Romans 5

Notes on the verses

Chap. V. Ver. 1—21. The happy consequences of our justification.—The apostle having laid down “the most wholesome” doctrine of justification by faith, proceeds now to consider the practical effects arising from it; and, in the first place, the consolation derived therefrom by true believers. Assured of pardon and justification through our Lord Jesus Christ, the love and peace of God are shed abroad in their hearts by the Holy Spirit—they have access to communion with God there, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God to be revealed hereafter. Thus are they supported in tribulations of every kind; “tribulation worketh patience—patience (produces) experience of the divine goodness—and “experience (engenders) hope”

— a hope that will not disappoint the expectation, but infinitely exceed it; and of which the possessor will never have reason to be ashamed. The apostle now enters upon another topic: from the consideration of their having obtained pardon while in a state of sin and unbelief, he draws an argument to hope for farther blessings. He now shows the ground on which we receive “Nomos,” says Bishop Middleton, “is used by St. Paul, of every rule of life, of every revelation, especially of the Mosaic law. Our English version, by having almost constantly said the a2, whatever be the meaning of nomos in the original, has made this most difficult epistle still more obscure.” When without the article, it is commonly used for law in general, when with the article, of the Mosaic law.]—Bagster.

Ver. 16. The father of us all—That is, of believing Gentiles, as well as Jews. “This seems an incontestable proof. Ver. 17. Before.—Boothroyd, “In the sight of.” So Macknight.—Calleth ant of grace, and not merely of temporal blessings. Those things which be not—i.e. do not yet exist—as though they were.—To him who “seeth the end from the beginning,” (Isaiah 46:10,) all things, past or future, are alike present. Ver. 19. His own body.—See Genesis 17:11. Ver. 22. And therefore it—i.e. his faith. They who seek salvation by the works of Abraham’s faith, nor heirs with him. Ver. 25. Delivered.—See Acts 2:23, 24.

Chap. V. Ver. 2. By whom we have access.—Some critics suppose this alludes to the formal introduction of a heathen worshipper into the immediate presence of his idol: but why may it not rather allude to the introduction of a subject into the royal presence by the king’s son?—This grace wherein we stand—Namely, the grace of adoption: Christ introduces his adopted brethren into the Father’s presence. Ver.

6. Yet without strength.—“The original,” (Asthenon,) says Mr. Coz, “signifies weak through sickness: and here refers to the pernicious influence of sin, which affects, as it were, the whole man with an incurable malady.” See Isaiah 1:5—In due time—viz. the time predicted. Ver. 7. A righteous man—i.e. one remarkable for honour, equity, and strict justice—A good man.—A man of kindness and benevolence. Godwyn thinks that this and the preceding verse allude to a rabbinical distinction of the Jews into three classes—good, just, and ungodly. Ver. 10. Saved by his life—i.e. by his being raised from the dead. Compare chap. iv. 25. Ver. 11. Received the atonement.—Doddridge and Macknight, “the reconciliation.” The Greek noun is nearly related to the verb twice rendered reconciled in the preceding verse.

Reconciliation, however, certainly implies atonement. Ver. 12—19. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered, &c.—“The main design of this passage,” says Professor Stuart, “is indeed plain. It lies, one may say, upon the very face of it. It is this; viz. ‘to exalt our views respecting the blessings which Christ has procured for us, by a comparison of them with the evil consequences which ensued upon the fall of our first ancestor, and by showing that the blessings in question not only extend to the removal of these evils, but even far beyond this; so that the grace of the pel has not only abounded, but superabounded.’” “A fair synopsis of what is taught in ver. 12—19, comprises the following particulars; viz.

Sin entered the world [commenced] by the offence of Adam; and death, i.e. punishment or misery, came in as the necessary result of it. In like manner, death came upon all men, because that all became sinners, ver. 12. It is indeed true, that all men have been the subjects of sin and death; for that even those have been so, who have not lived under the light of revelation, or been made acquainted with any express commands of God, is proved from the fact, that all those who lived between Adam and Moses, were sinners, and lay under sentence of death, ver. 13, 14. The *Adam, who was the occasion of introducing sin into the world, and of bringing sin and death upon all men, may be considered as a Typos of Christ, in respect to the influence which he has had on others; (but not as to the kind of influence, or the degree of it, for here is a wide diversity;) ver.

14, last clause. That the kind and degree of influence which Adam had on all men, is not like that which Christ has on them; or that Adam, when regarded as a Typos of Christ, is not to be so regarded in these respects, is plain: 1. From the fact, that Adam occasioned the condemnation of all men; but Christ delivers mankind from condemnation, and bestows eternal happiness on them, ver.15. 2. The condemnation of which Adam was the occasion, has respect only to one offence; the pardon which Christ procured, extends to many offences, ver. 16. Hence, 3. If death reigned over men because of one offence; much more shall they reign in life, who through Christ receive pardon for many offences, and a title to future blessedness, ver.

17. “Having thus guarded his readers against extending the idea of Typos to points of which Typos cannot be predicated; and having shown that the influence of Christ on the human race is exactly the reverse of that of Adam, in respect to its kind or nature; and also that it far surpasses it in degree; the apostle now returns to the consideration of the real point of resemblance or Typos between Adam and Christ, viz. the universality or extent of influence. This he states as follows: “As the consequences of Adam’s sin were extended to all men, so the consequences of Christ’s obedience (viz. unto death) are extended to all; i.e. Jews and Gentiles all come on an equal footing into the kingdom of Christ, or the blessings which the gospel proffers are made equally accessible to all men without exception; and to all on the same terms or conditions, ver.

18, 19. Compare, as an illustration of this last idea, (Romans 3:23-30).” Ver. 14.2 Figure of him.—[Or, ‘type, pattern or resemblance, of him who was to come,” i.e. the Messiah; in this, says Beza, that each of them shares what he has with his; but they are clearly unlike in this, that Adam by nature communicates sin unto death to his posterity but Christ by grace communicates his righteousness unto his people, unto life.]—Bagster. Ver. 18. By the offence of one.—“The whole context,” says Dr. Hawes, “clearly shows that the Apostle is reasoning against a common error of his day, viz. that the benefits of Christ’s mediation were to be restricted to the Jews, and not extended at all to the Gentiles.

To disprove this, he runs a sort of parallel between Adam and Christ; and argues, that, as in consequence of the first transgression all have fallen into a state of sin and condemnation so the provisions of mercy, through Christ, extend to all—to all classes of men, whether Gentiles or Jews.” Ver. 21. As sin hath reigned, &c.—“Sin and grace are here most happily as under the class of two mighty monarchs exercising their power over their respective subjects.” —Coz.