Romans 5

David Lipscomb Commentary On Roman 5 Romans 5:1 Being therefore justified by faith,—One is justified when he is freed from sin so as to stand acquitted before God. To be justified by faith is to be purified by doing the things con­tained in the law of which faith is the leading principle and to which we are led by faith. No one could be justified by the deeds of the law of Moses. No one could keep that law without sin, so could not be justified by the law. Having once sinned, obedience to the law could not blot out that sin. Christ came to provide forgiveness of sin.

Paul declares that the gospel he preached “ is manifested, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, is made known unto all the nations unto obedience of faith.” (Romans 16:26). The end of preaching the gospel is to bring all men to the obedience to which faith leads.

Faith that does not lead to obedience utterly fails in the purpose for which Christ died and the gospel was proclaimed. The end is to bring man into obedience to God. Man is justified by faith when he is led by faith to trust and obey God as his Lord and Master. No one who believes the Bible doubts that a man is justified by faith. The question at issue is, whether he is justified by faith before it leads to obedience or whether by a faith that manifests itself in obedience. Paul tells us exactly how faith does make children of God: “ For ye are all sons of God, through faith, in Christ Jesus.

For as many of you as were baptized into Christ did put on Christ.” (Galatians 3:26-27). Faith, then, saves one by leading him to accept salvation from sin in God’ s appointed institutions, leading him to the obedience of faith; he becomes the child of God by being led by faith to be baptized into Christ, so putting on Christ, and in Christ he is saved.

To be saved “ through faith in Christ Jesus,” and to be “ baptized unto the remission of sins,” and to be “ baptized into Christ,” and to “ put on Christ” mean exactly the same thing.we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ;—God is in Christ reconciling the world unto himself. So as God is in Christ, when we enter into union with Christ we have peace with God. [A state of sin is, on our part, a state of enmity toward God, the enmity existing in us, not in him. Consequently its direction is from us toward him, not from him toward us. But sin being canceled, the enmity ceases and peace ensues. The peace, like the enmity, is toward God; it is peace on our part with him. This peace we have or enjoy through Christ, because through him we obtain justification which induces it.

But it is not peace in the sense of exemption from troubles of the world; it is peace of conscience, peace of soul.]Romans 5:2through whom also we have had our access by faith into this grace wherein we stand;—Through Christ and by the provisions he has made for our entrance into him we have access into this favor of God in which all true Christians stand. We enter into this state of peace with God through faith in Christ.and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.—Standing in this state of favor with God into which we have entered by faith and having peace with him, we enjoy present blessings as sons of God and hope for greater blessings in the future.

In this hope we rejoice. Peter gives this assurance: “ Where­by he hath granted unto us his precious and exceeding great promises; that through these ye may become partakers of the divine nature.” (2 Peter 1:4). When we partake of his divine nature, we will conform to his life and share his glories and honors.Romans 5:3 And not only so, but we also rejoice in our tribulations:—Christ rejoiced that he could suffer to redeem man. He looked beyond the suffering to the redemption for man, and in that rejoiced. True faith in Christ imparts the same spirit to man. As we partake of this spirit, we rejoice that we can endure affliction, suffering, persecution, and self-denial to honor God and help man.

When the apostles had been imprisoned and then beaten, they “ departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the Name.” (Acts 5:18; Acts 5:40-41). In Philippi, Paul and Silas were beaten unmercifully, thrust into prison, their feet fastened in stocks; but at midnight, notwithstanding their bodily tor­tures, they prayed and sang praises to God. (Acts 16:25).

This was the triumph of the spirit over the flesh. The prom­ise is made to the Christians: “ For if we died with him, we shall also live with him: if we endure, we shall also reign with him.” (2 Timothy 2:11-12). Christ bestows a partnership in his sufferings as the guarantee of partnership in his joys and honors. Therefore, we can rejoice in suffering with and for him. The tribulations we endure exercise and develop stead­fastness within us.knowing that tribulation worketh stedfastness;—[Stead­fastness is that iron trait of character which enables us to bear with patience all the ills of life. Afflictions, if rightly used, and this is here assumed, have the effect to form this trait.

They fortify the temper and will against the day of need, and so secure us against a diminution of peace and joy. When we remember how constantly these afflictions recur, the necessity for steadfastness becomes apparent.

No char­acter can truly be formed without the opportunity of endur­ance; we must learn to withstand. It is by suffering that we learn how to suffer.]Romans 5:4and stedfastness, approvedness;—[“ Approvedness,” as applied to the Christian life, denotes that it has been put to the test by affliction, has successfully endured the ordeal, and now stands purified and approved of God.] Or, as James says: “ Knowing that the proving of your faith worketh patience.” (James 1:3). And patience in its perfect work will complete the character and fit it for association with God.and approvedness, hope:—Approvedness causes us to trust God, and to trust his promises causes us to hope for the bless­ings embraced in the promises. Hope of future good gives strength to bear present ills.Romans 5:5and hope putteth not to shame;—Buoyed by bright hopes of future good enables us to bear with fortitude present suf­ferings. Hope reaches forward, pierces the vale of the future, takes hold of the blessings reserved in heaven, and serves as an anchor to hold the soul firm and steadfast in union with God. This hope enables us to bear shame, to despise suffer­ings, and to be bold for God and his truth.because the love of God hath been shed abroad in our hearts through the Holy Spirit which was given unto us.—God gave the Holy Spirit to the apostles in the beginning to impart to them his mind.

Paul says: “ But we received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is from God; that we might know the things that were freely given to us of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:12). The same principle pertains to the Holy Spirit as received by all God’ s children.

In imparting to us the knowledge of God, he also imparts the same mind, the same feelings and disposition that God possesses and cherishes. It does not say that the Holy Spirit sheds abroad in our hearts a love for God; but the Spirit, coming from God into our hearts, imparts the same kind of love to our hearts that dwells in the heart of God. He causes us to love just as God loves— to love the same objects that God loves, and to love them in the same way that God loves them. The Holy Spirit in our heart sheds abroad the same mind, temper, and disposition that dwells in the heart of God.Romans 5:6 For while we were yet weak,—While we were yet sin­ners, weak, and destitute of resources to save ourselves, either by atonement for the past or by future obedience.in due season—There was a due season for Christ to come. There was a long providential preparation, a remarkable con­currence of many conditions, before the “ fullness of time” for God to send forth his Son had come. A select nation must be prepared by centuries of discipline.

Time must be allowed for the human race to grow into the historic age so that the proofs of the facts connected with the advent of the Son of God could be adequately established. A language more copious and precise than any earlier one must be developed; a world government, wider and stronger than the world had before seen, must be consolidated, to favor unwittingly, even while it wickedly opposed, the dissemination of the gospel.

And then, when this wonderful preparation was completed, in due season Christ died. Christ is, therefore, the turning point and center of history, the end of the old and the be­ginning of the new humanity.Christ died for the ungodly.—The character and strength of the love God had for man is shown in his giving Christ to die for the ungodly. The same love shed abroad in our hearts will cause us to love and suffer to save lost and helpless men as Jesus did.Romans 5:7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die:—A right­eous man is one who only does what justice or rule of right requires at his hand. A man may be righteous in this sense and only selfishly just. For one who only does to others what justice demands, one would scarcely risk his life or die, for justice excites no gratitude.for peradventure for the good man some one would even dare to die.—A good man will not only do what justice or right demands, but will go beyond this and do what love, mercy, and kindness suggest. For such a character as this someone might be found who, moved by love and gratitude, would dare to die.

This is the highest manifestation of love the best of men would make. [Thus while the possibility implied in the former clause is more distinctly conceded, it is at the same time limited to rare examples of love inspired by the most attractive form of virtue which alone calls forth such love; the stronger is the contrast to the ungodliness and enmity of those for whom Christ died, and it is precisely this contrast which sets God’ s love above all human love.]Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his own love towards us,—God goes far beyond all that man would do or conceive and com­mends his love to us as deeper, stronger, and purer than human hearts can know.in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.—Jesus Christ died on the cross for man while man was return­ing evil for good. This showed a love that is so infinitely superior to all human love that they are placed in contrast.

We must cultivate the same spirit or feeling that will cause us to help those in need— to support, to lift those who are enemies of God and of us. We are, like God, to bless our enemies, to do good to them that revile and persecute us, and pray for them that despitefully use and abuse us. The same thought is expressed in the following words: “ Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, existing in the form of God, counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men; and being found in fashioned as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the death of the cross. Where­fore also God highly exalted him, and gave unto him the name which is above every name; that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things on earth and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:5-11). Christ had the mind to humiliate himself, to take the human body and its infirmities, that he might lift man up to save his spiritual and immortal state and to partake of his glory. This was the mind that was in Christ Jesus, this was the kind of love that God possessed.

The Holy Spirit came to shed the same love, the same spirit of devotion and self-sacrifice in the heart of man. This is the love of God that is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.

The man who has the Spirit of God in his heart will find pleasure and joy in sacrificing all temporal favors and fleshly blessings to benefit and save man as God through Christ did. Romans 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, shall we be saved from the wrath of God through him.—If, while we were enemies and rebels against God, Jesus Christ died for us, much more now, being reconciled to God, justified by his blood, we shall be saved by him from the wrath to come. God is more willing to save those who have accepted the redemp­tion offered through Christ than he was to save while they were yet enemies. When Christ died, he invested, as it were, his lifeblood in those who accept him. The redeemed by this become so much the dearer to God. And we shall be saved by living the life Jesus lived. We are able to live this life by the Spirit he has given us.Romans 5:10 For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God—Man must be reconciled to God, not God to man.

Man must be conformed to the life of God, not God to man and his sins. If God’ s love shown in the death of Christ was such as to overcome us when we were at enmity with him, how much more ready, now being reconciled, we should be to be saved by his life!

We are reconciled to God by bringing our char­acter into harmony with his character and will. This is rec­onciliation.through the death of his Son,—It is offered through the blood of Christ. The blood of Christ at once enabled God to be just while justifying him that believes in Christ, and enabled God to make the terms easy; and the death of Christ showed to man his own lost condition—“ because we thusjudge, that one died for all, therefore all died” (2 Corinthians 5:14)— and pointed him to the love and mercy of God and his great anxiety to save all who would come to him through Christ.much more, being reconciled, shall we be saved by his life;—We are saved by entering into Christ and living his life, reproducing the life of Christ in our lives. The salvation promised to man is a salvation from sin. When saved from sin, we are united to God and inherit his glories. No blessing or favor is provided out of Christ.

All blessings are in and through him. Into him we must enter, and in him live his life, if we would be blessed.Romans 5:11and not only so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ,—Not only are we thus saved by his life, but through the privileges we have in Christ Jesus are enabled to rejoice in God [as our Father, who, having forgiven all our sins, has filled us with the hope of eternal life.]through whom we have now received the reconciliation.— God offered salvation through the blood of Christ, and the offer must be accepted by complying with the prescribed con­ditions before the reconciliation is completed. [Hence, to receive the reconciliation is to receive Christ’ s death as a sac­rifice for sins.

To accept this great fact is to receive the reconciliation, the practical effect of which is to become rec­onciled. So soon as we accept the fact and become obedient from the heart to that form of teaching delivered unto us, we are made free from sin and become the servants of right­eousness. The Holy Spirit is now given. Nothing now remains but to perfect holiness in the fear of God, or to work out our salvation with fear and trembling.]Therefore, as through one man sin entered into the world,—This “ one man” was Adam. [He was the first to violate God’ s law, and this violation was the first sin. “ And Jehovah God commanded the man, saying, … Of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it.” (Genesis 2:16-17). This was God’ s law in the case.

Trans­gression was the act in which sin had its origin in the world. To this three parties stood, each peculiarly related.

God was the author of the law, Adam broke it, Satan tempted to the act, and in the act sin began.]and death through sin;—Death entered into the world through sin— by one sin. [Had Adam never committed an­other sin, still the death of the whole human family would have followed.]and so death passed unto all men,—And death extended to all men. [God had directed beforehand that if Adam sinned, both he and his posterity should die. All were thus bound up in the same decree to the same doom. Accordingly, when Adam sinned, the decree took effect, and all died.]for that all sinned:—[The sin which induced the sin of all was Adam’ s sin. This, then, must have been the sin that all committed. But there is only one admissible sense in which all could have committed that sin— to wit, representatively. Adam, in committing the first sin, stood for and represented the whole of his posterity.

If this be not the sense in which all sinned, then that sense is not discernible. Nor should this solution be rejected on the ground of being strange.

It is by all admitted that death is the result of the one sin of Adam. There is no more difficulty in understanding how we could all commit that sin than in seeing how we could be justly required to die for it. Indeed, it is much easier to under­stand how, by representation, we could and did commit it, than to see how, without representation or participation in some sense, we all can be subject to death for it. When it is said, “ For as in Adam all die” (1 Cor. 15; 22), it certainly means that all die in consequence of the sin which he com­mitted, or die by his act. Now, if death resulted from sin on the sole ground of implication in it, then implication by representation must be admitted. We are certainly not on the ground of actual personal sin.

Representation, then, is the only alternative. In Hebrews 7:9-10 we have a parallel case.

It is there said that Levi, before he was born and while “ he was yet in the loins of his father,” “ paid tithes” to Melchizedek. Now, if Levi, while in the loins of Abraham, could and did pay tithes, with equal certainty could the whole posterity of Adam, while still in him, sin. And what they could thus do they did, and from the deed came death. But here a distinction should be made. Sin by representation does not imply guilt, as actual personal sin does. It may both justify and demand the appointment of a penalty, as in the case in hand, but no more. Hence, no one of his posterity will ever, after death, be held responsible for Adam’ s sin. As to them, his sin will never, after death, be brought into account.

In their case, therefore, death is not the con­sequence of personal guilt, but connection with a guilty an­cestor. Accordingly, though we die for Adam’ s sin, no one of us ever will be judged for it. For our own sins only will we be judged. These alone involve personal responsibility, and, hence, imply guilt. For them alone we shall have to account.]Romans 5:13for until the law sin was in the world;—Throughout the period from Adam to Moses there was no law given, and God seems to have dealt with man as he has during no other period. He treated him as a father treats his children, incapa­ble of understanding the force of a general law or rule.

But when he found one here and one there disposed to honor him, he gave him personal attention and schooled him to respect the authority of Jehovah. The family of Abraham was thus tutored and schooled for successive generations until they were capable of appreciating its force and effects.

Then through Moses law was given to this family and advanced in the school of divine teaching.but sin is not imputed when there is no law.—Sin is not counted for death when there is no law making death the penalty for breaking it.Romans 5:14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses,— Adam’ s transgression was setting aside a positive law. From Adam to Moses, even those that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’ s transgression. Adam’ s transgression was setting aside a positive law. From Adam to Moses there was no code of laws, so they did not sin as Adam did. Yet they were wicked beyond measure; so God destroyed them. The sin of transgressing law was not imputed, but the sin and wickedness prevented God giving law, and they perished with­out law. (See Genesis 6:11-13).even over them that had not sinned after the likeness of Adam’ s transgression,—There are several respects in which the sins of Adam’ s posterity are not like his transgression: He sinned the first time tempted, with surroundings most favorable, with specific warning of God that he should die if he sinned.

He breathed, the atmosphere of innocence and purity, in every breath of which the Spirit of God floated, and which was impregnated with the aroma of divine goodness and heavenly love. By virtue of his transgression the domin­ion of the world passed under the evil one.

The world was sin-defiled. The spirit of the evil one was infused into the whole atmosphere of earth, and poisoned it with the virus of sin and death. No individual down through the ages could sin under similar circumstances. Not one has been at liberty to choose life or death, as Adam had the privilege of doing. All must suffer death. We have no choice as to this.who is a figure of him that was to come.—Adam, through whom sin and death came, is a figure of Jesus Christ. [The resemblance between Adam and Christ was their acts and the consequences of their acts.

The one act of Adam affected the whole human family; that of Christ did likewise. That of Adam brought death to all men; the obedience of Christ brings all out of the grave alive (John 5:28-29; Acts 24:15; 1 Corinthians 15:22)— that is, whatever evils Adam’s sin brought upon the world without our agency are all counteracted and remedied by the one act of Christ without our agency.]Romans 5:15 But not as the trespass, so also is the free gift.—[The comparison between Adam and Christ is at the same time a contrast.

They are alike in that they both stand at the head of the human race, and so extend the influence of their acts to all, unlike in the nature of those acts and the consequences that flow from them.] In the one case, sin came through the one to the death of many; in the other, the favor of God, which came by Jesus Christ, abounds unto many.For if by the trespass of the one the many died,—[The “ one” here is Adam, and the “ trespass” was his first trespass. That all died physically when Adam sinned is conceded— not died actually and physically at the very moment, for then would the race have been exterminated; but sentence was then pro­nounced, provision was then completed, and only a brief respite stayed the end. So sure were all to die that the event is spoken of as if it had already taken place. It is certain that Adam, so soon as he sinned, was both bodily and spiritually cut off from vital union with God, and that had it not been for the redemption which is in Christ (Revelation 13:8; 1 Peter 1:19-20), he would have then died and been forever lost. But what shall we say of his posterity ? For it is conceded by all that in his sin he was standing for all.

All his posterity have died or will die. But Adam’ s sin did not affect the spirit of his posterity.

His sin cleaves to all up to the point where the body and spirit separate; beyond this point the spirit is free from its influence, as though the sin never had been com­mitted. Therefore, all that appears necessary in their case is that the redemption of Christ should bring them out of the grave and restore them to life again. This it does, and, in the case of the saved, far more. It brings the saved out of the grave to a spiritual body and restores them to a far better life than even Adam’ s was, and far better circumstances. But the moment one commits a personal sin, his spirit be­comes involved, and he stands where Adam stood when he first sinned. This sin, and this only, corrupts his soul; and for this sin, and this only, he will certainly be lost, unless, in this life, it be forgiven.

Adam’ s sin has corrupted our bodies; our own sins corrupt our spirits. For them alone we can be lost.

And here comes the provision for personal salvation through the blood of Christ. Through the merits of that blood God can be just while forgiving the sinner. We be­lieve in Christ and obey him, and the blood of Jesus. Christ cleanseth us from all sin, and we await in hope the glorious resurrection.]much more did the grace of God,—Whether the sin be the sin of Adam or the many sins we have committed, the death of Jesus provides for them all, and much more. [The “much more” includes a better body than Adam ever had, a better life than he ever lived, a better world than he ever lived in— a world where Satan and sin and death can never come.]and the gift by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abound unto the many.—By the sin of Adam all die and go to the grave. The grace and gift of God must bring them out of the grave and restore them to life, so that all that was lost in Adam may be regained in Christ; but this is not a matter of debt, but of grace. But here this important question arises: In what sense did the grace and gift of God abound much more than the effects of sin?

Do they actually invest all with any more than the restoration of life? Certainly not.

All they do beyond this consists in provisions for the salvation of all men from personal sins, but they do not bring salvation to any except those who obey the Lord. (Hebrews 5:9). So far as the wicked are concerned, it is not known that a single benefit will be bestowed on them. They will be simply raised from the dead. (John 5:29). To the obedient in Christ the gift and grace abound unto immortality and eternal life.[Here it is timely to add a few words about those who die in infancy. They die in Adam, and in Christ shall be made alive. What they lost unconditionally in Adam they gain unconditionally in Christ.

In this respect the saved, infants, and the wicked are all treated alike. But as infants have no personal sins for which they must account, they are on an equality with those whose personal sins are forgiven.

They will be raised from the dead in spiritual bodies and share the blessedness of the saved.]Romans 5:16 And not as through one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment came of one unto condemnation,—Through one that sinned death came, and condemnation to all. One death brought both physical decay and spiritual ruin, or, rather, both spiritual ruin and physical decay are results from one cause.but the free gift came of many trespasses unto justification. —The free gift is for the justification of many offenses that the offender may live.Romans 5:17 For if, by the trespass of the one, death reigned through the one;—[Here there is in view the whole period over which death had reigned from its entrance into the world.] Life and death were used originally in a sense different from their present use. Life meant freedom from corruption or suffer­ing, both spiritual and material. Death was the opposite of life— subjection to corruption, to suffering, to decay. “ In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” was liter­ally fulfilled in the sense in which the word “ die” was used. It is frequently used in the same sense in the Bible. Paul says: “ I die daily.” (1 Corinthians 15:31).

Our existence here is but a continued death— a continued suffering and decay. What we call “ death” is but the end of continued death.

In this sense the separation from God is death. The effect of the death upon man’ s material being is suffering, disease, decay, ending in the return of dust to dust; the effect of that death on the spiritual man is anguish, sorrow, fear, spiritual woe, ending in eternal sorrow unless redeemed from this destiny by Christ, the Savior. It is one death, but one bearing fruit in the material and spiritual world.much more shall they that receive the abundance of grace—[This indicates the absolute certainly that those who accept the grace given through Christ shall enjoy his righteousness.]and of the gift of righteousness—“ The gift of righteousness” is the remission of sins. Viewed from the divine side, it is a gratuitous act; from the human side, it is the thing received, for which we make no return— it is a gift.reign in life through the one, even Jesus Christ.—[This cov­ers the whole mediation of Jesus Christ in reference to man. It is through his death that the believing penitent, on render­ing obedience to the gospel, enters into the state of righteous­ness, and through the union with him which follows that his whole being is visualized and transfigured through time into eternity.]Romans 5:18 So then—After saying in verse 12, “ Therefore, as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin; and so death passed unto all men, for that all sinned,” Paul proceeds to state the case of the one man; also that of his sin, and how this brought universal death. The subject is profound and involves principles of justice and right to which it is difficult to reconcile the human mind, which he saw andappreciated, and felt called upon to introduce at once the counterpart to the difficult view he had just stated—to Adam, to his sin, and to death— in other words, to introduce the ample remedy which God had provided in Christ, not only for all the evils that had befallen the human race in Adam, but also for our own personal sins.

These topics are discussed in verses 12-17, in a closely connected chain of thought, every link of which is important and stands in its proper place. These matters crowded themselves upon his mind until a proper disposition had been made of them.

Here we have the second member of the comparison begun in verse 12, repeated in the changed terms demanded by the intervening state­ments, and then the words “even so” introduce what virtually completes the comparison there begun, the precise terms being changed to conform to the statement of the first member of the comparison in this verse.as through one trespass the judgment came unto all men to condemnation;—[That this is the judgment passed on Adam for his first sin cannot be questioned. It is the judg­ment that was provoked by “one trespass,” and the “one trespass” which brought death. Now, in the same words which God pronounced this judgment upon Adam, and for the same sin, he pronounced judgment upon his posterity. Adam’ s posterity do not die because his sin was imputed to them, but because, being in him, in so far as they are human, they were acted for in his act. The doctrine of imputed sin, like that of imputed righteousness, has no sanction in reason or in revelation. No one has a right to impute to me another’ s sin and deal with me for it as though it were mine.

But it is according to the constitution of nature, and a thing which often occurs, that we are represented in and by others for good or evil, and why not in Adam? The condemnation on Adam was death.

For one sin, God in condemning Adam condemned in him the whole of his posterity to death. It had no reference to any effect beyond the grave.]even so through one act of righteousness—The one act of Christ’ s dying on the cross.the free gift came unto all men to justification of life.—[The gift of justification is the counterpart of the judgment unto condemnation, and the meaning of the latter determines the former. The judgment to condemnation means, as we have already seen, a sentence in which Adam and his posterity were condemned to temporal death. Now, justification means release from that sentence, and no more. It has no reference whatever to the remission of personal sins; but it means release from a sentence, and no more. It is release from immediate death, and, as such, amounts to a respite.

In virtue of it Adam lived on after the sentence; and in virtue of it we all live the life we are now living. It signifies the universal resurrection of the dead.

The phrase is “justifica­tion of life”— justification so far as to be permitted to live and so far as to be restored to life after death.]Romans 5:19 For as through the one man’ s disobedience—The “ one man” was Adam, and the “ disobedience” was the first sin.the many were made sinners,—Adam’ s disobedience did not make them sinners, for the same one who made them sinners made them righteous. This certainly excludes Adam. [We should note carefully that the many were not sinners within themselves or by any act they performed. They were made sinners. If one is a sinner by his own act, he is so independ­ently of anyone making him such. God did not make the many sinners because of, or through, any act of their own. He made them sinners through the disobedience of Adam.

Before Adam’ s transgression they were not made sinners; after it they were. It is not said of Adam that he was made a sinner.

He was actually one, and could not be made one. But up to the moment of being made sinners his posterity were not sinners as he was. They had committed no sin, except as through his sinning for them; and for that reason God made them sinners.]even so through the obedience of the one shall the many be made righteous.—[The reference in “obedience” is to the death of “ Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all.” (1 Timothy 2:6). “ He humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the death of the cross.” (Philippians 2:8). “ The many” includes the whole posterity of Adam. “ For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:22). The whole human family will be raised from the dead. Through the death of Christ the whole human family are to be constituted righteous to the extent, and for the sole purpose, of being raised from the dead. They are made righteous to this end.

By the sin of Adam the many were made sinners so far as to be subjected to death; by the obedience of Christ the many were made righteous so far as to be raised from the dead. The object is to show that just so far as the whole posterity of Adam have been made sinners through Adam’ s transgression, so far as they all made righteous through the death of Christ; and since Adam’ s diso­bedience brings death, so Christ’ s obedience brings the resur­rection— and all this without any reference whatever to per­sonal merits or demerits of those affected.

In other words, what was unconditionally lost in Adam is unconditionally gained in Christ.]Romans 5:20 And the law came in besides,—[Besides sin and death, the law also entered in. Three things entered into the world— sin, death, and the law.] The law of Moses, or the law of works, was added because of transgression. “So that the law is become our tutor to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith is come, we are no longer under a tutor.” (Galatians 3:24-25).that the trespass might abound;—The rebellious spirit was in man; the law came to call it out and make it manifest itself.but where sin abounded,—Sin was the breaking out of the disease within. When it broke out into sin, men could realize that it was sin, and there was a need of a cure.grace did abound more exceedingly:—When sin showed it­self, grace through our Lord Jesus Christ abounded to take it away; or when it abounded, then the provisions for justifi­cation in Jesus Christ did more abound to take it away.Romans 5:21that, as sin reigned in death,—[Sin is here personified and represented as reigning like a king. The reign is mighty, and the results are fearful. Previous to Paul’ s day it was reigning, it was reigning then, it is reigning now, and will continue till death is swallowed up of life. Death is here rep­resented as a ubiquitous tyrant, whose sway embraces all.]even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eter­nal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.—Grace is here per­sonified as a benignant king who reigns through leading men into the righteousness of God and unto eternal life through Jesus Christ.

“THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS”

Chapter Five IN THIS CHAPTER

1. To appreciate the blessings that accompany justification

2. To comprehend more fully the grace offered through Jesus Christ

SUMMARY Having substantiated his thesis of “justification by faith” with evidence from the Old Testament, Paul now discusses the blessings of such justification. First, there is peace with God (Romans 5:1). Second, we have access to grace in which we stand (Romans 5:2a). Third, there is cause for rejoicing in hope, so that we can glory even in tribulations (Romans 5:2-4). Fourth, there is God’s love which He first demonstrated with the gift of His Son (Romans 5:5-8). Finally, there is salvation from God’s wrath (Romans 5:9). All of this is made possible when we are reconciled to God through the death of His Son and should be the basis for endless rejoicing (Romans 5:10-11).

To explain further the way in which salvation is made possible, Paul compares Christ to Adam. Through one man, Adam, sin and death entered the world, and the consequences have led to the death of many. In a similar way, through one man, Christ, many may now become righteous. Through Jesus’ death on the cross, justification is made possible for many (Romans 5:12-19).

Upon comparing Christ with Adam, Paul briefly mentions that with the entering in of law sin abounded. But the increase of sin has been adequately answered by the grace offered in Jesus Christ (Romans 5:20-21).

OUTLINE I. THE OF (Romans 5:1-11) A. PEACE WITH GOD (Romans 5:1) B. ACCESS TO GRACE IN WHICH WE STAND (Romans 5:2a) C. IN HOPE, EVEN IN (Romans 5:2-4)1. Joy in anticipating God’s glory (Romans 5:2b) 2. Joy in tribulation, knowing even it results in more hope (Romans 5:3-4) a. For tribulation produces perseverance (Romans 5:3b) b. And perseverance develops character (Romans 5:4a) c. Such character gives one hope (Romans 5:4b)

D. GOD’S LOVE IN OUR HEARTS (Romans 5:5-8)1. The assurance our hope will not be disappointed (Romans 5:5a) 2. Poured out by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5b) 3. Demonstrated by Christ’s death while we were yet sinners (Romans 5:6-8)

E. FROM GOD’S WRATH (Romans 5:9-11)1. Through Jesus, just as we have been justified by His blood (Romans 5:9) 2. Saved by His life, just as we were reconciled by His death (Romans 5:10) 3. The basis for us to rejoice (Romans 5:11)

II. CHRIST WITH ADAM (Romans 5:12-21) A. ADAM AND THE OF HIS ACTIONS (Romans 5:12-14)1. Through Adam, sin entered the world, and death as a consequence (Romans 5:12 a) 2. Thus death spread, for all sinned (Romans 5:12 b) 3. From the time of Adam to Moses, death reigned, even over those who had not sinned like Adam did (Romans 5:13-14)

B. ADAM AND CHRIST (Romans 5:15-19)1. Adam’s offense brought many deaths, Christ’s grace abounds even more (Romans 5:15) 2. One offense produced the judgment of condemnation, but many offenses produced the free gift of justification (Romans 5:16) 3. By Adam’s offense death reigns, but those who receive the gift of righteousness will reign in life through Christ (Romans 5:17) 4. Summary (Romans 5:18-19) a. Through Adam’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation (Romans 5:18a) b. Through Christ’s act grace came to all, resulting in justification of life (Romans 5:18b) c. By Adam’s disobedience many were made sinners (Romans 5:19 a) d. By Christ’s obedience many will be made righteous (Romans 5:19 b)

C. THE OF LAW, SIN AND GRACE (Romans 5:20-21)1. Law entered that sin might abound, but grace abounds much more (Romans 5:20) 2. Just as sin reigned in death, so grace reigns through righteousness to eternal life through Christ (Romans 5:21)

WORDS TO PONDER reconciliation - the act of bringing peace between two parties (e.g., between man and God)

transgression - violation of law; sin

death - physically: separation of body and spirit; spiritually: separation between man and God

eternal life - the alternative to spiritual death, a result of justification

REVIEW FOR THE CHAPTER

1. List the main points of this chapter- The Blessings Of Justification (Romans 5:1-11)

• Comparing Christ With Adam (Romans 5:12-21)

2. Name some benefits we enjoy as the result of justification (Romans 5:1-2)- Peace with God, access to grace, rejoicing in hope

3. Why can Christians rejoice even in the middle of trials? (Romans 5:3-5)- Knowing trials can produce perseverance, character and hope

4. How did God demonstrate His love for us? (Romans 5:6-8)- By having Christ die for us when we were still sinners

5. What in addition to Jesus’ death is involved in our ultimate salvation? (Romans 5:10)- His present life, which saves us from the wrath to come

6. What was the consequence of Adam’s sin upon all men? (Romans 5:12)- Death (I understand Paul to mean physical death; to see why, I highly recommend Moses Lard’s commentary on this passage. Commentaries by J. W. McGarvey and David Lipscomb take a similar view. For the view that spiritual death is under consideration, see Robert L. Whiteside’s commentary.)

7. What comparison is made between Adam and Christ? (Romans 5:12-19)- Just as Adam through his sin brought physical death to all, so Christ through His obedience will give life to all (through the resurrection - cf. 1 Corinthians 15:21-22)

• But Christ does even more; to those who will receive it, he offers “an abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness” so they can reign in life through Jesus (cf. Romans 5:17)

8. Which has abounded more: sin, or grace? (Romans 5:20)- Grace

Verse 1 An amazing difference of opinion among commentators as to what constituted Paul’s subject matter in this chapter must be noted. Greathouse suggested: Paul rounds out his doctrine of justification by putting this truth in its eschatological context.[1]Greathouse cited “the hope of the glory of God” (Romans 5:2), and “final salvation” (Romans 5:9-10) as supporting his analysis. Lenski favored the view that writings in this chapter Undoubtedly describe the blessed effects of God’s righteousness through faith.[2]Stiffler noted that: Many commentators have entitled this chapter, “The Fruits of Justification."[3]Griffith Thomas saw in this chapter: Will this new method of salvation really last; will it continue to the end? Is it safe for all the varied and complex needs of human life? Is it a foundation sufficiently strong to stand the wear and tear of human needs?[4]James Macknight wrote that In the beginning of this chapter, Paul enumerated the privileges which belong to believers in general.[5]This commentator believes that such confusion as regards even the subject of what Paul was writing about is due to the preoccupation of scholars with what Thomas called “this new method of salvation,” which, of course, means the wonderful proposition that people are justified by faith alone! It is apparently a lost fact so many are unaware of, that there is no “new method” of salvation, but only one, namely, justification through obedient faith, a truth Paul went to great lengths to demonstrate in his appeal to the example of Abraham, showing at last that we too are saved just like Abraham was (though through meeting tests), by WALKING “in the steps of Abraham’s faith” (Romans 5:4:12); in short, by believing, and proving it by obedience as he did. Paul’s subject matter in the entire epistle to the Romans is not any new method of salvation, but the inherent righteousness of God, as noted under Romans 5:1:17. It is, thus, the failure of scholars to identify properly Paul’s subject matter inRomans 4 that leaves them confused and contradictory as to what Paul had under discussion in Romans 5. God’s eternal rectitude continues to be the theme here, as appears from the import of Rom 5:12-21, where the question of God’s righteousness in causing death to pass upon all people as a result of the sin of only one man is the problem discussed. The same problem of how God can be righteous in allowing the tribulations and death that are the badge of all mortality is also within the focus of the first paragraph (Romans 5:1-11), where the true answer to the enigma lies in the fact that people may yet achieve eternal life through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. [1] William M. Greathouse, Beacon Bible Commentary (Kansas City, Missouri: Beacon Hill Press, 1969), p. 106. [2] R. C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans (Minneapolis, Minnesota: Augsburg Publishing House, 1963), p. 330. [3] J. M. Stiffler, The Epistle to the Romans, p. 87. [4] W. H. Griffith Thomas, St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1970), p. 146. [5] James Macknight, Apostolical Epistles (Nashville: Gospel Advocate Company, 1960), p. 78. Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:1) Justified by faith … has invariably the meaning of “justified by an obedient faith,” as in the case of Abraham. See the preceding chapter. Also, for further explanation of this synecdoche, see under Romans 3:22. Both at the beginning and ending of Romans, Paul defined “faith” in the sense of its being “the obedience of faith”; and although this has been cited before, the extravagant and vociferous claims to the effect that Paul really meant “faith only” require repeated attention to the truth. Note: Through whom we received grace and apostleship, unto obedience of faith among all the nations, for his name’s sake (Romans 1:5). But now is manifested, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, is made known unto all nations unto obedience of faith (Romans 16:26). It would be impossible to overestimate the significance of Paul’s placement of these two verses, situated like the lions on each side of the throne of Solomon, standing as the Alpha and the Omega, guarding the portals of this great treatise of God’s righteousness, but necessarily dealing with justification by faith, and making sure that “he who runs may read” and not be deceived as to the degree of faith Paul was discussing. One may not enter or leave this epistle without confronting the fact that it was “the obedience of faith” which summed up the end and all of Paul’s apostleship (Romans 5:1:5), and that it is “the obedience of faith” of all nations which enables them to participate in redemption (Romans 16:26). Thus, “obedience of faith” must be understood as included in Paul’s salvation “by faith.” The following example from Paul’s writings shows how and when faith makes one a child of God: For ye are all sons of God, through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ did put on Christ (Galatians 3:26-27). Thus, faith saves one by leading him to accept forgiveness of sins in God’s appointed institution, the spiritual body of Christ; and salvation is accomplished when faith becomes obedient to the degree of causing him to be baptized into Christ, and to put on Christ. As Lipscomb expressed it: To be saved through faith in Christ Jesus, to be baptized unto the remission of sins, to be baptized into Christ, and to put on Christ, all mean exactly the same thing.[6]Even in the very epistle we are studying, and where so many allegations to the contrary are allegedly grounded, Paul went so far as to define exactly the point in the time sequence of the believer’s obedient actions when his salvation actually occurs. Thus: But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. BeingTHEN made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness (Romans 6:17-18 KJV). The omission of “then” in some of the translations does not remove the meaning, for it is implied anyway; and even Phillips retained it in his rendition. Thus, a man is saved “by faith” WHEN he obeys the gospel, and not before. It is not amiss, then, to declare unequivocally that baptism for the remission of sins on the part of a true and penitent believer is salvation “by faith.” If that is not true, how could Christ have said, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16)? We have peace with God … should read “Let us have peace with God,” according to many scholars; and that rendition is given as an alternate reading in the English Revised Version (1885) margin. The difference turns upon two very similar Greek words, [@echomen] and [@echoomen], the latter meaning “we have,” and the other meaning “let us have.” The scholars assure us that the preponderance of manuscript authority favors the first, “let us have”; and Lenski went so far as to say: The assertion that textual authority for “we have” is also good is not true. … A number of expedients are advanced in order to justify the use of the indicative (“we have”), such as that, when speaking, Paul had in mind the short vowel, but that his amanuensis Tertius wrote the long vowel by mistake. “The sense must conquer the letter,” we are told; but the letter alone conveys the sense, and we change the sense when we change the letter.[7]Lenski’s comment is introduced here because of the clear and forceful way in which he emphasized that what the holy writers said, the actual letter of what we have received from them, must take precedence over what any man thinks they might have meant! The application of this principle will resolve the question of “faith” vs. “faith only,” since it was of “faith” that Paul wrote, and never of “faith only,” the latter being urged as Paul’s “meaning,” even by Lenski! The decision of whether “we have” or “let us have” is correct cannot logically be attempted by this writer. In any event, the difference is of no consequence either way; and thus. after noting what appears to be a valid objection against the rendition in both KJV and English Revised Version (1885) in this instance, the sentence will be discussed as it stands in those versions, since that is the text which most people have. Peace with God … means that the fierce rebellion against God is no longer within the heart; the war is over, and man has submitted to his Maker; and the ensuing new status changes everything. God is angry with the wicked every day; and Paul described the Gentiles in their state of rebellion as “children of wrath.” That wrath pertains to every man who has not come into the inheritance of peace with God in Christ. It was to that peace which Augustine referred when he said, “Thou, O God, hast touched me and translated me into thy peace!” CHRIST AND MAN’S PEACEPeace is the great legacy of Christ to them that love and obey him. In the annunciation, the angels brought word of “peace on earth to men of good will” (Luke 2:10); Zacharias prophesied of the Dayspring from on high who would “guide our feet into the way of peace” (Luke 1:79); and Paul spoke of the “joy and peace in believing” (Romans 15:13). Jesus said: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid (John 14:27). This peace, like every other spiritual blessing, is in Christ (Ephesians 1:3), a thought also expressed thus: And the peace of God that passeth understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7). This marvelous peace is exactly the blessing which troubled man most needs and so incessantly seeks, even if his seeking is but an unfulfilled subconscious longing after it. The insatiable desire for that heavenly peace is never abated until people rest in Christ. In the great invitation (Matthew 11:28-30), Jesus spoke of the rest people would find and of the rest that he would give; and both are what Paul referred to here (Romans 5:1). Despite the eternal truth that no worthwhile peace may be procured by means of any human device, people are, nevertheless, in constant pursuit of it, employing all kinds of strategies in their sad efforts to possess it; and, no matter how frequently time has demonstrated the ineffectiveness of one device or another, people still strive in the same old discredited ways to establish their peace, overlooking the availability of this dearest of all possessions as a free gift from God in Christ. Note the various ways in which people strive vainly for that peace, a peace which God is willing and ready to give them when they turn to him: (1) People seek peace by moving to the suburbs, planting a garden, and building a hedge, only to discover that peace is not a commodity that any realtor can sell. (2) Some seek it by going to a psychiatrist, only to learn that no psychiatrist can convey to another the peace that he does not himself possess. (3) Some seek peace through the ardent advocacy of this or that social system, or by participation in campaigns for the alleviation of alleged human woes; but it would be just as reasonable to suppose that one could cure twenty cases of measles by putting them all in the same room, as it is to suppose that any scheme for better housing, for example, could cure the agony of human beings whose wretchedness is due to their sin and not to their circumstances. The savage tides which swell and flow in the hearts of millions of unregenerated people will never yield to the magic of some political solution, nor disappear through any readjustment of earth’s material wealth. (4) Others seek peace by means of the bottle, the needle, and the pillbox; but the reliance upon such pitiful devices cannot evoke some miraculous genie, as in Moslem mythology, that can pour the oil of peace upon the turbulent waters of the raging storms that trouble the hearts of people. Alcohol, narcotics, and drugs produce death instead of life, hell instead of heaven, agony instead of peace. (5) Still others seek peace through the pursuit of the pleasures of life, only to find as sage, philosopher, and poet alike have found, that peace comes not from pleasures. But pleasures are like poppies spread, You seize the flower, its bloom is shed; Or like the snow falls in the river, A moment white, then melts forever.[8]Alexander Maclaren said: Sooner or later, the mad, whirling dervish of life will slow down, falter, and grind to an irresistible stop, where the facts of unrest and soul disquietude must inevitably be faced.9 And some even think to find peace by means of human achievement; but efficacy for the impartation of peace to the. human soul is not found in any such device. Alexander of Macedon found only dust and ashes at the end of that rainbow, and so will any other who follows that illusion to its wretched end. (7) Yet another device has commended itself, throughout history as being a source of peace for troubled people. It is a sacerdotal arrangement, in which a human contemporary is given a special kind of education, a special kind of garb, and a special kind of dignity in which such a one is elevated to a position of alleged sanctity, and then commissioned as an agent to procure peace and grant it to his fellow mortals. Thousands of years of the use of this elaborate device have demonstrated, alas, that sacerdotal man is no holier than ourselves and no more able to procure peace than others. It is time that people should be reminded again that: There is one God and one mediator between God and men, himself also man, Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all (1 Timothy 2:5). As for the old superstition that any man can absolve another of his sins and impart any peace worth having, it is hereby affirmed in the light of that Word that liveth for ever and ever, that the scriptures teach no such thing. “Only God can forgive sins”! (Mark 2:5). Through our Lord Jesus Christ … The way of receiving that peace is plain. The source is Jesus Christ. It may not be procured, therefore, through people. Inscribed upon the north facade of the impressive tomb of William Rockefeller in Tarrytown cemetery, Tarrytown, New York, are these words of Augustine: OUR HEARTS; O GOD; WERE MADE FOR THEE; AND NEVER SHALL THEY REST UNTIL THEY REST IN THEE. How may people possess that peace of God through Christ? By means of the obedience of faith so perfectly expounded by Paul in Romans. Atheism is no refuge for the soul. Even the great achievers among the ranks of atheists, such as H. G. Wells, have confessed that peace is no part of their endowment. Wells declared: I cannot adjust my life to secure any fruitful peace. … Here I am at sixty-five still seeking for peace … that dignified peace is just a hopeless dream.[10]Wilbur M. Smith, in the summation of a remarkable chapter on the subject of peace and joy in believing, said, In skepticism and unbelief, there has always been, there cannot help but be, despair in the place of hope, a miserable unceasing restlessness in the place of peace, and either an ever-deepening sorrow or a chilling stoicism instead of true and abiding joy. For all who have come to know and love the Lord Jesus Christ, no matter what their previous life was, no matter what their circumstances in life, there is available a peace that passeth all understanding and a joy the world can never take away. There is peace and joy in believing; there is neither in unbelief.[11]By faith … The emphasis in this commentary on “the obedience of faith” is not intended to diminish in any manner or degree the true necessity of wholehearted, unreserved faith in God and in the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith is still the strong man that carries the little child Reason upon his shoulders. Faith is part of the foundation of Christianity; and without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6).

Whenever and wherever in human hearts there is enough faith to lead one to walk in all the light he has and strive for more, there, it may be presumed, is enough faith to save. The reason for insisting throughout this work that “faith only” is a sinful addition to the word of God, and in fact a denial of it, stems from two reasons, the first being that God’s word nowhere says that justification is by faith only, and the second being that it is impossible to define faith as automatically including obedience. When pressed, the advocates of the “faith only” position will often fall back upon the presumption that if one truly believes, he will also obey. Opposed to that presumption is this statement from the New Testament. Even of the rulers many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees, they did not confess it, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: for they loved the glory that is of men more than the glory that is of God (John 12:42-43). The Lutheran error of supposing salvation to be by faith only, sprang from overlooking the biblically stated truth that many people did “believe on” the Lord Jesus Christ but, through love of the world, refused to follow him. As to the thesis, then, that true faith automatically includes obedience, it is utterly disproved by the lives of millions in every age, including those cited in John 12:42-43. In this context, it is interesting to note that Christ said, “If ye love me, ye will keep my commandments” (John 14:15); but he did not say, “If ye have faith in me, ye will keep my commandments,” the latter being categorically untrue. Precisely in this, then, is the outrage of teaching that salvation is “by faith alone.” Far from leading people to obey the gospel, that false doctrine is actually made the ground and excuse of millions for not obeying it! [6] David Lipscomb, Commentary on the New Testament Epistles (Nashville: Gospel Advocate Company, 1969), p. 92. [7] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 333. [8] Robert Burns, Tam O’Shanter, stanza 7. [9] Alexander Maclaren, origin of this quotation unknown. [10] H. G. Wells, quoted by Wilbur M. Smith, Therefore Stand (Boston: W. A. Wilde Company, 1945), p. 197. [11] Wilbur M. Smith, op. cit., p. 477. Verse 2 Through whom also we have had our access by faith into this grace wherein we stand; and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.The observant student will already have noted that Paul’s writings in this letter lay great stress upon being “in Christ.” Already, in this chapter, justification was said to have been through Christ; peace with God is through Christ; and here it was declared to be Christ “through whom” there is access by faith into this grace. The state of grace, or favor, into which Christians have access through faith, is that of the kingdom of God (Philippians 3:20). As Lard noted: That this state of favor is identical with the church or the kingdom of God, hardly admits of doubt.[12]Through Christ … as used by Paul has exactly the same sense of “in Christ,” and refers to the state of being united with Christ in his spiritual body. This appears from a comparison of Paul’s statement here that peace is through Christ with the statement of Christ himself that peace is “in” him. He said: These things have I spoken unto you, that in me ye may have peace (John 16:23). Access … means entry into; and, as to just how the access of believers into the state of grace is accomplished, no less a scholar than Alford said: This access would normally take place in baptism. (Commenting on Alford’s remark, Lard continued) This remark he (Alford) doubtless made in view of the following: “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). To be in the kingdom is certainly to be in “this favor”; hence, the means of access into that is the means of access into this. In view of these facts, Alford’s remark would seem to fall little, if any, short of the truth.[13]“Access,” as used here, is a big word with reference to Christian privilege, referring to the ability of Christians to come boldly into the very presence of God for such purposes as offering worship, prayer, thanksgiving, or praise. Thomas noted that: The thought includes the possibility of entrance, and also the privilege of introduction, as in a presentation at court.[14]In such a concept, Christ actually appears as a sponsor and advocate of sinful people who have been justified “in him,” and are thus members of his spiritual body. Grace wherein we stand … Macknight noted that the mention of “grace” here shows that it is a different blessing from “peace” mentioned in Romans 5:1 : It is the gracious new covenant which Christ procured for mankind, and which is the source of their peace.[15]Wherein we stand … is a reference to the firm and sure establishment of the Christian hope in Christ, the same being not a precarious and uncertain position at all, but one of the uttermost security and confidence. We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God … is a reference to the hope of eternal life, this great hope being a consequence of the security in Christ and a fountain of that peace which blesses the heart of the Christian. All of the judgments that Paul had revealed in earlier chapters against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people, and all the stern judgments that await sinners, and all of the death, suffering, and sorrow that all people must pass through, because of Adam’s transgression - all such things might form the basis of an antagonistic arraignment of God in human thoughts. How can a righteous God allow such suffering, injustice, and inhumanity of men against men, etc.? But the inherent, intrinsic righteousness of God, as opposed to all such thoughts, appears in this, that people, despite all sufferings, sorrows, and death, may yet attain unto eternal life, even unto the glory of God himself! Paradise lost can yet be Paradise regained! It is indeed a just and benevolent God who, although allowing the snake in Eden (in service of his own wise designs), stepped into the breach with the Remedy when man sinned, and that not upon any emergency or makeshift basis, but in perfect harmony with the plans God had made before times eternal. We exult in the hope of the glory of God … is the translation of this place favored by Murray, who declared that it means, Rejoicing and boasting on the highest level. It is exultant rejoicing and confident glowing … the object of this glowing is stated to be “the hope of the glory of God.[16]Earlier references to “boasting and glorying” in Romans (Romans 2:7 Romans 3:27 Romans 4:2) describe it as an undesirable action, even reprehensible; but in this place Paul was speaking of another kind of boasting, not merely permissible but commendable, and even commanded, as in Hebrews 3:6. The atmosphere that maintains a genuine Christian life is never the consequence of external conditions alone; but the climate for Christians living their life of faith is improved and made more favorable by Christians themselves who honor the divinely imposed obligation to glory in the grace wherein they stand. The basis of the glowing mentioned in this verse is the existence of something far down the corridors of the future, being the hope of the glory of God, which is but another way of saying the second coming of Christ, when he shall appear in his glory to judge the living and the dead. There are many teachings in the New Testament relative to the glory of God; and perhaps all of the overtones of this vast subject are gathered up and echoed here. God’s intrinsic glory will at last be discovered and demonstrated to all people at the time when “the books” are opened, and when all people appear before the judgment of the throne of God. The majestic glory of the Father on high must ever be a subject of the greatest interest to Christians; and the hope of seeing God at last, and of seeing our Pilot “face to face” - such things must be included in the meaning of “hope of the glory of God.” The implication of Paul’s words here are profound. He most certainly meant to include eternal life, ultimate union with God, and the eternal felicity of the redeemed in Christ, as composing the ground of the “rejoicing” of the faithful in Christ. Regarding the kind of boasting which Christians should employ as a helpful device of their own encouragement, Sanday observed that, The Christian has his boasting, but it is not based upon his own merits. It is a joyful and triumphant confidence in the future, not only felt, but expressed.[17][12] Moses E. Lard, Commentary on Paul’s Letter to Romans (Des Moines, Iowa: Eugene S. Smith), p. 155. [13] Ibid. [14] Griffith Thomas, op. cit., p. 148. [15] James Macknight, op. cit., p. 81. [16] John Murray, The Epistle to the Romans (Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1968), p. 160. [17] W. Sanday, Ellicott’s Commentary on the Whole Bible (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1970), p. 223. Verse 3 And not only so, but we also rejoice in our tribulations: knowing that tribulation worketh stedfastness; and stedfastness, approvedness; and approvedness, hope.The basis of the glorying considered in the preceding verse was revealed as the ultimate glory which Christians shall share with God himself in the final day, and therefore, invisible, far removed from the present time, and having nothing to do with the prosaic affairs of everyday living; but, in these verses, the basis of glowing is revealed as the very adversities through which Christians pass. Again, from Sanday: The Christian’s glorying is not confined to the future; it embraces the present as well. It extends to what would naturally be supposed to be the very opposite of a ground for glorying - to the persecutions that we have to undergo as Christians.[18]A comparison of what Paul wrote in these verses with what he wrote in Romans 5:2 reveals a circle: hope-tribulation-stedfastness-approvedness-hope, thus showing that the attainment of the glorious final hope depends upon the soul’s response to tribulations. What a sacred light this sheds upon the sorrows and disciplines of the Christian’s earthly pilgrimage! All of the misfortunes, sorrows, calamities, and bitter disappointments of Life are not meaningless tragedy to the Christian, but are luminous through their connection with the ultimate goals of faith in Christ. Here is the explanation of why Jesus said, Blessed are ye when men shall reproach you, and persecute you (Matthew 5:11). Paul’s words in these verses harmonize with the rule of life he followed for himself. He said, I will glory in the things which concern my weakness. … I take pleasure in weaknesses, in injuries, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then am I strong (2 Corinthians 11:30 2 Corinthians 12:10). Thus, here is revealed the secret of what was written of the apostles when they: departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were accounted worthy to suffer dishonor for the Name (Acts 5:41). Here also appears the ground of Peter’s admonition to Think not the fiery trial strange, but rejoice (1 Peter 4:12-13). The sequence of the words in the “circle” mentioned above is climactic, in which higher and higher degrees of Christian strength and loyalty are indicated. The great utility of Christian tribulations is that it does for the child of God what combat does for the soldier, making him to be no longer a novice, but a veteran. Paul’s stress of the required Christian response to tribulation is further proof that faith, in order to save, must be active and obedient. Moreover, the great theme of Romans, which is the righteousness of God, is very evident in passages such as this. The eternal God could prevent human suffering; but he does not do so, not through caprice or indifference to human misery, but because even the sufferings and tribulations of life are designed to contribute to the development of the child of God, leading at last to the full realization of his hope of the glory of God. ENDNOTE: [18] Ibid. Verse 5 And hope putteth not to shame; because the love of God hath been shed abroad in our hearts through the Holy Spirit which was given unto us.The reason that the Christian’s hope does not put to shame is because of the love of God in Christian hearts, shed abroad through the agency of the Holy Spirit which was (past tense) given to Christians upon the occasion of their being baptized into Christ (Acts 2:38 f), the true ground of that hope not being the glorying of people through various tribulations, nor even their love of God, but rather God’s great love to them, the latter being proved by Paul’s description of that love in the following verses. For additional commentary on the indwelling of the Holy Spirit within Christians, see under Romans 8:16. Of distinct interest are the words, “shed abroad in our hearts,” showing that consciousness of the love of God is like an inflowing stream, permeating, filling, and flooding the soul with a rapturous awareness of the loving favor of God. Verse 6 For while we were yet weak, in due season Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: for peradventure for the good man some one would even dare to die. But God commendeth his own love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.While we were yet weak … means while we were yet sinners, as shown by a comparison of the first and last clauses of these three verses. What a commentary on the true condition of the sinner is this, that for all of his vaunted power, established and reinforced by every worldly device of wealth, authority, and position, the sinner is “yet weak” until he shall find his true strength in Christ. In due season … recalls the fact that the visit of the Dayspring from on high was nothing impromptu, but was the fulfillment of God’s purpose of the ages. Even before the foundation of the world, the plan of redeeming men through the death of Christ was clearly formed in God’s eternal purpose, which purpose he, in fact, declared in the great protoevangelium of the Bible (Genesis 3:15). When even an earthly king visits a place, he announces his purpose in advance, displays his royal credentials to prevent misunderstanding, and, in due course, arrives “as planned”; thus it was with the coming of the Son of God into our poor world (see under Romans 3:21). But when the fullness of time came, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law (Galatians 4:4). Christ died for the ungodly … This is credible only because it is true, for it never could have entered into the mind of man that such a thing was possible until the unspeakable event itself appeared upon Golgotha. What is meant by “the ungodly”? The answer is, evil and unrighteous people filled with every work of Satan - such were the beneficiaries of the blood of the Master. The ungodly are those who practice lawlessness, idolatry, profane swearing and impiety, disobedience of parents, murder, adultery, false witness, indifference to God, atheism, pride, vanity, and selfishness - to mention only a few characteristics of the ungodly! For people like that Christ died! However, in this connection, it is imperative to remember that Christ died not to save people in their sins but from their sins (Matthew 1:21). For the good man some one would even dare to die … It is notable that Paul prefaced that statement with the word “peradventure,” meaning perhaps, or maybe; since it is far from certain that even such a milder form of dying for another as that could be counted upon, and even then under the rarest of circumstances. Adam Clarke observed in this connection: Such cases may be considered merely as possible: they exist, it is true, for romance; and we find a few rare instances of friends exposing themselves to death for friends.[19]God commendeth his love … indicates that the “love of God” mentioned in Romans 5:5 is God’s love for people, not their love of God. The contrast between “righteous man” and “good man” (Romans 5:7), according to Thomas, is: To show the difference between one for whom, as upright, we have profound respect, and one who is also beneficent and elicits our love.[20]Christ died for us … is the statement of the grandest truth in inspiration, it being the glory of humanity that Christ would die to save men. At the same time, this truth is the marvel of God that he would do such a thing in order to accomplish redemption. Of this great truth, Spurgeon wrote as follows: Shout it, or whisper it. Print it in capitals, or write it in a large hand. Speak it solemnly; it is not a thing for jest. Speak it joyfully; it is not a theme for sorrow. Speak it firmly; it is an indisputable fact. Speak it earnestly; for if there is a truth which ought to arouse all a man’s soul, it is this.

Speak it where the ungodly live; and that is at your own house. Speak it also in the haunts of debauchery. Tell it in the gaol; and sit down at the dying bed and read it in a tender whisper, “Christ died for the ungodly!"[21]The purpose of these three verses is to show how firm is the basis of Christian hope, such being grounded upon the fact of Christ’s dying for men, even at a time when they were ungodly, and thus manifesting a greater love than any ever known on earth apart from this. [19] Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Holy Bible (New York: T. Mason and G. Lane, 1837), Vol. VI, p. 68. [20] Griffith Thomas, op. cit., p. 150. [21] Charles Haddon Spurgeon, quoted by Joseph S. Excell, The Biblical Illustrator (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1963), p. 364. Verse 9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, shall we be saved from the wrath of God through him.The wrath and judgment of God, mentioned in earlier chapters, must be understood in the light of God’s great love for people, a love great enough to give the only begotten Son, and in such a manner providing a way of escape from the judgment of wrath against sin. Thus Paul was still pursuing his master theme of God’s righteous character. Griffith Thomas observed that: It is very striking that after Romans 5:1, all mention of faith is suddenly dropped until Romans 9:30 (Romans 6:8 does not really apply). This omission is all the more remarkable because of the prominence of faith up to this time, the verb having appeared at least five times and the substantive twenty-seven.[22]This very significant fact is another indication that Paul’s master thesis is not justification by faith, as so many have supposed. The thrust of the apostle’s words in this verse is to the effect that because Christ died for people while they were yet sinners, it follows that he will continue to bless them, now that he is no longer dead but enthroned at the right hand of all Majesty and power, and especially in view of the fact that those erstwhile enemies have renounced their rebellion against God and have become his servants. Paul here made the blood of Christ the instrument of man’s justification, but not in any unconditional sense. It will always be necessary that people approach God in the “obedience of faith.” ENDNOTE: [22] Griffith Thomas, op. cit., p. 152. Verse 10 For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.This is a fuller statement of the argument made in the preceding verse, a conclusion of logic identified by Hodge as “a fortiori”: If the greater benefit has been bestowed, the less will not be withheld.[23]Murray stated it more fully thus: The “a fortiori” argument of the apostle is thus apparent. It is to the effect that if, when we were in a state of alienation from God, God showed us his love to such an extent that he reconciled us to himself and instated us in his favor through the death of his own Son, how much more, when this alienation is removed and we are instated in his favor, shall the exaltation of Christ insure our being saved to the uttermost. It would be a violation of the wisdom, goodness, and faithfulness of God to suppose that he would have done the greater and fail in the lesser.[24]Saved by his life … suggests the many things revealed in the New Testament that Christ is at the present time doing on behalf of the redeemed. He daily adds to the church those that are being saved (Acts 2:47); helps those who are tempted by providing a way of escape (1 Corinthians 10:13); provides mercy and grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:15-16); makes intercession for his own (Hebrews 7:25 Hebrews 9:24); is expecting until all his enemies become the footstool of his feet (Hebrews 10:13); and he is, in fact, reigning over all things (1 Corinthians 15:25-26). [23] Charles Hodge, Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1968), p. 138. [24] John Murray, op. cit., 1p. 175. Verse 11 And not only so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.Despite the awesome fact of God’s wrathful vengeance against sin, and the terrible judgment that awaits wicked people, the thought of God is a matter of rejoicing for Christians, because God has given them reconciliation in Christ. Hodge assures us that the true meaning of this verse is that, According to the majority of the commentators, we shall not only be ultimately saved, but we now glory in God.[25]In the matter of glowing, therefore, these eleven verses have come full cycle, as seen by a glance at Romans 5:2. The Christian life is a joyful life, not only because of the ultimate happiness in heaven, but because of present blessings as well; and not the least of present blessings is reconciliation through Jesus Christ. The ransomed soul is no longer at war with its Creator, no longer terrified at the very thought of a righteous, sin-punishing God, but a member of the Father’s own family. Note: The KJV translated “atonement” for “reconciliation”; but the thought is very similar, the atonement being, in fact, the true basis of the reconciliation. It is clear enough in these first eleven verses that Paul was justifying, through his masterful and logical reasonings, a different attitude toward God, an attitude of regarding him in love and thanksgiving, rather than an attitude of hatred and rebellion which marked the attitude of the wicked in pre-Christian ages. Paul attempted to bring about that change through explaining the righteous character of God, with special emphasis upon the love he had for his human creation. ENDNOTE: [25] Charles Hodge, op. cit., p. 140. Verse 12 Therefore, as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin; and so death passed unto all people, for that all sinned.The righteousness of God’s character needed the apostle’s attention in another area, that being in respect of that incredibly awful truth that because of only one man’s sin, and only a single sin at that, death had passed upon the entire race of people. In this verse, one is confronted with the impenetrable mystery of the fall of the human family in that sad instance wherein the federal head of the race deliberately chose to reject the benign rule of his God and Creator and to become the servant of the devil. More is in that disaster than people shall ever know until they see their Saviour face to face. As Moule expressed it: Nowhere does the divine Book undertake to tell us all about everything. It undertakes to tell us truth, and to tell it from God; but it reminds us that we “know in part,” and that even prophecy, even the inspired message is “in part” (1 Corinthians 13:9).[26]One of the most difficult questions related to the study of the Bible is situated squarely in this incredible thing that through only one person’s sin, and that only in a single instance, death came upon every one of earth’s teeming populations. What a vast consequence for such a little rebellion! But, however people may draw back from it, the sad facts are indisputable. Furthermore, life as it is still constituted upon this earth is an unvarying demonstration of the very same principle, as, for example, when a careless driver sends his automobile off a cliff; it is not the driver alone who pays the penalty, but the innocent passengers as well. The eternal righteousness of God who created and maintains such a system is in no way compromised by the way the system works. It operates according to God’s wise design; and the Father’s true righteousness, Paul vindicated at once, showing that, in the same manner that death came upon all through Adam, Christ, the second Adam, has brought life and salvation to all. Ironside has a perceptive summary of the significance of Christ as the second Adam, thus: Adam the first was federal head of the old race. Christ risen, the Second Man, and the last Adam, is head of the new race. The old creation fell in Adam, and all his descendants were involved in his ruin. The new creation stands eternally secure in Christ, and all who have received life from him are sharers in the blessings procured by his cross and secured by his life at God’s right hand.[27]For that all have sinned … does not mean that every person ever born commits sin in exactly the same way as Adam. The heathen, the innocent, and the incompetent suffer the penalty of death, because the entire status of earthly life was altered by Adam’s transgression, and all people partake of Adam’s penalty. Even the Saviour, perfectly innocent though he was, through his entry into our life incurred its penalty. Him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf; that we might become the righteousness of God in him (2 Corinthians 5:21). Thus, God’s law regarding sin and death was proved to be operative invariably and without partiality or exceptions, even upon God himself “come in the flesh”! How truly marvelous is the absolute righteousness of God. No thoughtful person could find fault with the justice and fairness of such a Governor of creation. [26] H. C. G. Moule, The Epistle to the Romans (London: Pickering and Inglis Ltd.), p. 144. [27] H. A. Ironside, Lectures on the Epistle to the Romans (Neptune, New Jersey: Loizeaux Brothers, Inc., 1928), p. 69, Verse 13 For until the law sin was in the world; but sin is not imputed when there is no law.The subject Paul introduced in Romans 5:12 is left hanging until Romans 5:18; and the ensuing verses (Romans 5:13-17) are parenthetical. At first glance, this verse appears to be stating a paradox. In the pre-Mosaic period, sin was not imputed; how then can it be said that “sin was in the world”? Godet explained it thus: Even during the time that elapsed down to the giving of the law sin was in the world (as evidenced by the fact that all died); now sin is undoubtedly not reckoned in the absence of law. Nevertheless, that did not prevent sin from reigning during all the interval between Adam and Moses, which proves certainly that it was imputed in some measure.[28]Man was created in God’s image; but it is stated of Adam that when he begat a son, “Adam begat a son in his own likeness, after his image” (Genesis 5:3), the significance of this appearing in the fact that Adam, through sin, had effaced the divine image which he bore previously; consequently, the contamination of the natural man was transferred through every birth ever recorded on earth. Thus it was that death reigned from Adam to Moses and till now, except upon those who live in Christ. It is not intended here to lend assent to the doctrine of original sin. It was not Adam’s guilt that was transferred, because the Saviour himself described the innocence of little children (Matthew 18:1-10). This is the place, perhaps, to consider that Enoch and Elijah did not pass through death, but were translated, these two exceptions to the universal penalty of death standing alone and isolated in the sacred text. Why there were these two exceptions is not revealed; but they have the practical effect of teaching that death would not have come to Adam and his posterity except for the fall in Eden. There are a number of questions relative to Adam’s fall and its disastrous consequences to all who ever lived that may not be dogmatically answered, there being elements of a mystery in those primeval events which lie somewhat beyond the boundaries of finite understanding. ENDNOTE: [28] F. Godet, Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1970), p. 212. Verse 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the likeness of Adam’s transgression, who is a figure of him that was to come.Both Adam and Moses are types of Christ, but here the focus is upon Adam, a figure also developed by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:45-49. Adam was the great progenitor of the human race; Christ is the spiritual head and father of all that are saved. Adam brought shame and death to all mankind; Christ has made possible the salvation of all mankind. Adam’s bride, Eve, was taken from his side while a great sleep was upon him. Christ’s bride, the church (in a figure) was taken from the side of Christ while the sleep of death was upon our Lord, as evidenced by the blood and water that came forth from the thrust of the Roman soldier’s spear. As the Scriptures say: This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood (1 John 5:6). Satan seduced and deceived the bride of Adam; and in the long, wretched story of the historical church, it is evident that Paul’s fear of the same fate for the bride of Christ was more than justified (2 Corinthians 11:3). It is clear, therefore, that Adam is to be considered as a type of Christ, more in the instance of contrasts than in similarities. Adam’s one sin contrasts with Christ’s entire life of perfect holiness. Death for all which followed Adam’s disobedience contrasts with life for all which followed as the consequence of Christ’s obedience. In this verse Paul took account of the alleged injustice of God in permitting death to fall even upon them that had not sinned as did Adam (infants, for example); and, in keeping with what is construed in this commentary as Paul’s great theme of vindicating God’s righteousness, the following words of Godet are appropriate: This imputation of Adam’s sin, as the cause of death to every individual man, would be absolutely incomprehensible, and incompatible with the justice of God, if it passed beyond the domain of natural life marked off by the mysterious relation between the individual and the species. The sequel will show that as soon as we rise to the domain of spiritual life, the individual is no longer dependent upon the solidarity of the species, but that he holds his eternal destiny in his own hands.[29]Thus the great and eternal righteousness of God appears in the fact of the Remedy provided, a remedy in which the reverse consequences of Adam’s fall may be received in Christ Jesus, and wherein all who apply it may find everlasting life through him. ENDNOTE: [29] Ibid. Verse 15 But not as the trespass, so also is the free gift. For if by the trespass of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God, and the gift of the one man, Jesus Christ, abound unto the many.Godet’s opinion that this and the two following verses are “among the most difficult in the New Testament”[30] is surely justified; and the opinions of learned scholars as to the exact nature of the contrast between the two Adams intended by Paul are so diverse as merely to add to the confusion. As it stands in English, the first clause appears to mark a contrast between “a sad effect and a happy effect,"[31] or the contrast between “just recompense and free grace."[32] In the second clause, there is plainly a contrast of numbers, as pointed out by Tholuck,[33] that is, a contrast in quantity. An objection against the view that a contrast of quantity is intended is lodged in the fact that death through Adam was universal; how then could Paul’s “much more” be applied to the consequences of Christ’s achievement? The problem is resolved in this, that except for the success of Christ’s earthly mission, the human family would long ago have terminated; and, therefore, it is most fitting to grant a greater quantity to the beneficial work of Christ than to the destructive work of Adam. Every man ever born on earth since Jesus Christ owes his physical existence, as well as his spiritual hope, to the Saviour; for if Christ had failed, there would no longer have existed any righteous basis whatever for the continuation of the race of people. Regarding the theoretical peccability of Christ, see my Commentary on Hebrews, p. 99. [30] Ibid., p. 213. [31] Ibid., p. 214. [32] Ibid., p. 213. [33] Tholuck, as quoted by F. Godet, op. cit., p. 213. Verse 16 And not as through one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment came of one unto condemnation, but the free gift came of many trespasses unto justification.Paul was here pursuing a line of thought stressing the contrasts between Adam and Christ. In the verse immediately preceding, there was mentioned a contrast in quantity. Here the contrast is between the fact that condemnation resulted from the single sin of a single individual, and the fact that justification, on the other hand, applies, not to a single sin only, but to all sin. Verse 17 For if, by the trespass of the one, death reigned through the one: much more shall they receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one, even Jesus Christ.Continuing the presentation of the contrasts between the two Adams, Paul here noted the contrast in the quality of the consequences deriving from the actions of each. The reign of condemnation deriving from Adam was through death; the reign of righteousness deriving from Christ was through life. Life is more than death, “much more”! Furthermore, the life in Christ reaches ultimately an eternal status. Paul had, with this verse, concluded the discursive detour that he began with Romans 5:13, and was about to affirm (Romans 5:18-19) that the universal justification in Jesus Christ (potentially) is the counterpart of the universal condemnation in Adam. Immediately, in the next two verses, Paul would state the great conclusion which he had in mind as far back as Romans 5:12, but which he did not state until he had laid the logical ground of it in the intervening paragraph, which although not set apart by marks of parenthesis, is, despite that, truly parenthetical. The gift of righteousness … is a mistranslation, as a glance at the English Revised Version (1885) margin reveals. The Greek text says, “an act of righteousness,” meaning, of course, God’s act of righteousness. Thus this passage does not support the concept of “a righteousness” in the sense of Romans 5:1:17, although it appears that the translators might have had that in mind by such a rendition. Attention is again called to the admitted difficulties in the interpretation of these verses (Romans 5:13-17); and, in view of the extensive dissertations of scholars, and the many conflicting opinions of the learned, it is appropriate to enter a disclaimer of dogmatism. What has been advocated here is that which the words, as they stand in English, appear to this writer to say; and since our Lord himself said, “What is written in the law; how readest thou?” we have dared to put it down. There are striking contrasts in this chapter: (1) There is the contrast between the two Adams (see under Romans 5:14); (2) there is the contrast between the two reigns, (a) that of sin and death and (b) that of grace and righteousness; and (3) also the multiple contrasts heralded by Paul’s five successive “much more’s” (Romans 5:9-10 Romans 5:15 Romans 5:17 Romans 5:20). A more detailed study of the latter is in order: (1) Contrasted with the fact that Christ died for us while we were sinners, is the truth that we are “much more” saved by his life. (2) Contrasted with our sinful condition, we are “much more” saved by Christ in our state of reconciliation. (3) Contrasted with the fact that worldwide condemnation resulted from one man’s sin, and that only in a single act, “much more” did the grace of God reach out to cover all the sins of all the men who ever lived (potentially). (4) Contrasted with the reign of death through the one (Adam), “much more” shall Christians receive abundance of grace through God’s righteous act in the one (Christ). (5) Contrasted with the abounding of sin because the law came in, is the abounding of grace “more exceedingly.” These five “much more’s” loom like mountain peaks and are suggestive of the great “I am’s” of the Gospel of John. Verse 18 So then as through one trespass the judgment came unto all people to condemnation; even so through the act of righteousness the free gift came unto all men to justification of life.The injection of no less than seven words into this verse by the translators to make Paul say what they thought he meant was altogether gratuitous. They do not clarify at all, but merely confuse. Stripping the verse of the italicized portions of it (which make up more that 20 percent of it), we have the following: So then as through one trespass unto all men to condemnation; so through one act of righteousness unto all men to justification of life. This is a terse way of saying that, just as through one act of Adam all people received condemnation, just so, through God’s one righteous act (of sending Christ), came the justification of life. Of course, Christ is indeed God’s free gift; but not the freedom of that gift, but its righteousness, is what Paul stated here. This is the great proposition Paul began to state at Romans 5:12. Just as a single act of Adam resulted in universal death to all mankind (as applied to natural death only), so God’s one righteous act of giving his only begotten Son, the second Adam, brought life to all people, physical life to all since he came, and eternal life to all who believe and obey him. (See under Romans 5:15). What a righteous thing it was for God to provide a means to recover the lost inheritance of Paradise! As Ironside expressed it! A life is offered as a free gift to all who are involved in the consequences of Adam’s sin, which life is the eternal life manifested in the Son of God who once lay low in death under the sentence of condemnation, but arose in triumph, having abolished death, and now as Head of a new race, imparts his own resurrection life, a life with which no charge of sin can ever be linked, to all who believe in him.[34]This is the “new creation” of which Paul frequently wrote. Wherefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature: the old things are passed away; behold they are become new (2 Corinthians 5:17). Let it be noted that the new life is specifically limited to them that are “in Christ.” Someone has described Romans as “The Theology of Salvation in Christ”; and that is the phase of Paul’s teaching that he was about to develop more fully in the next chapters. The gift of God, which is Christ with all that he means, is here said to be “unto all.” Are all therefore saved? Paul wrote Titus thus: The grace of God hath appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world (Titus 2:11-12). Of course, the fact in view, both here and in Titus, is the availability of Salvation to all people, and this has no reference to their actually possessing it. An old minister was once asked a question as to why some are lost. The questioner asked, “Why is it, since salvation has been brought to all people, that some are lost?” The old minister replied, “Why is it that, in spite of all the crystal streams of water that have been flowing down the ermine peaks of snow-clad mountains for thousands of years, there are still dirty people?” Richard Batey has a wonderful exposition of HOW the act of Christ reversed the consequences of Adam’s act of rebellion. He wrote: Adam desired to be like God, knowing good and evil, and disobeyed God. In the desire to be like God, Adam transgressed the limits of his creaturely existence. … On the other hand, Christ who did not count “equality with God a thing to be grasped” (Philippians 2:6), emptied himself and assumed the form of man the creature and servant.[35]Pride always has been and always will be the great temptation of man. It was by pride that Satan himself fell; it is pride that goeth before destruction, that leads the procession of the deadly sins, and that sets up the barriers across every pathway, whether of thought or action, that leads to life. [34] H. A. Ironside, op. cit., p. 75. [35] Richard A. Batey, The Letter of Paul to the Romans (Austin, Texas: R. B. Sweet Company, 1969), p. 75. Verse 19 For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.This is a restatement, for emphasis, of what Paul had just written; but as Thomas noted, there is a significant addition to the thought. One point in the comparison is still incomplete. Adam’s sin has not been contrasted with Christ’s obedience, but with the cause of that obedience. … It is now shown that these effects were wrought by means of Christ’s obedience, the exact contrast of Adam’s disobedience.[36]Fittingly, in view of all that Paul had written, touching upon justification through the “obedience of faith,” he brought dramatically to the foreground in this, the climax of his thoughts in that connection, the obedience of Jesus Christ. Implicit in this is the great fact that only by a perfect faith and a perfect obedience is it possible to attain justification in the sight of God; and how, then, may people have such perfect faith and obedience available to them unto justification? Only “in Christ,” that is, by being dead to themselves, by forsaking utterly their old identity, and by perfect identification with Christ, being “in him,” and thus being saved by his perfect faith and obedience, and not by their own. The greatest heresy of all ages is the proposition that a stinking sinner’s faith can justify the sinner, either with or without obedience of the kind any man would be able to exhibit! On this verse, R. L. Whiteside observed that, “The many” here includes all that arrive at the years of responsibility. Paul does not say how these were made sinners by the disobedience of Adam, nor how they are to be made righteous by the obedience of Christ. It is pure assumption to argue that the disobedience of Adam is imputed to his offspring, or that the obedience of Christ is imputed to anybody. Neither guilt nor personal righteousness can be transferred from one person to another; but the consequences of either, to some extent, may fall upon others.[37]What Whiteside observed regarding the fact that it is absolutely impossible to transfer righteousness from one person to another is profoundly true. It is not by transferring the righteousness of Christ into sinners that God justifies and saves the lost, but by transferring the sinners into Christ! The sinner dies to himself, effaces himself utterly, dies to sin, puts off the old man, and enters Christ, thus having a new identity “in Christ,” with the consequence that the perfect faith and obedience of Christ, called Christ’s righteousness, are thereupon his, actually his; for, in a very real sense, he IS CHRIST. Paul put it like this: It is no longer I that live, but Christ liveth in me; and that life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith (not my own faith) which is in the Son of God (Galatians 2:20). (Parenthesis mine; italicized additions to text omitted). For me to live is Christ (Philippians 1:21). It should be noted, especially, that Paul avoided the construction of this verse in such a manner as to require its application to infants. The salvation of infants who die before attaining an age when they might either believe or obey the Lord does not come within the purview of Paul’s teaching here, nor for that matter, of anything in the New Testament. The Lord did not see fit to enlighten people on how those dying in infancy are saved. Why? It was absolutely unnecessary. Human beings, however, are loathe to let a thing like that alone; and people have not hesitated to illuminate the void on this question with their own peculiar darkness. The following epitaph from St. Andrew’s churchyard in Scotland is a case in point. Bold infidelity, turn pale and die. Beneath this stone, four sleeping infants lie: Say, are they lost or saved? If death’s by sin, they sinned, for they are here. If heaven’s by works, in heaven they can’t appear. Reason, ah, how depraved! Turn to the Bible’s sacred page, the knot’s untied: They died, for Adam sinned; they live, for Jesus died![38]It has already been noted that Romans 5:19 is so constructed as to avoid its application to infants; but people have thrust that meaning into it anyway, and then have perverted it to teach, as in the epitaph, that people do not have to obey to be saved!

Of course, every falsehood has feet of clay; and the unwritten words in the epitaph are that “If heaven’s by faith, they still cannot appear”! But appear they will, of course. God has his own way of saving the innocent, and there is utterly no need to be concerned with it, for it has not been revealed in scripture. [36] Griffith Thomas, op. cit., p. 158. [37] Robertson L. Whiteside, A New Commentary on Paul’s Letter to the Saints at Rome (Denton, Texas: Miss Inys Whiteside, 1945), p. 125. [38] H. A. Ironside, op. cit., p. 77. Verse 20 And the law came in besides, that the trespass might abound; but where sin abounded, grace did abound more exceedingly.Here is the fifth of the great series of “much more’s” which mark this portion of Paul’s letter. See under Romans 5:17. Paul used “law” here without the article; but the translators are correct in supplying the article, for it cannot be doubted that the law of Moses was Paul’s subject, not merely here, but everywhere this term is mentioned in Romans. The abounding of sin which followed the giving of the law was the subject of this word of Lyth, The wise physician often gives medicine, to bring the disease from within to the surface, and make it abound, so to speak, with a view of driving away the disorder, and so enabling health to reign in the system of his patient.[39]Irenaeus was probably the first to use that illustration, thus: The law is a poultice to bring sin to a head.[40]Greathouse observed that, The law’s intrusion was not without divine point. It was introduced to increase consciousness of wrongdoing (Galatians 3:19). Men will never see their sin or feel their need of a Saviour until their sin becomes transgression.[41]The connection here between the giving of the law and the abounding of sin cannot be construed as teaching that God’s intention was to increase sin. Whiteside noted that God did not give laws for the purpose of making people worse sinners, but to restrain people from wrong and guide them in the right way. There is this, however, the more things law prohibits, and the more things it requires, the more points there are where we may violate the law. In that way, law may increase the number of sins.[42]It would seem that there is also another sense in which law caused sin to abound, and that is in the sense of focusing the attention of the sinner upon a prohibition, and thus prompting him to commit an act that might not have occurred to him in the absence of the prohibition. There is a perversity in people that violates laws merely because they are laws. For example, if there were a law forbidding people to walk backward for one hundred yards, there would be people to violate it; or, if there were a law that no man might run more than one mile in a single day, there would be people to violate it who had never run a mile in all their lives previously. From the above, it would appear that the entrance of law caused sin to abound: (1) by focusing attention upon things prohibited; (2) by actually multiplying the number of violations; and (3) by making people more conscious of the fact that they were violators. As Thomas noted, As we review this great passage, we must take care to enter into the fullness of the apostle’s meaning. Not only does he teach that what we have derived from the first Adam is met by what we have derived from Christ, but that the transcendence of the work of Christ is almost infinite in extent.[43]Dr. Mabie, as quoted by Thomas in this same place, said: The full meaning of Paul is not grasped until we perceive that the benefits received from Christ, the second Adam, are in inverse ratio to the disaster entailed by the first Adam. [39] Lyth in Biblical Illustrator, op. cit., p. 431. [40] Irenaeus, quoted by Wm. M. Greathouse, op. cit., p. 123. [41] William M. Greathouse, op. cit., p. 122. [42] Robertson L. Whiteside, op. cit., p. 126. [43] Griffith Thomas, op. cit., p. 159. Verse 21 That as sin reigned in death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.Sin is personified in this verse and represented as a heartless and cruel monarch ruling pitilessly over his victims in death, meaning that sin brings death to all that are contaminated by it. Whiteside believed that “death” here is a reference to “spiritual death” only;[44] but Lard took a more comprehensive view, declaring that, It would be quite as correct, I presume, to speak of sin reigning in the punishment after death of the finally impenitent, as of its reigning in death now. Sin reigns in all the evil that it has entailed upon man, whether time or eternity be in view. … On the contrary, grace is here personified as a benignant king, whose reign is only partial now; but whose victory is sure in the end. Release from sin is the means or scepter through which favor is to achieve its final victory. This blessed reign is to go on, and never cease, until its consummation in eternal life “through Jesus Christ our Lord."[45]Therefore, Paul had truly vindicated the righteousness of God in the vigorous arguments presented in this chapter. The first eleven verses showed the righteousness of God in the use of human sorrows and heartaches as disciplines leading to ultimate glory, and not to be understood as evidences of God’s indifference; and in the remaining verses, he showed that the disastrous consequences of Adam’s transgression had been more than offset by a righteous act of God himself through the giving of the Beloved for man’s redemption, the latter action of God not merely counterbalancing Adam’s disastrous behavior, but transcending it to infinity. [44] R. L. Whiteside, op. cit., p. 127. [45] Moses E. Lard, op. cit., p. 192.

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Questions by E.M. Zerr For Romans 51. By what faith are we justified ? 2. State the result of our being justified. 3. Into what does this give us access ? 4. In what do we rejoice ? 5. What indicates this condition is firm? 6. In what should we glory now? 7. What is the advantage of tribulation? 8. State the series from tribulations to hope. 9. Why does hope not make us ashamed? 10. How can the Holy Spirit give us things today? 11. Did Christ die because of our strength ? 12. For what class did he die ? 13. Was this death voluntary on his part? 14. Is distinction made between righteous and good? 15. For which did Christ die ? 16. By what are we justified? 17. Through what will we be saved from wrath? 18. From what state were we reconciled to God ? 19. In which direction does reconciliation go ? 20. State results of “ death” and “ life” of Jesus. 21. Through whom may we have joy in God? 22. Give another word for atonement. 23. By whom was the atonement brought about ? 24. How many men engaged in bringing in sin ? 25. What was the Tesult of sin? 26. On how many did death pass? 27. Tell the reason given for this. 28. Was this a penalty for Adam’ s sin? 29. Did the law introduce sin? 30. Why was sin not imputed before Moses’ time ? 31. Did all men sin in same manner as Adam? 32. What reigned from Adam onward? 33. Of whom was Adam a figure? 34. Does this apply to his manner of life? 35. Are the offense and free gift the same ? 36. Which is the more important? 37. In which does “ many” mean more people? 38. How many men sinned in the beginning ? 39. Will the gift of grace come to more than this? 40. Through how many and whom does the gift come 41. Who is the “ one man” verse 17, first instance? 42. And who is the one in second instance? 43. In what sense do receivers of the gift reign ? 44. To what were all “ condemned” in verse 18? 45. Does verse 18 teach justification is unconditional 46. Who is the “ one” verse 19, second instance? 47. Why did the law enter the world ? 48. State what abounded in same proportion as sin. 49. What results from the reign of sin? 50. And the result of righteousness?

Romans 5:1-21

Romans 5:21. This verse is the grand conclusion of Paul’s argument. The sin of Adam brought physical death upon all mankind, and bringing in a law of conduct brought spiritual death upon all who failed to obey that law. Then the great work of Christ brought physical life to all mankind unconditionally, and spiritual life to all who avail themselves of the “unspeakable gift” of this human-divine sacrifice of the Son of God.

Romans 5:2

5:2 Rom 5:2. By whom means by Christ, and this grace means the favor of justification before God. Such justification could not have been obtained by virtue of the works of the law, therefore we (Christians) stand and rejoice in the hope of partaking of the glory of God. Of course that glory is to come at the end of the world (Colossians 3:4).

Romans 5:3

5:3 Rom 5:3. Since the glory is to be received in the future, we welcome the experience of tribulations. It is not the pleasure of tribulations in which we glory, but it is the good fruit of patience produced thereby.

Romans 5:4

5:4 Romans 5:4. Patience results in experience, because it can come only by persistent practice, and we would not do that if we were not patient. All of this results in hope, because, having adhered to a course of righteousness in spite of tribulations, we have reason to look for final victory.

Romans 5:5

5:5 Romans 5:5. The hope we have of a life with Christ when this present period of tribulation is over, keeps us from being ashamed of that which we have endured for His. sake (Acts 5:41). The Holy Ghost (or Spirit) was given to the early Christians in miraculous measure (Acts 2:38 Acts 8:14-18). After the complete New Testament was produced, the Spirit dwelled in the church which is the “temple of God” (1 Corinthians 3:16-17). However, this indwelling is not in miraculous measure, because that form of it was to cease after the complete rule of faith in Christ was given (Ephesians 4:8-16).

Romans 5:6

5:6 Romans 5:6. Without strength means we were powerless to save ourselves, or to devise any system by which mankind could be saved. Of necessity, then, we were ungodly as to our spiritual standing, and hence when Christ died his death was for the ungodly.

Romans 5:7

5:7 Romans 5:7. For all practical purposes the words righteous and good mean the same, and they are generally so used in the New Testament. But when used in distinction from each other, the first means a man who does what is right because the law under which he is living requires it. The second means a man who is naturally of an agreeable disposition so that “everybody likes him,” although he may not be living in obedience to any laws. There are people who would die for such a person if the circumstances called for it.

Romans 5:8

5:8 Romans 5:8. God and Christ went beyond all these conditions and showed their love for us while we were sin-ners–neither righteous nor good–by having Christ to die for our sins.

Romans 5:9

5:9 Romans 5:9. Justified by his blood is explained at chapter 3:25, 26. Through such a complete satisfaction offered by the blood of Christ, the wrath of God against sin will be turned away from us.

Romans 5:10

:10Romans 5:10. Jesus found us in sin and reconciled us to his Father through his blood, which denotes that He put us into the position of praying terms with God. In that relation with God, we could “work out our salvation” by following the example that Jesus set by his own life.

Romans 5:11

:11Rom 5:11. There is a considerable amount of repetition of thought in several verses. Reconciliation is the same as atonement, and Paul adds it for the sake of emphasis.

Romans 5:12

:12Rom 5:12. The one man by whom sin entered into the world was Adam. He is the only one who is regarded as a personal sinner in this verse. However, it was his sin that caused the separation from the tree of life with its consequent death of the body for all his descendants, we must regard the phrase all have sinned as meaning only that all human beings regardless of age or mental or moral qualification, are physical partakers of the results of Adam’s sin. We know it cannot mean that infants were thereby forced to become sinners as to their character, for they are represented by Jesus as already possessing the character that adults are required to develop before they can enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:3).

Romans 5:13

:13Rom 5:13. Sin in this verse is in the ordinary sense, pertaining to the personal conduct of human beings. Adam introduced the knowledge of it, but a person must be old enough to possess knowledge before he can actually perform it responsibly. Not imputed means it is not taken into account, and the particular form of sin meant in this verse is that which is the transgression of law. (See the comments on this at chapter 4:15.) In view of this, before there was any law given, men could not be counted as sinners by transgression since there was no law to transgress.

Romans 5:14

:14Romans 5:14. It might be (erroneously) concluded from the foregoing, that since men were not adjudged as sinners before the law was given, therefore nobody died before that. Yet the apostle affirms that death did reign through all that period, even over those who had not sinned after the simili-tude–after the manner–of Adam’s transgression. This shows that sin in this verse as applied to all mankind is used in the same sense as it is in verse 12. That is, they had to suffer the physical death that resulted from Adam’s sin, because it caused them to be born outside the garden of Eden and away from the tree of life. The last clause, who is the figure of him that was to come, is introduced to prepare the reader for the comparison a little later on, that deals with the principle of sharing in the results of one man’s righteousness in the same sense as sharing in the results of one man’s sin.

Romans 5:15

:15Romans 5:15. An illustration may be used either by comparison or contrast, or by both, and the present one is used in the last sense. The comparison is in the fact that all mankind will have to partake of the physical results of Adam’s sin which means death of the body. Likewise, all will partake of the physical resurrection from death as a result of the resurrection of Christ. The contrast is in the fact that the grace of God, which means justification from personal sin, is offered to all mankind through Christ, in addition to the resurrection of the body.

Romans 5:16

:16Romans 5:16. This verse means virtually the same as the preceding one, but expressed in slightly different language.

Romans 5:17

:17Romans 5:17. The comparison and contrast are again repeated. The phrase much more denotes that the opportunity to receive abundance of grace is of more value than the mere resurrection of the body which also will be effected through that of Christ.