Romans 5:18, 19
Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.
Truth to Learn
We all deserve God’s wrath, but we can be saved from it by believing in the death of Jesus Christ as payment for us.
Behind the Words
This verse starts off with “Therefore” which is a translation of the Greek words ara oun. These two words form what in Greek is called an “inferential conjunction,” implying that the following is a summary of that which preceded it. Hence, these two verses are a summarization of what Paul has already said several different ways in the previous verses.
Meaning Explained
These verses are a summary statement of what Paul has been saying since verse twelve. He has stated this almost repeatedly since then, so we won’t belabor it further.
However, let’s do our own quick summary of Paul’s letter so far to put this all into context. He started out by declaring that God is evident to all men, but because some refused to recognize God for who He is, He gave them up to a depraved mind so as to not only do ungodly things but also to approve of others who do the same thing.
In chapter two he showed that God judges impartially, and to those who do well He will give eternal life, but to those who are self-seeking and unrighteous He will show His wrath. He also began his argument that circumcision of the flesh and obedience to the Law do not produce righteousness.
In chapter three he went on to show that in spite of circumcision, the Jews are no better than Gentiles because, as it has been written, “There is none righteous, no, not one.” We are all sinners deserving of God’s wrath. He continues by saying that the righteousness of God has been revealed, and it is the righteousness that only comes from faith in Jesus Christ.
In chapter four Paul cited Abraham as an example. He showed that Abraham was justified by faith when he believed God’s promise and his faith was credited to him for righteousness. Then, Paul went on to point out that Abraham was declared righteous years before he was circumcised. Obedience came after righteousness-producing faith, not the other way around.
Now in this chapter he points out that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us, the Godly for the ungodly. And he said that we rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Why? Because just as the sin of one man (Adam) caused us all to be sinners (and now there is none righteous, no not one), so the righteous act of one man (Jesus) results in righteousness (justification) being available to all men. By Adam’s disobedience all were made sinners and by Jesus’ obedience many (those who believe) will be made righteous.
Application
In spite of all your good intentions and good deeds, God says that you are unrighteous and deserving of His wrath. But, by believing in the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ as payment for your sins, He will declare you to be righteous. Do you believe?
In God’s service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2010 Will Krause. All rights reserved.
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