12/13/10 SS CLASS... SIN AND DEATH CAME BY ADAM, GRACE AND LIFE CAME BY JESUS.
Romans 5:12-21 overview
(12, 14) Adam generated corruption in human family (sinful by nature, sinners by action); Sin brings death. Christ regenerates redeemed human family.
(15-20) Grace reigns over sin. Grace is as universal as sin. Grace is greater than sin.
CHRIST CAME BY VIRGIN BIRTH TO OFFER LIFE THROUGH NEW BIRTH.
SOME THOUGHTS...
(12) Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
DLG Notes...
Adam's disobedience to God separated him from God. Since God is the Fountainhead of life, Adam separated himself from life. Death entered the human family when Adam sinned.
Adam's sin also corrupted his condition, and as the head of the human family he passed his corrupted condition to all of his offspring. Notice, Adam was created in the image of God, but later we read that Seth was in the image of his father Adam. David recognized his fallen condition when he said that he was, "shaped in iniquity."
We have all followed the tendency of our sinful (Adamic) nature and we haev all sinned against God, thus separating ourselves from God.
(13) (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
(14) Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.
DLG notes...
Between the time of Adam and Moses people were sinning against the revealed, though unwritten, law of God; otherwise there would have not been sin. However, the human race was filled with sin from Adam until Moses; Cain killed Abel; Lamech (son of Methuselah) was a multiple murderer and a bigamist; the sons of God (those raised in a godly background), lusted after the daughters of men (those raised in a godless background); the entire antediluvian world sinned; Ham sinned against his father, Noah; Sodom and Gomorrah was filled with perversion; the pagan world worshiped false gods (Egyptians, Canaanites, Assyrians, Chaldeans).
(15) But not as the offense, so also is the free gift. For if through the offense of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
(16) And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offenses unto justification.
DLG notes...
Though one sin polluted the entire human race, God's gift of grace, through Jesus Christ, satisfies God's justice for all sins, of all times and all people.
The "many" that died because of Adam's sin are the same "many" that God provides the "free gift."
Many is in reference to the unlimited masses, not a limited segment. It is the same "many."
(15) But not as the offense, so also is the free gift. For if through the offense of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
(16) And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offenses unto justification.
DLG notes...
Death came upon the whole human family because of Adam's sin; likewise life is provided for the entire human family through the grace of God, when Christ died, not only for Adam's sin, but for all men's sins.
Adam was the fountainhead of death for the entire human race and Jesus is the fountainhead of life for the entire human race. The Scripture makes it clear that this justification comes to those who receive it by faith in Jesus. Paul had just said, in verse 1, that we are justified by faith.
(17) For if by one man's offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
DLG notes...
Jesus had told Paul, at his conversion, that his ministry was to open the eyes of the Gentiles, turn them from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to God, THAT THEY MIGHT RECEIVE FORGIVENESS OF SINS. There are CONDITIONS attached to RECEIVING forgiveness, justification, from God.
(18) Therefore as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
DLG notes...
Paul clearly states that judgment for Adam's sin came upon ALL men, likewise, the righteousness of Jesus as a free gift comes upon all men.
(19) For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
(20) Moreover the law entered, that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
DLG notes...
Again, the many that were made sinners (because they yielded to their Adamic nature and sinned), is the same MANY that shall be made righteous, by faith.
Whereas the victims of Adam's sinful choice had no choice in becoming sinners, all those who hear the gospel have a choice in becoming saints.
No one had a choice about becoming a sinner, but all have a choice about receiving redemption.
SOME THOUGHTS...
(12) Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
DLG Notes...
Adam's disobedience to God separated him from God. Since God is the Fountainhead of life, Adam separated himself from life. Death entered the human family when Adam sinned.
Adam's sin also corrupted his condition, and as the head of the human family he passed his corrupted condition to all of his offspring. Notice, Adam was created in the image of God, but later we read that Seth was in the image of his father Adam. David recognized his fallen condition when he said that he was, "shaped in iniquity."
We have all followed the tendency of our sinful (Adamic) nature and we haev all sinned against God, thus separating ourselves from God.
(13) (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
(14) Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.
DLG notes...
Between the time of Adam and Moses people were sinning against the revealed, though unwritten, law of God; otherwise there would have not been sin. However, the human race was filled with sin from Adam until Moses; Cain killed Abel; Lamech (son of Methuselah) was a multiple murderer and a bigamist; the sons of God (those raised in a godly background), lusted after the daughters of men (those raised in a godless background); the entire antediluvian world sinned; Ham sinned against his father, Noah; Sodom and Gomorrah was filled with perversion; the pagan world worshiped false gods (Egyptians, Canaanites, Assyrians, Chaldeans).
(15) But not as the offense, so also is the free gift. For if through the offense of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
(16) And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offenses unto justification.
DLG notes...
Though one sin polluted the entire human race, God's gift of grace, through Jesus Christ, satisfies God's justice for all sins, of all times and all people.
The "many" that died because of Adam's sin are the same "many" that God provides the "free gift."
Many is in reference to the unlimited masses, not a limited segment. It is the same "many."
(15) But not as the offense, so also is the free gift. For if through the offense of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
(16) And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offenses unto justification.
DLG notes...
Death came upon the whole human family because of Adam's sin; likewise life is provided for the entire human family through the grace of God, when Christ died, not only for Adam's sin, but for all men's sins.
Adam was the fountainhead of death for the entire human race and Jesus is the fountainhead of life for the entire human race. The Scripture makes it clear that this justification comes to those who receive it by faith in Jesus. Paul had just said, in verse 1, that we are justified by faith.
(17) For if by one man's offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
DLG notes...
Jesus had told Paul, at his conversion, that his ministry was to open the eyes of the Gentiles, turn them from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to God, THAT THEY MIGHT RECEIVE FORGIVENESS OF SINS. There are CONDITIONS attached to RECEIVING forgiveness, justification, from God.
(18) Therefore as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
DLG notes...
Paul clearly states that judgment for Adam's sin came upon ALL men, likewise, the righteousness of Jesus as a free gift comes upon all men.
(19) For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
(20) Moreover the law entered, that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
DLG notes...
Again, the many that were made sinners (because they yielded to their Adamic nature and sinned), is the same MANY that shall be made righteous, by faith.
Whereas the victims of Adam's sinful choice had no choice in becoming sinners, all those who hear the gospel have a choice in becoming saints.
No one had a choice about becoming a sinner, but all have a choice about receiving redemption.
