that we shall be saved from wrath.  Paul reasons from the more costly - what cost Christ so much to do - to that which will not be so difficult for Christ to do.  If the death of the Cross did not deter Christ, then we can be sure that He shall finally save and will not let us fall under wrath.  Our present justification is the sure guarantee of salvation from wrath.  The process of salvation which He began at great cost to Himself, He will complete.  The wrath from which He will save us may be identical with the wrath mentioned in the Thessalonian epistles.  Christ shall save His people from such wrath, by His coming (Parousia).  However, in Romans, the sense may be more general, Christ shall save us from wrath, wherever manifested.

           

5:10.     This verse repeats the main idea of verse 9, but takes reconciliation, rather than justification as the starting point.

           

"Enemies,"  'echthroi', means not only those hostile to God, but also whom God must look upon as enemies.  He rightly gives them this category of enemies and as those who are subject to His wrath and upon whom His wrath will fall if they refuse to be reconciled.  See Leon Morris.  The thought moves along this line – if, when we were enemies and undeserving of His love He made us His friends and that, by a manifestation of love that involved Him great suffering - now that we are His friends, reconciled and made favourable in His sight, we can be confident and sure that we shall be saved by His life, by our union with Him in His resurrection life.  As Jesus himself said, "Because I live, ye shall live also." (Jn.14:19).  The Risen Life of Christ will effect the final salvation of His friends. 

Reconciliation is an important way of considering the Christian Salvation.  Greek words used are:  'Katallage' - reconciliation; 'Katallasso' - reconcile; 'Apokatallasso' - reconcile.  The root idea is change, exchange. B.  Important passages are: 2.Cor.5:18-21; Rom.5:8-11; Col.1:19-22; Eph.2:11-19.

The main points are:-

*   God is the Reconciler.  It has its origin in God's love for sinners, as the context of Romans 5 proves.

*   Christ is the Agent.  He performs the work of reconciliation.  "God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself."

*   The Cross is the means of reconciliation.  "He made peace by the blood of His Cross."

*   The work of reconciliation is a fully accomplished task.  It is an act that was completed on the Cross. 

     In Rom.5:10 we learn that this reconciliation was accomplished "while we were enemies."

*   In the reconciliation effected at the Cross, God judged sin in that His Son "was made sin for us." 

           

The act of reconciliation had a Godward aspect.  We might avoid using such a statement as, "God having been reconciled,"  for no such statement is found in Scripture. However, at the Cross, God did all that was needed to be done to make it right for Him to receive us back into favour.  God lays aside His wrath, for He fully judged sin at the Cross.  The sinner’s only standing before God was that of an enemy, not only hostile in his mind, but one whom God must regard as having the relationship of an enemy. Now God extends to him an accomplished reconciliation.  The truth of reconciliation, therefore, includes the truth of propitiation. In fact, reconciliation is identical with propitiation, but it is larger, and emphasizes more fully the manward aspect.  In 2.Cor.5:21 reconciliation embraces propitiation and justification. 

*  Reconciliation is God's gift to men.  It is that which men must receive.  (Rom.5:11. R.V.), "now received."   This implies that reconciliation is an accomplished fact, and as such, it is received.

*   Men are the objects of reconciliation.  This is seen in two ways:-

a.  Objectively.  Man stands in relation to God as an enemy, and God must treat him as such, for as a sinner, man is subject to God's judgment.  However, God, while He does not condone man's sin, would show His love to His enemies and at the Cross has dealt with the cause of enmity.  He has by the Cross slain the enmity. (Eph.2:16).  He no longer reckons their trespasses unto them and the sinner who receives the reconciliation becomes the righteousness of  God in Christ and has peace with God.

           

b.   Subjectively.    The enmity in the mind of the sinner is banished when he receives the reconciliation. (Col.1:12-22).  We were at one time, enemies in our minds.  The sinner can do nothing to effect reconciliation, except to receive it.  The whole work of reconciliation was wrought by God in Christ.  The sinner is not the inaugurator, but only the receiver. Therefore, we think of God as the reconciler and man as being reconciled.  But it is true that, before God could receive man in the peace of reconciliation, His wrath upon sin must be averted.  (See the important book by Leon Morris - "The Apostolic Preaching of the Cross.").

*   Reconciled in one body.   God reconciles men to Himself and, in doing this, reconciles them one to another making them one in the Church.  This is God's remedy for racial and social problems.

*   Cosmic Reconciliation. (Col.1:19-22).  This aspect develops the far flung significance of the work of the Cross.

*   God has given to us the Ministry of Reconciliation.  We are His ambassadors, ready to carry the word of God's love to men - "as though God were entreating by us."

           

5:11.     This verse ends with a note of triumph in this section of the epistle.  All boasting because of human achievement is excluded, for the story of a man before God is one of a human failure.  But the justified and reconciled have, through the Lord Jesus Christ, the assurance of present and ultimate triumph.  They exult in God - this is the perfection of religious experience.

           

God's Love.

*   The timefulness of its manifestation - in due time.

*   The proof of its reality - Christ died.

*   The uniqueness of its character - not occasioned by the worthiness of its objects.

*   The purpose of its activity - 'to save'.

Justified :-

*   By grace  - its freeness.

*   By blood - its costliness.

*   By faith   - its accessibleness.

           

5:12-21.     Adam and Christ.

           

Sin Personified.   It is important for the understanding of this passage, and of chapters 6-8, to observe that Paul writes of sin as a tyrant.  He personifies sin and rightly does so, for behind man's disobedience is the personal power of evil, Satan.  Preachers often speak of sin as the root, and sins as the fruit, but this is not Paul's illustration, for Paul personifies sin as a monstrous tyrant that has enslaved men.  B.E.N.Joad in his book, 'God and Evil', relates that it is the obtrusiveness of evil that aroused him to take a new interest in religion.  The obtrusiveness of evil is its nature to show a disposition to thrust itself forward or upon another.  The rise of Nazism and other evil systems with their savagery, aggrandisement and lust for power, compelled Joad to recognize that evil is endemic in the heart of men. 

           

It is generally agreed that these verses occupy a key position in the epistle, and Karl Barth sees in them the key to Paul's theological thinking.  Nygren heads these verses, "Free from the wrath of God” and suggests that here Paul brings together all he has said in the previous chapters, both about the wrath of God and the righteousness of God.  Nygren also insists that verses 12-21 gather up all Paul is about to say in the following chapters. 

It is certainly true that the way is prepared for the following chapters.  In that Paul demonstrates that justification issues in life.  The concept of life comes into prominence, as well as in chapters 6-8.  There has already been a development of this idea.  It is anticipated near the end of chapter 4, where the faith that justifies, is in God who makes alive the dead.

           

Faith in God is inseparable from His activity in resurrection.  The promise must be fulfilled on this plane and we enter into the good of the promise by believing on Him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead.  Thus the truth of justification is based on the resurrection of Christ and, because this is so, it becomes the power for life.  It is the man who is righteous through faith that lives.  The believer shall be finally saved through His (Christ's) life (5:10). This means His resurrection-life.  We note the references to life in this section of the epistle.

             5:17.  "shall reign in life."                      5:18. "justification of life."

             5:21.  "eternal life."                               6:4.   "newness of life."

            6:10.  "he liveth, liveth unto God.            6:11. "alive unto God."

            6:13.  "alive from the dead."                   6:22. "the end, everlasting life."

            6:23.  "the gift of God is eternal life.       8:2.   "spirit of life."

            8:6.    "life and peace."                          8:10. "spirit is life." (7:6).

            8:11.  " quicken" (make alive).                 8:13. "shall live."

           

5:12-21.    This section also serves to show the greatness of the work of Christ, emphasizing both the universal range of its effects. He illustrates from the case of Adam that the act of one man may effect many, so also Christ's act of righteousness brings justification and life to many.

           

5:12.     Sin entered the world or the sphere of human life.  Sin made its entrance through the disobedience of one man, Adam.  But the entrance of sin has affected the whole of mankind, since all are descended from Adam.  It is important to see that sin is personified as an active force, an invading power, a tyrant that took the opportunity to enter the realm of human life, through the door of Adam's disobedience.  Death followed sin.  It was the entrance of sin that enabled death to enter, for sin opened the door that death might enter the castle of mankind.  Furthermore, death passed unto all men.  It extended its power over the whole race.  When Adam sinned, he came under the penalty of death.  His sin brought him into a situation in which he, and inevitably his descendants came under the power of death.  Sin was the forerunner, introducing death, and death as a tyrant, established its rule over all men, for all sinned.

           

"For that."  R.V;   "Because," R.S.V;  "Inasmuch as." N.E.B.   The universality of death is explained by the universality of sin.

           

"All have sinned."

Does this apply to the sinful act of Adam, or does it mean that death has passed upon all because all have committed the act of sin?  Some commentators think that had Paul meant the disobedience of Adam, he could have made it clear by adding "in Adam."  It is not very clear whether all sinned in Adam's sin, or because they have individually sinned.  A comparison with the Greek of chapter 3:23, favours the application to the sinful act of all men; however, chapter 5:17-19, suggests the meaning that all men sinned in Adam's sin. 

There are two categories of thought that must not be pressed here if we are to rightly understand Paul:-

*   That men inherit from Adam a sinful nature prone to sin.  It is true that men do inherit a nature prone to sin and we may be justified in using this category in bringing the message of the Gospel to men.  However, it remains doubtful that Paul is here writing of inherited sinful tendencies.

*   That imputation of sin and guilt is here to be understood.  Paul does not use the word 'logizomai' in respect to Adam's sin.  It is questionable then that "imputation of sin" helps us to understand Paul's teaching.  Paul does not tell us how Adam's sin became our sin and he does not state that God imputed Adam's sin to all men.  Two important clues to Paul's thought are:-

1.   The concept of solidarity that Adam shares with all his descendants. 

2.   The concept of "world powers" that dominate the sphere of human life; these powers were sin, death and condemnation.

           

In more detail, we note :-

*   Solidarity.   Paul taught that mankind is a corporate unit and that there is a corporate personality that includes the human race.  All men were in Adam (1.Cor.15:22).  They organically shared in his constitution and life. When Adam's sin brought a change in his constitution and relationship to God, then it involved all his descendents.  Barclay points out that the concept of solidarity would be familiar to Paul.  See for instance, the story of Achan in Joshua 7.  Barclay notes that the solidarity with one's ancestors was also recognized, as when the writer to the Hebrews insists, that Levi paid tithes to Melchizedek while still in the lions of Abraham.

           

For the Jew, the solidarity of race, tribe and family was real.  It was understood not only in terms of the present, but also in relation to his ancestors and to his descendants.  The generations are bound together in good and evil.  Each individual suffers the consequences of other men's sins and each generation has to pay a debt it did not incur. 

Each generation is responsible for the debt it hands on to those who come after. (Barclay).

The world-powers of the Adamic Age.   Sin, death and condemnation are world-powers that dominate the sphere of human life.  These powers entered the world through Adam's sin and, because of the solidarity of all his descendants with himself, they also come under the reign of such powers.  In this sense, all men have been enslaved by Adam's sin and through his sin are under the power of sin, death and condemnation.  These are the rulers of the human race and the fact that all have sinned is proof that they are under the power of sin and death.  Paul's thought is not easy to follow, but we suggest the above interpretation. At least it moves in the right direction for the understanding of his thought.

           

"Death."  Does death here mean physical death or does it include spiritual death?  There has been a diversity of opinion on this matter.  Some think verse 14 points to physical death and this is suggested from the background of Genesis 2:17 and 3:19.  However, the contrast between death and life favours spiritual death.  Paul writes of spiritual life and eternal life, so it is reasonable to conclude that by death he means spiritual death as well as physical death.  Obviously, physical death is very much in view, for Paul writes of something apparent to all, the inevitable, visible tragedy that dominates human existence.  But physical death is the manifestation of a death that holds a deeper tragedy, for the wages of sin is death (6:23), and the sting of death is sin. (1.Cor.15:55-56).

           

5:13-17.     It is generally agreed that these verses form a parenthesis.  K., notes a first (v.13-14) and a second (v.15-17) parenthesis.

           

5:13-14.     These verses indicate that all men die because Adam sinned.  It is essential to Paul's argument that all men died because of Adam's sin.  Between Adam and Moses sin was in the world and by this we must understand that men practiced sin.  Did they then not die for their own sin?  Paul means that death reigned from Adam to Moses over all men though they had not sinned in the likeness of Adam's transgression.  Paul's argument is difficult to follow, but clearly he means they died because of Adam's disobedience.  Was Adam's sin imputed to them?  If Paul means this he has not made it clear.  However it is clear that Adam opened the door for the tyrants sin and death and that all men came under their power - even though they had not sinned in the likeness of Adam's transgression.

           

Adam's sin was disobedience to a positive command.  He transgressed a positive command - for which the punishment was death.  Not again until the giving of the Law do we get the same situation as Adam. Under the law sin is imputed ('ellogeo', put down to one's account, Phil.v.18).  The reign of sin from Adam to Moses was established through Adam's disobedience.  However it seems unlikely that he thinks of them as not being accountable to God and thus liable to His judgment.  He is not contradicting the teaching of chapter 1:18-32, nor of chapter 2:12.  The people of that period were accountable to God and Paul distinctly says of that era, "sin was in the world."  This recognition that "sin was in the world," may indicate that we are to take the words, "inasmuch as all men have sinned" to include their own sinful ways.  Denney suggests that through Adam's sin, sin and death became indissolubly united. Wherever men sinned, they died, and this was the case even when there was no law to impute sin.  This means that men die for their own sins, but Adam's sin is significant for all men in that, through his disobedience, sin and death became united, and death became the wages of sin.

           

5:14.     An important clue is that sin and death are seen as rulers or world powers.  This is a better clue than imputation.  The reign of sin did not begin with Moses, it began with Adam.  Death reigned over all men because of their solidarity with Adam in sin.  Adam stands for the race united in sin and death.  This sinful relationship was constituted in the disobedience of Adam.

           

5:15-17.     Adam is a type ('tupos') of Christ, but we are given contrasts rather than similarities.  However, in that he stood in such a relation to the race, his act had consequences for all; he is in this, a type of Christ whose act of obedience has consequences for so many.

5:15.     The first contrast.   There is an analogy in that one man is agent in each situation - Adam and Christ.  However, there is a strong contrast between the results for men.  Grace transcends the evil results of Adam's transgression.  Verses 17-17 emphasize the abounding freeness of the benefit that Christ provides.  Bt. notes that grace over balances the act of sin.  Note the grouping of the Greek words indicating the lavishness and freeness of grace, thus, 'charisma' - "gift of grace";   'charis' - "grace";  'dorea en chariti' - "gift in grace";  'dorema' - "gift'; 'perisseuo' - "abound";  'perisseia' - "abundance".

           

5:16.     The second contrast.  (Or rather the first contrast extended).   God's judgment upon Adam's sin brought condemnation.  For "judgment" ('krima') N.E.B. has "judicial action."  Bt., takes 'krima' as the process of judgment which led to condemnation ('katakrima').  See N.E.B.  God's gift is set in contrast not just to Adam's trespass, but it comes to men who have committed many trespasses and grants them acquittal.  The N.E.B. has "act of grace" ('charisma').  The N.E.B. has "verdict of acquittal" for justification, ('dikaioma').  The consequences of Adam's sin was great, but the evil consequences that came through him cannot be compared to the vast excess of grace that has come by Jesus Christ and completely remedies the evil.

           

5:17.     The third contrast.    From the one to many.  The one trespass of Adam established the reign of sin and death, but on an infinitely greater scale all who receive the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness through Jesus Christ shall reign.  It is not merely that life reigns in contrast to death, but those who were the slaves of sin and death, now themselves, reign in life.  The gift of grace which through Christ's work of righteousness has incomparably greater dimensions of blessing for men.  Note the word 'receive'.

           

Adam stands in a special relationship to all men.  Does Christ stand in a certain relationship to all men, or only to such as receive His gift?  The passage requires us to hold that Christ is potentially the Head of every man, but men must deliberately receive His gift.  The gift is for all, but it must be received and those who receive His gift, receive it from a new solidarity, a new humanity.

           

5:18.     "One act of righteousness"  R.V;  "One just act," N.E.B;  "Act of righteousness," is 'dikaioma', which means, "justification" in  5:16.  Leon Morris favours that meaning here.  However, the contrast to Adam's one trespass, favours the R.V.  Leenhardt has, "by one man's act of righteousness."  It is to be understood of Christ's death.  (Phil.2:8).

           

"Justification of life."  i.e. "justification issues in life."   Paul uses 'dilaiosis' as in 5:16, for in this verse he has already used 'dikaioma' with a different meaning.  Bt., suggests that in 5:16, Paul uses 'dikaioma', for 'euphony' with 'katakrima'.

           

5:19.     "The obedience of the one," R.V, "in the one act of righteousness" accomplished in the Cross.  As Adam's disobedience constitutes all men sinners, so the obedience of Christ unto death constitutes all righteousness.  The one act of righteousness is the obedience Christ rendered to God, even to the death of the Cross.  The verb 'made', represents  'kathistemi' - "to appoint, constitute, install, instate (Kx.).  Adam's disobedience ('parakoe'), gave to all the rank or category of sinners, but the obedience of Christ, constitutes all righteous.  It is to be argued from this that every human individual is constituted righteous, for Paul is making a contrast between what has been effected by Christ and the consequences of Adam's sin.  He is not here especially concerned with man's need to believe the Gospel.  The future tense may suggest the progress of missionary work and man's reception of the Gospel.

           

5:20.     "Law came in, to increase the trespass."  R.S.V.   The Law did not establish the reign of grace, but aggravated the sinfulness of men by reckoning sin as trespass.  Law multiplied sin by imputing this new character to it.

           

"Sin is counted by Law."  Bt., translates, "The Law took its subordinate place."  That is, its position was inferior; it came into the world's stage to play a subordinate part and did not have such far reaching consequences as the sin of Adam, nor the righteous act of Christ.   It made men's state worse and its coming constituted a new power from which men must be delivered.  Along with sin, death and condemnation, the Law was a power to enslave men.  The Law intruded to multiply law-breaking.   However, in this, God worked out His purpose, for in giving sin the character of trespass it reveals to men their sinfulness.

           

The Law created trespass by imputing sin and therefore caused sin to abound.  It made sin abound or multiply by making the sinner aware of his sinful state and also of his wretchedness.  In this way it becomes a power to oppress men and to provoke further disobedience.  It failed to curb sin and increased the tyranny of sin by showing to the sinner his bondage to sin.  However, in this, it prepared the way for grace, for men must learn their own sinfulness before grace abounds to save them.

           

Where sin abounded and men were aware of their sin - there grace exceedingly abounded.  The sin that reigned to death has been surpassed by grace, which reigns not at the expense of righteousness, but in virtue of it. (Sir Robert Anderson).  "Queen Grace" (Bn), holds in her hands the only remedy for sin; that is, righteousness, and righteousness is the one true way to life.  To men she gives the gift of righteousness, God's gift and remedy for our sin.  The new forces - that operate through Jesus Christ for the salvation of men - are grace, righteousness, and eternal life.

           

Literature :-

Shedd :                        Man in Community.

Best :               The One Body of Christ.

Quell + Schrenk :  Righteousness.