Romans 5:12

The same subject, illustrated by the connexion of fallen man with Adam, and justified man with Christ

12. Wherefore, &c. Here begins an important section, closing with the ch. In point of language, and of links of thought, it is occasionally difficult, and moreover deals with the deep mystery of the effects of the Fall. We preface detailed comments with a few general remarks.

1. The section closes one main part of the argument that on the Wayof Justification; and it leads to another that on its Results. It is connected more with the former than with the latter.

2. Its main purpose is unmistakable. It brings out the grandeur and completeness of Christ's work by contrast with the work (so to speak) of Adam. It regards the two as, in some real sense, paralleled and balanced.

3. Without explaining (what cannot be explained, perhaps, in this life,) the reasonof the thing, it states as a factconcerning the Fall that its result is not only inherited sinfulness, but inherited guilt; i.e. liability to punishment, (that of death,) on account of the primeval Sin. Death(in human beings) is penalty:but e.g. infants, void of actual moral wrong, die: therefore they die for inherited (we may say for vicarious) guilt.

4. From this admitted mystery and fact (as plainly it was with the Romans) St Paul argues to the corresponding "life" of believers in virtue of the vicarious righteousness of Messiah, whom here (and in 1 Corinthians 15:22; 1Co 15:45; 1 Corinthians 15:47,) he regards as the Second Adam.

5. Unquestionably the mystery of the Effects of the Fall is extremely great and painful. But it is the mystery of facts;and it is but one of the offshoots of the greatest and deepest of all distressing mysteries, the Existence of Sin. See further, Appendix D.

Wherefore, as, &c. There is no expressed close to this sentence. But a close may be taken as implied in this first clause: q. d., "Wherefore [the case of Justification is] just parallel to the entrance of sin by one man, &c." Romans 5:12 will then be a complete statement.

by one man Cp. 1Co 15:21-22; 1 Corinthians 15:45-49.

sin … death See Romans 5:17-18 for the implied antithesis: Christ, righteousness, life.

death by sin In the case of Man. Scripture nowhere says that death in animalsis due to human sin. Death was the specially threatened penalty to the sole race which was on the one hand created with an animal organism, which could die, and on the other, "made in the image of God." The penalcharacter of death is essential to St Paul's argument.

passed Lit. went through, traversed, penetrated.

upon Better, unto; so as to reachall men. "Men" is expressed here in the Gr., marking the special reference to humanbeings.

for that all have sinned Better, for that all sinned; the aorist. St Paul refers to the First Sin, to the guilt of the Representativeof the race. A close parallel, in contrast, is 2 Corinthians 5:15, where lit. "since One died for all, therefore they all died;" i.e. ideally, in their Divine Representative. See too 1 Corinthians 15:21, where our deathin Adam is spoken of just as our sinin Adam here.