Translation1
12 For this reason, just as sin by means of one person entered into the world, and death through sin, and thus death passed unto all men, because all have sinned. 13 For until the coming of the law (Torah), sin was in the world. But sin was not registered to anyone’s account since there was no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses even over those who did not sin in the same way as the transgression of Adam, who is a type of the One who was to come.
15 But not as the transgression thus also the gift. For if, by one person’s transgression, the many died, how much more the grace of God, that is, the gift by means of the one Person Jesus Christ, increased unto the many. 16And the gift is not as through one person’s sin. For indeed, judgment which came from one person’s sinning ended in condemnation. And the gift which came after many transgressions ended in justification. 17 For if, by one person’s transgression, death reigned through that one person, how much more those who are receiving the abundance of grace, that is, the gift of righteousness, shall reign in life’s sphere through that one Person Jesus Christ.
18 In summary then, just as through one transgression, condemnation came unto all humanity, thus also, through one righteous deed, righteousness, which is life, shall be for all humanity. 19 For just as by means of one person’s disobedience, the many were made sinners, thus also by one person’s obedience, the many shall be made righteous.
20 Now the law slipped in so that the transgression might spread: where sin spread, grace was overwhelming, 21and so that just as sin reigned because of death, thus also so that grace might reign through righteousness unto life eternal by means of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Paul’s goal in writing Romans 1–11
The goal of Paul’s argument from Romans 1:18 onwards is articulated in Romans 11:32— God has consigned all people unto disobedience so that He might have mercy on all. Paul also uses the very same Greek word that I have translated consigned in Galatians 3:22:Nevertheless Scripture has consigned all things to be under the power of sin so that the promise which flows from faith of Jesus Christ should be given to those that believe. Taking these two scriptures together, one could conclude that what Paul has written in Romans 3:9 about all being under the power of sin he restates in both Galatians 3:22 and Romans 11:32 in slightly different forms. Hence in Romans 7:14 the “I” who is sold under the power of sin is all humanity, and all humanity, whether Jew or Gentile, is under the control of the power of sin (Rom. 3:9). As a power that pervades all humanity, sin cannot be described as a lapse or even a series of lapses in a person’s life. Sin is a power that “underlies every human event and conditions every human status. [It] . . . is the characteristic mark of human nature.”2 The second part of Romans 11:32 stresses the idea that God’s judgment of disobedience on the entire world was so that He might have mercy3 on all. The bulk of Romans, as well as Galatians, tells us how God had or has mercy on all—through the faith of Jesus Christ for all who believe (Rom. 3:21–26; Gal. 2:164).
This brings us to Paul’s thesis: For just as in Adam all die thus also in Christ all shall be made to live (1 Cor. 15:22). This comparison between the effect of Adam’s transgression and the benefits of Christ’s deed is worked out in Romans 5:12– 21. We see the devastating effect of Adam’s transgression on the one hand and the benefits of the gift through Jesus Christ that are beyond any kind of comparison with the transgression on the other. We also note the law’s inability to right what has gone wrong; therefore, we live in the realm of two lordships.
Two powers or lords
We have here the existence of two powers or lords that are in mortal combat with each other for humanity. We are all under one of the two powers or lords: sin5or God’s righteousness. God seeks a person who has been gripped by the power of sin and invades that person with His prevenient grace.6The power of God’s prevenient grace is present because no one can seek after God or find Him without God’s help (Rom. 3:10, 11).7Prevenient grace is needed for individuals so that they can have the possibility of making a decision for Christ (Rom. 5:17). All people are considered to be ungodly since all, both Jew and Gentile, are under the power of sin (Rom. 3:9). Since God justifies the ungodly (Rom. 4:5), individuals, through God’s prevenient grace, can make a decision that would place them under the lordship of Christ. If they do make such a decision, God, through the power of His grace, rescues the person from sin’s grasp and places the individual under the power of righteousness. In fact, the sinner becomes God’s righteousness in Christ (2 Cor. 5:21). Although individuals live in a world controlled by sin, they have been rescued out of the present evil age (Gal. 1:4) and now live under the power of God’s righteousness. Everyone has the promise of living eternally by participating in the eschatological life (cf. 2 Cor. 1:21, 22). So the decision, proffered through God’s righteousness, revealed in God’s Son: Will sin or Jesus Christ be lord of my life?
The devastating effect of Adam’s transgression
Adam’s transgression has sentenced “the many” to death. In fact, Romans 5:15 states that “all” have already died. It’s not a pretty picture, with no hope for those in Adam.
In Romans 5:16, Adam’s transgression moves from judgment to condemnation—thus reiterating exactly what was articulated in Romans 5:15. Death results because of Adam’s transgression, and not just for Adam but for all his descendents.
In Romans 5:17, the apostle states that this death that passed over all humanity (cf. Rom. 5:12) rules because of the one transgression of the man Adam.
In Romans 8:2, the apostle articulates the power of sin and death as ruling together. They form a partnership, wreaking havoc on all humanity. In 1 Corinthians 15:56, Paul describes death’s sting as sin, and sin has infected all humanity. The law gives sin its power since, where no law exists, sin is dead (Rom. 4:15; 7:8). And as Romans 8:3 says, the law cannot reverse what Adam’s transgression has caused—in fact, it exacerbates the situation (Rom. 7:7–11). A change of lordship must take place for the law to be an effective power for good (Rom. 8:3, 4).
The coming of the law
According to Romans 5:13, sin ruled in spite of the fact that there was no written law. This indicates that there was no means to register an offense against anyone because there was no codified law.
But in spite of this inability to register an offense, death still reigned (Rom. 5:14), and, as a result, sin and death ruled over humanity during the time between Adam and Moses. The apostle writes in Romans 2:14–16 that those who sin without a law will perish without the law because they have a law within themselves. In the day of judgment their conscience will testify either for or against them. Paul says that God will judge the world in accordance with “my gospel,” or the apostle’s gospel (Rom. 2:16; cf. Rom. 1:2–5). Because the law is not needed in a codified form, justice can be exacted based on the law within. The law within, to be sure, is at least in part in agreement with the codified Torah (cf. Rom 2:15). On the basis of law all are condemned.
In Romans 5:20, 21, the apostle articulates that the law “slipped in” by stealth. This word, translated slipped in, Paul also used to describe the false brethren who slipped in to spy out the freedom one has in Christ Jesus (Gal. 2:4). The false brethren wanted to enslave the believers. Perhaps the law does the same thing by enslaving one to sin, since sin uses the law to cause more sin. Because of what is wrong with humanity, humans try to exert effort to obtain what the law promises by faith. Thus the law’s coming, according to the apostle, turns out to be not good for righting what has gone wrong with humanity (Rom. 8:3). The law’s function, which was believed to be a fence or force against sin, actually turned out to be a force that caused sin to spread—for it formed a nexus with sin. Where sin spreads, death rules. So instead of curbing sin, the coming of the law caused sin to spread; therefore, sin continued to rule by means of death. The questions to ask, then, are, Did God make a mistake when He gave the law? Does the law give a false hope when it says, “You shall keep my statues and my ordinances: by doing so one shall live: I am the LORD” (NRSV of Lev. 18:5; cf. Gal. 3:11, 12; and Rom. 10:5ff.)? The law does not give a false hope, for Paul has been using the law as proof for God’s way of righting what has gone wrong (cf. Rom. 3:31; 4). By misunderstanding the law as an invitation to exert human effort to accomplish its fulfillment in order to live, one accomplishes the very opposite of what the law promises (cf. Rom. 7:15, 25).
The law, which cannot right what has gone wrong with humanity, does not at first glance appear to be of benefi t for humanity, for it does seem to be used by sin to cause more sin and death. Nevertheless the law, which defi nes what a right relationship with God is, has as its goal, Christ. In Romans 9:30–10:4, Paul makes a rather harsh statement: 30 Therefore what shall we say, that the Gentiles, those who were not pursuing righteousness (i.e., a right relationship with God), received righteousness (a right relationship with God), namely the righteousness which flows from faith. 31 And Israel pursuing a law of righteousness did not obtain unto the law. 32 Why? It was because [their righteousness] did not fl ow from faith but it fl owed as from works [human effort]. They stumbled over the stone of stumbling. 33 Just like it is written: Look I place in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense. The one who believes on it will not be put to shame.. . . 10:3 For they [Israel], being ignorant of the righteousness of God, sought [through human effort] to establish their own righteousness. They thus did not submit to the righteousness of God [which is revealed in the gospel, Rom. 1:16]. 4 For the goal of the law is Christ in regard to righteousness (i.e., a right relationship with God) for everyone who believes. In effect he says human effort to keep the law ends in disobedience, 8 for obedience is only obtained by faith (cf. Rom. 1:5; 4:5). Without faith it is impossible to please God (cf. Heb. 11:6). The Israelites were to express faith or belief in Christ, and that they did not do. Hence they stumbled over Christ, the rock of offense. God’s righteousness as revealed in the gospel is God’s Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. The entire law has as its object or goal, Christ. Thus that which rights what has gone wrong with humanity is Christ, and those in Christ are in a right relationship with God.
The law had no power to right what had gone wrong with humanity (Rom. 8:3a). The only way that God could right what had gone wrong with humanity was to send His Son to condemn sin in humanity, which God did (Rom. 8:3). In fact, the apostle states that no one outside of Christ is able to even submit to the law (Rom. 8:7, 8) for only those who are living by or in the Spirit can fulfi ll the requirement of the law (Rom. 8:4).
In the Qumran community the law was considered to be the place where God’s righteousness could operate and operated only for those who accepted God’s commands and tried to obey them. If someone had difficulty keeping the commands, one could expect God’s grace to help out.9Nevertheless, it was taught that one can fi nd victory over sin only in observing the law,10 with this obviously leading to a radicalized life in the law.11 Since one never had assurance, it was only a future hope that God would justify and pardon,12 for outside of Christ no assurance exists.
What the law demanded was met by Jesus Christ. Thus the goal (telos)13of the law was fulfilled in Jesus Christ in regard to righteousness for all believers (Rom. 10:4). A person in Christ had the assurance of eschatological life, and that life begins when one is in Christ and comes to fruition on the day of judgment.
The gift through Jesus Christ our Lord
In contradistinction to the transgression, the gift is presented.14 Romans 5:15 says that the gift cannot be compared on the same basis with the transgression. In fact, it says that the gift is “much more.” The “much more” not only implies that the gift has reversed the effect of the transgression; it implies that the gift has increased for “the many.” The gift, an articulation of the power of God’s grace, is said to be by means of the grace of the one Person, Jesus Christ. In Romans 5:16 Paul says that the gift is not like the one person’s sinning, but the gift flowing after many transgressions ends in rectification, justification, or acquittal. In Romans 5:17 the phrase “much more” is used again. It could probably be translated “It is even more certain,” but it certainly means more than even this. Perhaps one could describe this promise as “incomprehensible.” The text could then be read to say, It is even more certain or much more [in other words it is simply not within the ability of human beings to understand the full impact of what it means] that those who are receiving the abundance of grace—the gift of righteousness—shall reign in life through the One Person Jesus Christ.
Righteousness, as a relational term, is the gift of a right relationship with God through the power of God’s grace. The gift of righteousness certainly involves more than a relationship. It involves ethics as well since one reigns. Overcoming the effect of Adam’s transgression involves both ethics and one’s legal standing before God.15 Hence the believer who appropriates the abundance of grace is being transformed and truly being made righteous.16The text goes on to say that the one who receives will reign in life. This life for the Christian, described as an eschatological life, has more power than death and has come about as a result of justification. Thus begins the eternal life, and even though not fully realized now, it will be fully realized on the last day. This all comes about through our Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 5:11, 15, 17, 21). The gift cannot be separated from the One who gives it, our Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 6:23). Hence justification, rectification (or righteousness), and sanctification can be understood only when “seen as what happens in Jesus Christ” 17 (cf. 1 Cor. 1:30).
Christ’s righteous deed reverses and nullifies the effect of Adam’s transgression
Thus, in Adam, the world is lost. But because of Christ’s righteous deed, the world has hope; the world has the certainty that what has gone wrong with humanity will one day be completely righted (Rom. 5:18, 19).
1 All translations are the author’s except where noted.
2 Karl Barth, The Epistle to the Romans, trans. Edwyn C. Hoskyns, 6th ed. (London: Oxford University Press, 1968), 173.
3 Martyn writes, “God is also the one whose capacity to show mercy is more powerful than the capacity of human beings to be disobedient.” J. Louis Martyn, Theological Issues in the Letters of Paul (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1997), 45.
4 See Martyn’s chapter titled “God’s Way of Making Right What Is Wrong.” This chapter is essentially an exegesis of Galatians 2:16; ibid., 141–56. See also Richard B. Hays, The Faith of Jesus Christ: The Narrative Substructure of Galatians 3:1-4:11, ed. Astrid B. Beck and David Noel Freedman, 2nd ed., The Biblical Resource Series (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2002), and Morna D. Hooker, “Πιστις Χριστου,” New Testament Studies vol. 35, no. 3 (1989).
5 Take note of Wisdom 2:24: “But through the devil’s envy death entered the world, and those who belong to his company experience it” (NRSV). The devil here is the power of sin.
6 Prevenient grace is best defined as God’s first movement toward us—making us aware of how we have violated His will, and sparking within us a desire for freedom from sin.
7 Ellen G. White describes this encounter in Steps to Christ (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1956), 26–7.
8 White writes that in the time of Christ “the principle that man can save himself by his own works lay at the foundation of every heathen religion; it had now become the principle of the Jewish religion.” Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1940), 35, 36. It is no different now. The basis or foundation of every false religion is human effort.
9 Morna D. Hooker, A Preface to Paul (New York: Oxford University Press, 1980), 39.
10 Herman N. Ridderbos, Paul: An Outline of His Theology, trans. John Richard De Witt (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1975), 95.
11 Ernst Käsemann, Commentary on Romans, trans. Geoffrey W. Bromiley (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1980), 26.
12 Hooker, Preface, 41.
13 Badenas writes, “Luther explains Rom 10.4 by saying that the whole Bible every where speaks alone of Christ when we regard its real meaning, even outwardly considered as a picture and image, may sound differently. For this reason we also read, ‘Christ is the end of the law, for righteousness. . . that is everything (in Scripture) points to Christ.’ ”Robert Badenas, Christ The End of The Law: Romans 10.4 in Pauline Perspective, ed. David Hill, Supplement Series 10, vol. 10 (Sheffield S10 2TN, England: JSOT, 1985), 20. On the same page he further states, “Notice that Luther’s interpretation of Rom 10.4 is essentially teleological. Even
though he translated telos as Ende in his German of the Bible, he did not use Rom 10.4 as a statement of law, but as a statement of the teleological and Christological character of the OT as announcing and prophesying Christ.” For another view see Wilhelm C. Linss, “Exegesis of Telos in Romans 10:4,” Biblical Research XXXIII (1988).
14 Reumann notes after articulating the contrast between Adam and Christ in Romans 5:12–21 the “absolutely clear . . . association of justification/righteousness with Christ, by grace, as a free gift, for acquittal from trespasses, with eternal life as the result.” John Reumann, Joseph A. Fitzmyer, and Jerome D. Quinn, “Righteousness” in the New Testament: “Justification” in the United States
Lutheran–Roman Catholic Dialogue (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1982), 80.
15 John Ziesler, The Meaning of Righteousness in Paul: A Linguistic and Theological Enquiry (Cambridge [Eng]: University Press, 1972), 197, 198.
16 Käsemann, 96, Reumann, Fitzmyer, and Quinn, 76, 77, 90.
17 Hans Küng, Justifi cation: The Doctrine of Karl Barth and a Catholic Reflection (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004), 59.
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