ROMANS ROAD
to RIGHTEOUSNESS |
Romans
1:18-3:20
|
Romans
3:21-5:21 |
Romans
6:1-8:39 |
Romans
9:1-11:36 |
Romans
12:1-16:27 |
|
SIN
|
SALVATION
|
SANCTIFICATION |
SOVEREIGNTY |
SERVICE |
NEED
FOR
SALVATION |
WAY
OF
SALVATION |
LIFE
OF
SALVATION |
SCOPE
OF
SALVATION |
SERVICE
OF
SALVATION |
God's Holiness
In
Condemning
Sin |
God's Grace
In
Justifying
Sinners |
God's Power
In
Sanctifying
Believers |
God's Sovereignty
In
Saving
Jew and Gentile |
Gods Glory
The
Object of
Service |
Deadliness
of Sin |
Design
of Grace |
Demonstration of
Salvation |
|
Power Given
|
Promises Fulfilled |
Paths Pursued |
Righteousness
Needed |
Righteousness
Credited |
Righteousness
Demonstrated |
Righteousness
Restored to Israel |
Righteousness
Applied |
God's Righteousness
IN LAW |
God's Righteousness
IMPUTED |
God's Righteousness
OBEYED |
God's Righteousness
IN ELECTION |
God's Righteousness
DISPLAYED |
|
Slaves to Sin |
Slaves to God |
Slaves Serving God |
|
Doctrine |
Duty |
|
Life by Faith |
Service by Faith |
|
Modified from Irving
L. Jensen's excellent work "Jensen's
Survey of the NT" |
NEVERTHELESS DEATH REIGNED FROM
ADAM UNTIL MOSES: all ebasileusen (3SAAI) o thanatos apo adam mechri moseos: (Ro
5:17,21;
Ge 4:8;
5:5-31;
7:22;
19:25;
Ex 1:6;
Heb 9:27)
Donald Barnhouse notes that...
About a year before Paul wrote the
epistle to the Romans, he wrote his first letter to the Corinthians in
which he spoke of the Lord Jesus as “the last Adam,” and “the second
man” (1 Cor. 15:45, 47). There he presented, in outline, the truth on
which he elaborates in Romans. “As in Adam all die; so also in Christ
shall all be made alive” (1 Cor. 15:22). He presents death as an enemy
to destroy (v. 26); and He presents Christ as reigning, and continuing
His reign until all things, including the subversive reign of death, are
put under His feet (vv. 24, 25, 27). The first Adam is presented as a
living soul; the last Adam as a life giving spirit (v. 45). Now in
Romans, this theme is greatly enlarged and its implications made plain
in practical application to the Christian’s daily life and walk. Here,
in the argument of this epistle, we are at a turning point (Romans
5:12-21), for it concerns the active Christian life and the life of
Christ flowing through us, that we may know constant triumph in Him.
(Barnhouse, D. G.. God's Grace: Romans 5:12-21. Grand Rapids, MI.:
William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company)
Hodge writes that...
men were subject to death before the
law of Moses was given, and consequently not on account of violating it.
Therefore there must be some other reason for their exposure to death.
Nevertheless - a strong
adversative. Paul is saying is that far from sin not being credited when
there is no law, nevertheless death reigned.
Death (2288)
(thanatos) indicates the opposite of life and the absence of life
and in the NT is seen as the consequence and punishment of sin. Death
speaks of separation, physically of the soul from the body and
spiritually of the soul from God. Note that death does not signify
either annihilation or extinction.
Here Paul speaks not
of death in general but "the death", in a sense personifying
it as a "king" over mankind from the Fall of Man until the giving of the
Law at Mt. Sinai.
Reigned (936)
(basileuo from basileús = a king) means to rule as a king, with
implication of complete authority and right to control in an absolute
manner. It speaks of the dominating quality of death. This Death reigned as an
absolute monarch over all unsaved humanity, exhibiting undisputed,
rightful sway. In America, this picture might lose some of its impact.
But to those who were raised in a country ruled by monarchy, the picture
of a King whose decrees cannot be questioned is very real. So it was
with "King Death".
Remember that in
the beginning when man was created God looked and
"saw all that He
had made, and behold, it was very good." (Ge
1:31)
It was very good
also for Adam was not a sinner and there was perfect fellowship with
God. But when Adam sinned all men became sinners and "the Sin" -- the
sin principle or the sin nature -- came into the world through Adam and
brought to fruition God's sure promise of death. And since death has
indeed reigned in every man after Adam, it is empirical (originating in
or based on observation or experience) proof that they were also
sinners, having inherited the sin nature from Adam. They were sinners
because they were all in Adam when he sinned and were thus made or
constituted sinners (see note
Romans 5:19).
So death is personified as a king reigning. Just as men could not defeat
the rulership of "the Sin", similarly men could not usurp the power
of death and thus they all died.
Even believers die but there is a difference. Hebrews records..
Since then the
children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of
the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the
power of death, that is, the devil; and might deliver those who through
fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. (Heb
2:14-15)
In other words,
yes believers die, but unlike unregenerate mankind, we no longer
are in bondage to the fear that we will die and the certainty that death is the
final hopeless chapter of their futile life. Not so with the believer for
he is safe in the "ark" of Christ and will be delivered from the wrath
to come. Paul echoed this triumphant cry for every believer of every age
writing...
"O DEATH, WHERE IS
YOUR VICTORY?
O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?"
(1Cor
15:55)
Thus even without
the Law, death was universal. All men from Adam to Moses were
subject to death, not because of their sinful acts against the Mosaic
law (which they did not yet have), but because of their own inherited
sinful nature and the fact that when Adam sinned, they sinned.
EVEN OVER THOSE WHO HAD NOT SINNED IN THE LIKENESS OF THE OFFENSE OF
ADAM: kai epi tous me hamartesantas (AAPMPA) epi to homoiomati tes
parabaseos adam os estin (3SPAI) tupos tou mellontos (PAPMSG):
Even -
introduces a clause that shows there were no exceptions.
Sinned (264)
(hamartano) means to miss the mark (and so not share in the
prize) or to act contrary to the will and law of God.
Likeness (3667)
(homoíoma from hómoios = similar) means resemblance or
similitude (correspondence in kind or quality) so that they might did
bread a direct command, written or verbal, but as Paul teachers, death
still reigned over them because of Adam’s transgression.
The Amplified
Version (I utilize it much like a "mini-commentary" - remember
[brackets] signify clarifying words or comments not actually found in
the original text and (parentheses) signify additional phrases of
meaning reflecting the original words) helps understand this phrase
writing...
even over those who did not
themselves transgress [a positive command] as Adam did. (Erdmans)
This same section
in the New Living Translation (NLT) (which I also think can be a useful adjunct to your study if
used with discretion realizing it is a paraphrase albeit in my opinion a
relatively accurate paraphrase) (NLT
- Tyndale House)
they all died anyway—even though they
did not disobey an explicit commandment of God
Adam and Eve
disobeyed a very explicit commandment. God spoke directly to Adam
commanding him that...
from the tree of the knowledge of
good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it
you
shall surely die." (Ge
2:17)
Because Adam and
Eve were evicted from the Garden of Eden after they sinned, and
prevented from returning, they had no more opportunity to disobey God’s
explicit commandment. Neither they nor their offspring any longer had
access to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Consequently,
became impossible for any human being to sin in the likeness of the offense of Adam.
WHO IS A TYPE OF HIM WHO WAS TO COME:
os estin (3SPAI) tupos tou mellontos. (PAPMSG)
This final clause
introduces the reader to the Adam-Christ typology, as a preparation for
what is to follow in the next section.
Type (5179)
(tupos from túpto = strike, smite with repeated strokes) (Click
word study on
tupos)
means a "model" or "pattern" or "mold" into which clay or wax was
pressed, that it might take the figure or exact shape of the mold.
Type denotes the visible mark made by a striking some object (cf. "imprint
of the nails" John 20:25), an impression made by an object that is in
turn used to mould or shape something else (cf. "form" in
Romans 6:17 [note]).
Thus, Adam is an example of Christ. It is proper to speak of him as the
First Adam and of Christ as the Last Adam (cf, 1 Cor. 15:45). It is interesting
that the only Old Testament character
to be called explicitly a type of Christ is Adam.
Hodge
comments that in regard to the "religious meaning" type was...
a designed pre-representation or
counterpart — either historically, as the Passover was a type or
significant commemoration of the passing over, by the destroying angel,
of the houses of the Hebrews in Egypt; or prophetically, as the
sacrifices of the Old Testament were types of the great sacrifice of the
Lamb of God. A type, therefore, in the religious meaning of the word, is
not a mere historical parallel or incidental resemblance between persons
or events but a designed resemblance — the one being intended to
prefigure or to commemorate the other.
It is in this sense that Adam was the
type of Christ. The similarity between them was not accidental. It was
predetermined and entered into the whole plan of God. As Adam was the
head and representative of his race, whose destiny depended on his
conduct, so Christ is the head and representative of his people. As the
sin of the one was the reason for our condemnation, so the righteousness
of the other is the reason for our justification. This relation between
Adam and the Messiah was recognized by the Jews, who called their
expected deliverer “the last Adam,” as Paul also calls him in 1
Corinthians 15:45. (Hodge,
Charles: Commentary on Romans. Ages Classic Commentaries or
Logos)
And so the primary
likeness of Adam to Jesus was that each was the head of their offspring.
Christ is the head of all believers, even as Adam is the head of the
human race. Adam and Christ were similar in that each one's single act
affected their offspring. The first Adam affects his posterity for
death, while the Last Adam gives eternal life to His offspring (not
universalism but only to those who believe in Christ). Both Adam and
Christ are one with their people and thus represent two unities, which
are further explained in the following verses. This section serves as transition from the apostle’s discussion
of the transference of Adam’s sin (Ro 5:12-14a) to the crediting of Christ’s
righteousness (Romans 5:15ff).
Paul’s Jewish readers might have argued for their unique descent from
Abraham the righteous, but Paul points them instead to their common
descent with the Gentiles from the line of Adam the sinner. His argument
would have greater force to his Jewish readers than Genesis alone might
imply, because their traditions had made Adam much more prominent than
he had been in the Old Testament (which is interesting because he is hardly mentioned outside
Genesis). For example,
Jewish people in this period sometimes spoke of Adam’s immense size (he
filled the whole earth!), or more often of his glory, which he lost at
the Fall. They believed that his sin introduced sin and thus death into
the world, and that all his descendants shared in his guilt. Jewish
interpreters generally believed that Adam’s glory would be restored to
the righteous in the world to come.
To reiterate, the great truth of Ro 5.12-21 is that a representative acted, involving
those connected with Adam and those connected with Christ.
Paul brings in the subject of death to establish the principle
that one persons deeds can inexorably affect many other people. Paul’s
primary objective in this chapter is to show how one Man’s death
provided salvation for many, and to do so the apostle first shows the
reasonableness of that truth since one man’s sin produced condemnation
and death
for many.
Wayne Barber
summarizes Romans 5:14 stating that Paul is showing...
"the eternal effect of two people. One is a creation, the other is the Creator,
Who became the God Man. That’s what we’ll see in the rest of chapter 5
as he says,
"Okay, here is what it means to be in Christ
and here is what it means to be in Adam. This is
what Adam did for you. This is what Christ has done for you."
Paul goes on in verse 14 and says Adam...
"is a type of Him who was to come."
What did Adam have that was in any
way a likeness to Jesus? There are significant differences, but there is
one likeness that stands out. Both of them were representative of the
human race. Adam made a selfish decision and cast the world into
sin. Jesus made a selfless decision, as Philippians 2 teaches us
"esteem others as highly as yourself, have this
attitude in yourself which was also in Christ Jesus when He emptied
Himself and thought it not robbery to be equal with God."
(see notes
Philippians 2:5-7)
Christ made a selfless decision to come to this
earth and affect all humankind.
Adam affected all men, and Jesus can potentially
affect all men. The difference is that Adam’s penalty was imposed upon man
even though we were not even born. We had no choice in this matter. On
the other hand, you must put your faith into Jesus in order to receive eternal life.
Paul is not teaching universal salvation, but is saying that what Christ did
as representative has the potential of affecting the whole human race.
You are either in Adam or you are in Christ. What Adam did affected all
humankind. The question is, "Are you in Adam or are you in Christ?"
If you’re counting on your goodness and your good
deeds and your helping people to get you into heaven, you are still in
Adam. You have
to be born again by the Holy Spirit Who places you into the body
Christ. You must be taken out of Adam and put into Christ or you will
not be with and see God throughout eternity. Instead, you will see Him only at the
Great White Throne Judgment (see notes
Revelation 20:11;
12;
13;
14;
15)
and you will be banished from His presence throughout eternity.
Sin is not what you do.
It’s what you are. It’s evidenced by what you do. Sin is more
than just an act. It’s a nature or an attitude which came from Adam." (Romans 5:12-14
Need To Be Justified By Faith)
(Bolding added)
William Newell comments on Romans
5:13-14...
Now comes the remarkable statement that although
sin was in the world during the first 2500 years, from Adam to Moses, it
is not put to account when there is no law (see note
Romans 5:13)
. The Greek word (ellogeo)
"put to account" used here occurs only one other time- Philemon 1:18. It
signifies to charge up something to anyone as a due. (The wholly
different word "reckon" -
logizomai
- in
Romans 4:23 (note),
4:24
regards the person; this word ellogeo
in
Romans 5:13
regards some item put to one's account.) It was to Adam, not to us, that
God said:
"In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt
surely die." (Genesis 2:17)
It was to Israel through Moses that God gave the
ten commandments. The general argument of the apostle here is to show
the effect of a federal or representative sin, in which an Adam. acted,
bringing an effect upon the individuals connected with him. Paul is
about to prove that death passed to all men not because they sinned, but
because Adam sinned. He is also about to show (see note
Romans 5:18)
that all men were condemned by Adam's act, were made to become sinners.
To understand, therefore, the force of the words,
sin is not put to account where there is no law, or, as Conybeare
enlighteningly paraphrases, "Sin is not put to the account of the sinner
when there is no law forbidding it, " we must remember:
1. That sin was in the world, between Adam and
Moses.
2. That, according to Chapter One, the race had
rejected light and were without excuse; though they were "without law"
(anomos): for God's definition of sin is not "transgression of law"
(1John 3:4), but anomia, which means refusal to be controlled-self-will.
3. That there was a "work" (working) written in
their hearts (see note
Romans 2:15),
to which their consciences bore witness, either accusing or else
excusing them; and that this working necessarily corresponded morally to
any law to be afterwards revealed by Jehovah.
4. That condign judgments, such as the Flood, and
the overthrow of Sodom, and the destruction of the Canaanites, followed
the "filling up of the cup of iniquity" at such times: for such sinners
both trampled on their own consciences, and inherited the previous
generations of guilt.
5. That, nevertheless, the sins between Adam and
Moses did not bring about the sentence of death upon humanity, however
much individuals or nations might hasten death's over- taking them. For
these people, though they sinned, had not sinned after the likeness of
Adam's transgression, which was a willful violation of a direct command
of a revealed God; as was Israel's making, through Aaron, the calf at
Sinai: evolving judicial consequences to others besides themselves. For
we read in Ex 32:34 of a set future "visitation" on Israel, because of
that sin at Sinai of their fathers: "In the day that I visit, I will
visit their sin upon them"; this will be in "the time of Jacob's
trouble, " in the Great Tribulation- long after the calf-worship;
indeed, still future!
6. We therefore must regard the human race as
under a sentence of death they did not bring upon themselves: death
reigned from Adam until Moses (vs. 14). Unlike Adam, and unlike Israel
after Moses, those who lived between the two had no positive outward
Divine law, the breaking of which would be a direct transgression and a
threatening of death therefor. Nevertheless "death reigned"-even over
them. Constantly before our eyes is the attestation to the same truth:
babes that know nothing of right or wrong, die. Every little white
coffin, -yea, every coffin, should remind us of the universal effect of
that sin of Adam, for it was thus and thus only that "death passed to
all men."
We see then, that from Adam until Moses, death
"reigned- as-king" (We say, "reigned-as-king, " because the Greek
word means that. Not the power of sin to hold in bondage, as in Chapter
Six, is here meant; but the royal word, basileuo, is used, denoting
sovereignty, not mere lordship) on account of Adam's sin. Paul has
said (see note
Romans 4:15),
"Where there is no law neither is there transgression"; so that those
between Adam and Moses, not having direct commands of God, consequently
had not transgressed known commands as Adam had done. Nevertheless,
Adam's transgression had involved his whole race.
Here in (Romans
5:14 [note]) Adam is declared a
type of the One who was to come-that is, of Christ, the last Adam. We
cannot sufficiently urge the study of this great passage: until the mind
sees, and the heart understands-and that gladly, condemnation by the
one, and justification by the Other. It is just as necessary to see this
"by the one" doctrine regarding our spirits, as regarding our bodies. As
to the latter, Paul says, "As in Adam all die, so also In Christ shall
all be made alive"; "The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second
Man is of heaven...And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we
shall also bear the image of the heavenly" (1Cor 15:22,47,49). To
discover that we are even now no longer connected with that first Adam
in which we were born, but with the Risen Christ, the last Adam-this
will be our joy in Chapters Six to Eight. But the foundation of this
blessed truth is laid here in the Doctrine of the Two Men.