Verse by Verse

²¹ so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

This verse presents a double contrast — sin and grace reign — death and righteousness are the results.

Death is the order of the day in sin’s reign, but righteousness is the order of the day in grace’s reign to those who believe (verse 17).

God’s righteousness reckons the believer righteous on the grounds of Jesus Christ’s death.

²⁰ Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more,

The purpose of the Law was to show man’s guilt and his inability to achieve righteousness by his own efforts.

Grace didn’t remove the Law, but satisfied it.

This verse is connected back to verse 13 — the Law came in addition to sin.

The Law doesn’t make men sinners, but it makes them transgressors.

Abound — Sin in abundance was overwhelmed by grace in super-abundance.

¹⁹ For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.

Made = to render or cause to be

Obedience — This isn’t referring to Jesus Christ’s sinless life but specifically His death (same as in verse 18), an act of righteousness. (act of righteousness — legal: obedience — moral)

The first “many” includes everyone. The second “many” refers to those who trust Jesus Christ.

¹⁸ 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.

Righteous act — not general righteousness, but the specific righteous act on the cross

All — it is for all, but only those who accept it are justified.

Justification of life = justification that results in life

¹⁷ For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)

Receive — limited to believers, whereas death is universal

We leave our old existence, ruled by death, and enter a new existence ruled by Jesus Christ.

Paul presents a contrast in effects — the legal effect of sin is death but the effect of Jesus Christ’s gift is abundant life.

We do more than participate in eternity, we live abundantly, reigning with Jesus Christ.

Death is certain. Our grace from Jesus Christ is much more so.

¹⁶ And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification.

Our guilt is from one sin of one man — Adam.

The righteousness imputed to us by Christ is for all offenses.

The gift is contrasted with judgment — the gift for many is contrasted with condemnation because of one. Therefore, justification is greater than condemnation.

¹⁵ But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many.

Both Adam and Jesus Christ are heads, and their actions influenced those under their headship.

But while there are similarities between Adam’s and Jesus Christ’s headships, the dissimilarity is grace, which far surpasses the scope and power of sin.

Much more = legal certainty

¹⁴ Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.

Death is personified as a tyrant.

Adam’s sin was breaking God’s law, but that wasn’t the case with those between Adam and Moses. Their deaths were a result of Adam’s sin.

type = figure, mold, pattern — impression made by a blow with a hammer

Adam was a type of Christ because he had headship as a progenitor, but the analogy shouldn’t be carried too far — watch for the “not as” in the next verse.

¹³ (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

Imputed = put to account, lay to one’s charge

Between Adam and Moses, sin wasn’t a transgression of the law because there was no law, but death still reigned because of Adam’s sin and that sin was passed to all — even to those who hadn’t disobeyed a command of God, as Adam did.

¹² Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.

One act of disobedience by one man was sufficient to allow sin to enter the world.

Therefore — refers back to justification in Christ — As justification, so also Adam’s sin.

Sin and death entered with Adam, and all sin in Adam, but all also sin on their own.

In Adam — entrance of sin

In Moses (Law) — knowledge of sin (But before the law, before the knowledge of sin, sin still brought death.)

In Christ — forgiveness of sin

1 Corinthians 15:45 — And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.