Rom 5
Romans 5
1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.
3 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;
Paul starts with a specific instance of “justification past” – in this case it is the instance of the saints living in Paul’s day that ARE currently undergoing tribulation. This is not to say that all other saints in all other ages are not also justified. Indeed they were/are and those yet to be saved – certainly will be justified just as Paul points out. But in this case the context is that living saints undergoing tribulation that produced “perseverance” are in fact fully justified. (Justification past)
Romans 5
12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned
13 for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.
All of Calvnism’s favorite words to redefine – are here.
WORLD, ALL MEN etc. And who can argue that
ALL have sinned (not just the “elect”)?? Who can argue that the
WORLD really does Not mean the
Whole World has fallen under the domain of sin – for All have sinned. God appears to be using very “Arminian” terms here – once again.
Though it is granted that it can be shown “in some contexts” that “World” is specifically speaking of the “World of unsaved people”. (yet “never” can it be shown that the “world” means “all the saved people” for never does the Bible say “The World is saved” or “The Whole World will one day be saved”.)
Romans 5
15 But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many.
The Same all-encompassing Many that were lost because of the one fall of the one man Adam are benefited by the One man Christ!!!
Here is a text that Calvinists will not be quoting this text to Arminians any time soon.
Rom 5
16 The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification.
17 For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.
Rom 5:16-17 “Shows” that the same group condemned and subject to death – in that same context and to that same scope of humanity – there results “justification” and “the gift of righteousness”. Just as the condemnation to ALL – does not place ALL immediately in the lake of fire and brimstone nor does it preclude that ALL from later entering into Justification – SO the justification to ALL does not bring ALL immediately into heaven or make ALL believers having experienced justification past and currently enduring tribulation that produced perseverance. Rather in both cases the same group “humanity” is subject to condemnation AND to justification. But neither the condemnation nor the justification is “completed” for all can not be IN the lake of fire and fully justified at the same time – neither indeed is such a completed (ended) concept in mind for EITHER the “condemnation” mentioned or the “justification” mentioned.
Now we see again that the
same ALL that were condemned by Adam’s fall – are in the scope of the benefit of Christ’s gift.
Rom 5
18 So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men.
19 For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.
again - all men - same author, same subject, same reference as we see in vs 12 nailed down here again. All men condemned by Adam - and all men benefited by the one act of Christ – but NEITHER “result” (condemnation and justification) is fully matured-completed. This is very obvious in the case of the condemnation -- for NOBODY is now in the lake of fire and what is more ALL the saints who are in fact justified – saved – HAD to have been “condemned” and THEN justified (saved from that very condemnation). This is not possible if the condemnation is completed (hint: in the roasting of the lake of fire nobody gets justified) .
So this shows that the scope and domain of the condemnation is truly ALL just as is the case for Justification – but in both the case of condemnation and justification – the results are not yet completed. So when we say that condemnation applies to ALL and justification applies to ALL – is the same ALL and it is the same concept of an incomplete “result”. (Under condemnation – subject to condemnation – but not in fact experientially standing in hell). So all are under the umbrella of justification that is not brought “to the world” by “The savior of the World” but all are not in fact “justified” either at the time of Paul or even today since we have MORE yet to be saved justified and we have the fact that ALL do not “open the door” when Christ stands at the door and knocks.
In Christ,
Bob
