The importance of Rom. 5.12-19 to the doctrine of original sin cannot be overstated. Only Romans 5.12-19 provides pure revelation of Adam's sin on humanity, and why redemption through Christ's death is needed. In this passage, Paul shows that Adam was the representative of his people, who included all humanity, and that Christ was the representative of His people.
Notice....many "
even so" phrases throughout the passage. Everyone is either
in Adam or
in Christ, and just as our being in Adam brings certain consequences such as guilt, depravity, and death, so our being in Christ brings certain consequences such as righteousness, justification, and eternal life.
Charles Hodge says...
"One thing is clear-Adam was the cause of sin in a sense analogous to that in which Christ is the cause of righteousness."
Failure to understand this context has left many in an exegetical nightmare. For instance, Pelagianism says that Adam's fall did not directly affect the human race other then by setting a poor example. If this is true....then to maintain the parallel between Christ and Adam we must be made righteous by following the good example of Jesus Christ!
In verse 12 Paul Says.. "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world. . . .."
1) Some understand "therefore" linked with verse 10, "Having been reconciled, we shall be saved (in) his life."
Having said this, Paul explains in verses 12-19 how this alienation has taken place, and how we are reconciled back to God.
2) Others feel that the connection is more general, a summation of all that Paul said from 1.16-5.11. Having explained the great doctrine of justification by faith, Paul shows in 5.12-19 how God justifies through faith in Christ. It may also be true, as Lloyd-Jones points out, that Paul has both connections in mind.
In any event, clearly in verse 12-19, Paul shows how God justifies the ungodly, and remains just while emphasizing that justification is all of grace, not of works.
"Therefore, just as through one man . . . (5:12)." Both the context and 1 Cor. 15.22 make it clear that Adam is this "one man."
Here Paul begins his grand contrast between the one man Adam, with the one man Jesus Christ. By this one man, Paul argues, sin entered the world. Sin had existed before, but Adam was the cause of sin entering the world, and with sin came death.
Death was not a natural part of God's creation. God did not create Adam with a natural law of death.
Death came into creation because of Adam's Sin. In Genesis, God tells the first man that if he eats of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, he would surely die. Death is that judgement for Adam's sin. However, death did not only affect Adam, for "so death spread to all."
Why? "
Because all sinned."
The meaning of the phrase "
Because all sinned" is the focal point of a long running debate. Does Paul mean "all sinned" literally, therefore they die? In other words, is Paul saying that because everyone sins, everyone dies, or is Paul saying that death came to all because all are somehow guilty of Adams sin?
Grammatically both are possible. However, the
context seems to favor the latter interpretation, that we are all guilty of Adam's sin, therefore we all die.
Most commentaries agree that verses 13-17 are a parenthetical explanation of "
because all sinned." Paul felt the need to explain more fully "because all sinned" and this he does until verse 18 where He restates what he began at the end of verse 12. In verses 13-14 Paul explains that although no Law existed from Adam to Moses all nevertheless die, even those who did not sin after the same manner as Adam. In verse 15, Paul says that by the Adam's transgression the many died. "The many" are those in Adam, as "the many" at the end of verse 15 are those in Christ. In verse 16, Paul tells us that those in Adam are condemned, while those who are in Christ are justified. In verse 17, Paul says that through Adam's sin death reigned. In verse 18, Paul clearly says that through Adam's sin there resulted in condemnation to all men. Again, the parallelism employed by Paul makes "all men" to mean "all men" in Adam, as the "all men" in the second half of the verse refers to "all men" in Christ. The context, therefore, suggests that when Paul said "because all sinned" he was refereeing to the fact that all are guilty of Adam's sin and as such all die.
Nevertheless...
and please read this, if you read nothing else...no matter what one believes to be the reason for death in the world, the Bible states all are
condemned not only because personal sin, but also for Adam's sin..... "So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men" (verses 18).
A . A. Hodge rightly says....
"Paul here proves that the guilt,...legal obligation to suffer the penalty-of Adam's sin is imputed to us, by the unquestionable fact that the penalty of the law which Adam broke has been inflicted upon all."
Now you may agree with all or most of this and do not see the point. It has been a while since I posted on sin nature and much has been said in the past few weeks who see dead as "sick" and not dead as dead...so this post was two fold. To set ground for How God uses evil, and to state reason why man indeed is dead.
Next I hope to address how this sin nature can be used of God yet without God seen as evil.
Last..your limited view of God.
Thanks again for your reply.
In Christ...James
