Romans 5:19

Romans 5:19. For. This word shows that we have here the explanation of Romans 5:18, and thus of the whole passage. The sense is: As a consequence of the disobedience of the one man (Adam) the many (including all his posterity) were constituted sinners (put in the category of sinners, subject to condemnation), so also in consequence of the obedience of the one (Christ) shall the many (as many as believe in Him, Romans 5:17) be constituted righteous (be placed in that category). The contrasts are exact, except that ‘the many,' comes in as a middle term of quantity, that ‘man' is omitted in the second clause, where moreover the future is substituted for the past, showing that the actual efficacy of the gospel is here spoken of, and not the objective sufficiency, as in Romans 5:18.

Constituted sinners constituted righteous. The main point open to discussion, is respecting the exact sense of the word ‘constituted' or ‘made.' Three views: (1) set down, placed, as such, in a declarative sense; (2.) placed in the category, because of a vital connection; (3) becoming so ethically, not declaratively. The last seems contrary to the whole course of thought. The first gives a grammatical sense, but is often held in a way which carries the parallel beyond Paul's statements. The second is sustained by the best of modern commentators, though with considerable difference in regard to the mode, and the extent of the parallel. Meyer's position is: Through the disobedience of the one man, because all had a part in it, has the position of all become that of sinners, consequently they were subjected to punishment; on the other hand, God has forgiven believers on account of the death of Christ, and counted their faith as righteousness; thus the obedience of the one has caused that at the judgment the many shall by God's sentence enter into the category of the righteous. Actual sin and inwrought righteousness are results, on either side, but these results are not here under discussion. ‘Obedience' is chosen, in contrast with ‘disobedience,' with a reference, either to Christ's death as the culminating act of His obedience, or to His whole life of obedience culminating in that act. It must be noticed, that the emphasis in this verse and throughout is placed by Paul upon the positive and gracious side of the parallel: righteousness and life to the many through the One Jesus Christ, while interpreters too often dwell well-nigh exclusively upon the other side. The inference of a universal salvation cannot properly be drawn from Romans 5:15; Romans 5:18. Paul teaches the universal sufficiency of the gospel salvation, but we must, in view of his language elsewhere and of the facts which meet us everywhere, make the important distinction between this and the subjective efficacy of Christ's atonement. All men may be saved, hence we invite all; how many and which individuals will be saved, is known only to God. Dr. Hodge says: ‘We have reason to believe that the lost shall bear to the saved no greater proportion than the inmates of a prison do to the mass of a community.' Yet many adults die in Christian lands and surrounded by gospel privileges, without giving any evidence of their faith in Christ, and of a second state of probation we have no proof whatever.