Romans 5.18-21

Well, I am finally back. I am resuming my translation and commentary on Romans, and I look forward to your interaction, Paulos. Though it will lengthen our time through Romans, I am planning on posting on Tuesday. If I have opportunity to post more often, I will. But I think my posts will primarily be on Tuesday evenings. Here goes!

Romans 5.18-21

¹⁸ Therefore, then, as the transgression of one man brought condemnation to all, so also by the one man's act of righteousness came the righteousness of life for all humanity. ¹⁹ For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many shall be made righteous. ²⁰ Now the law entered in with the purpose that transgression might increase; but where sin increased, grace increased all the more, ²¹ in order that as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness unto eternal life through Jesus Messiah our Lord.

In this section Paul works out the implications of what he has been arguing, revisits the function of Torah, which he briefly mentioned in v. 13, and sets up his argument coming in chapter 6 regarding the relationship of one who is in Christ to death and sin, namely that we are dead to it.

As we have seen earlier, Paul is continuing his comparison of Adam and Christ, showing the superior nature of Christ over Adam. Adam's transgression brought condemnation for all men, so also Christ's act of righteousness brought righteousness of life to all men. Here we see that those who belong to Adam are under condemnation, but those who are under Christ, because of his one act of righteousness (which seems to focus on his death and resurrection), all who belong to him, though they once belonged to Adam, now receive the righteousness of life. In verse 19 Paul grounds his statement in v. 18 with another comparison, which highlights the grand accomplishment of the Second Adam's obedience, that is just as the second Adam is righteous, those who belong to the second Adam will be made righteous. What is interesting about v. 19 is that is in the future tense. That is, in other places Paul emphasizes that those who are in Jesus are presently righteous. But here in v. 19 the emphasis is on the future aspect of justification, in that on the last day those who are in the second Adam will hear the declaration of righteous. Because of what Christ has done we will be justified in the last day, and because we will be justified in the last day on account of the obedience of the Last Adam, we are already justified.

In verse 20, Paul returns to Torah, which he mentioned in v. 13. Why was Torah given to Israel? Was it so that Israel may boast before God? No! As Paul mentioned in 3.20, Torah brought knowledge of sin. Now Paul mentions the purpose for Torah. It was not simply to anticipate God's righteousness (3.21). It was so that transgression might increase. Why? So that where sin increased grace would superabound. Why? So that the reign of sin might anticipate the reign of grace, which is through righteousness for eternal life through the work and life of Jesus, the Messiah, our Lord.

Paulos, what seems strange to me, is that Paul seems to be saying here that God testified to his righteousness not only through the structures and patterns in Torah, but also in his design for sin's reign. That is, as I look at this comparison between the reign of sin and the reign of grace, it seems to have the same force as the comparison between the First Adam and the Second Adam, in that just as God designed the Adam to point to Christ, he designed the reign of sin to point to the reign of grace, so that just as Christ was compared Adam, and superseded him, so grace is compared to sin, and supersedes it. It seems strange or queer to think of it this way, but I think this is what Paul is saying. Would you concur?

Grace to you my friend, and welcome back to the blog!

Timotheos