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To believers
5
Peace with God
1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, let us be at*The Greek manuscripts are about evenly divided between the Indicative and the Subjunctive form of the verb (the difference is between two similar sounding vowels). Most versions follow the Indicative, but the best line of transmission has the Subjunctive, and I follow it. Remember the ‘from faith to faith’ in Romans 1:17. peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have had the access, by the Faith, into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we should also rejoice†The form of the verb is ambiguous between Indicative and Subjunctive; I take it that the Subjunctive is intended. The same ambiguity attaches to the same verb in verse two, where I chose the Indicative, since the thought is reinforced in verse 11 below. in the sufferings, knowing that the suffering produces perseverance; 4 and the perseverance, proven character; and the proven character, hope; 5 and the hope does not humiliate, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.‡A hope based on the person and work of the Holy Spirit within us in not a false hope.
Reconciliation
6 Now then, when we were incapacitated, even so Christ died for the ungodly, at the right moment. 7 Now scarcely even for a righteous person will someone offer to die (although on behalf of a good man someone might dare even to die), 8 but God demonstrates His own love toward us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us! 9 So now that we have been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from the wrath through Him! 10 Because since we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, while we were enemies, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life!§As it says in 2 Peter 1:3, “His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness”, so once we are reconciled we have every reason to succeed! But it is a process, and the result is not automatic.
11 No wonder we rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation!*Yes! Amen! Praise God!
Death X Life
12 Now then, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, just so death spread to all men, because all sinned†The structure here is a ‘chiasmus’: AB,BA. 13 —sin was in the world before the law, to be sure, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin in the likeness of Adam's transgression‡Well dear me, how does that work? If sin is not ‘imputed’, why is there death? The verb ‘imputed’ refers to an account made up of a list of specific items. If I run up a bill at a local store, when I meet the owner on the street we both know I'm in debt, even without an itemized bill in hand. The debt affects our relationship, and may affect my standing in the community, and that of my family, etc.—the consequences derive from the fact, not the itemized list. So “death reigned from Adam to Moses” based on the fact of sin, not on an itemized list. “The wages of sin is death”, so since we are sinners by inclination (birth) and choice, death reigns. Although there is no explicit instruction about animal sacrifice in the first chapters of Genesis, it is implied. For God to accept Abel's sacrifice and reject Cain's, there must have been instruction about such things (Genesis 4:3-5). Indeed, God had given the example by killing an animal to cover the nakedness of the fallen pair (Genesis 3:21). In Genesis 8:20-21 the implication is clear that Noah knew what he was supposed to do. And Job, who lived before Abraham (presumably), knew about sacrifice for sin (Job 1:5). (he is a type of the coming one).§As a transgressor, Adam is not a type of Christ, so I take the reference to be to ‘the man of sin’. Just as Adam's sin affected the whole world, so the Antichrist's ‘abomination’ will affect the whole world, both in a bad way.
15 Now the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one, how much more did God's grace and the bounty by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many! 16 Again, the gift is not like what came from one man's having sinned: because the judgment into condemnation followed one offense, while the gracious gift into justification followed many offenses.*I do not find Paul's reasoning here to be transparent. Perhaps the contrast is heightened in that the gift overcame many offenses. 17 Further, if by the offense of the one man death reigned through that man, much more will those who receive the abundance of the grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.†The first Adam lost the Life; the second/last Adam gives it back.
18 So then, as through one offense there is condemnation for everyone, so also through one righteous act there is life-giving justification for everyone.‡The comparison is interesting, but there is a fundamental difference—we are born condemned, but not justified! There is a way to escape the condemnation, but you have to take it, or remain condemned. The life-giving justification is available, but you have to believe into Jesus to get it. 19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were constituted sinners,§Because of Adam's rebellious choice, sin became part of the genetic pool that defines a human being. Alas! so also through the obedience of the One the many*The phrase ‘the many’ occurs twice in this verse, but the roster of included people is presumably not the same—the second roster is smaller. will be constituted righteous. 20 However, law came on the scene so that the offense might abound; but where the sin abounded, the grace superabounded, 21 so that just as sin reigned in the death,†‘The death’ refers to the world controlled by Satan, where sin reigns; to be separated from God is spiritual death. so also the grace might reign through righteousness into eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

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*5:1 The Greek manuscripts are about evenly divided between the Indicative and the Subjunctive form of the verb (the difference is between two similar sounding vowels). Most versions follow the Indicative, but the best line of transmission has the Subjunctive, and I follow it. Remember the ‘from faith to faith’ in Romans 1:17.

†5:3 The form of the verb is ambiguous between Indicative and Subjunctive; I take it that the Subjunctive is intended. The same ambiguity attaches to the same verb in verse two, where I chose the Indicative, since the thought is reinforced in verse 11 below.

‡5:5 A hope based on the person and work of the Holy Spirit within us in not a false hope.

§5:10 As it says in 2 Peter 1:3, “His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness”, so once we are reconciled we have every reason to succeed! But it is a process, and the result is not automatic.

*5:11 Yes! Amen! Praise God!

†5:12 The structure here is a ‘chiasmus’: AB,BA.

‡5:14 Well dear me, how does that work? If sin is not ‘imputed’, why is there death? The verb ‘imputed’ refers to an account made up of a list of specific items. If I run up a bill at a local store, when I meet the owner on the street we both know I'm in debt, even without an itemized bill in hand. The debt affects our relationship, and may affect my standing in the community, and that of my family, etc.—the consequences derive from the fact, not the itemized list. So “death reigned from Adam to Moses” based on the fact of sin, not on an itemized list. “The wages of sin is death”, so since we are sinners by inclination (birth) and choice, death reigns. Although there is no explicit instruction about animal sacrifice in the first chapters of Genesis, it is implied. For God to accept Abel's sacrifice and reject Cain's, there must have been instruction about such things (Genesis 4:3-5). Indeed, God had given the example by killing an animal to cover the nakedness of the fallen pair (Genesis 3:21). In Genesis 8:20-21 the implication is clear that Noah knew what he was supposed to do. And Job, who lived before Abraham (presumably), knew about sacrifice for sin (Job 1:5).

§5:14 As a transgressor, Adam is not a type of Christ, so I take the reference to be to ‘the man of sin’. Just as Adam's sin affected the whole world, so the Antichrist's ‘abomination’ will affect the whole world, both in a bad way.

*5:16 I do not find Paul's reasoning here to be transparent. Perhaps the contrast is heightened in that the gift overcame many offenses.

†5:17 The first Adam lost the Life; the second/last Adam gives it back.

‡5:18 The comparison is interesting, but there is a fundamental difference—we are born condemned, but not justified! There is a way to escape the condemnation, but you have to take it, or remain condemned. The life-giving justification is available, but you have to believe into Jesus to get it.

§5:19 Because of Adam's rebellious choice, sin became part of the genetic pool that defines a human being. Alas!

*5:19 The phrase ‘the many’ occurs twice in this verse, but the roster of included people is presumably not the same—the second roster is smaller.

†5:21 ‘The death’ refers to the world controlled by Satan, where sin reigns; to be separated from God is spiritual death.

© 2016 Wilbur N. Pickering, ThM, PhD