Verse by Verse

³ Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?

Paul’s first “know ye not?” — implies they should have known.

Baptized = put into and taken out again, used of dyeing clothes. This involves immersion (death), submersion (burial), and emergence (resurrection).

This baptism is not water baptism but the baptism of the Holy Spirit by faith. 1 Corinthians 12:13 — For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink ^[a]into one Spirit.

And Galatians 3:26-27 — For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

Through baptism, we vicariously share in Jesus Christ’s crucifixion, death, burial, and resurrection. The believer is identified with Jesus Christ and legally regarded as having died to sin.

Jesus Christ, by grace, became one with us in our death, so we, by faith, become one with Him in His death — crucified with Him.

Romans 6:6 — Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.

And Galatians 2:20 — I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

 ² Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?

The stress in this verse is on we.

Dead to sin — dead to its guilt.

How can we continue in sin if we’re dead to sin?

Sin (in this verse) = continuing in a course of sin (as opposed to committing individual sins, which we all still do).

1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

Continue = abide — so, shall we sin to obtain grace?

Paul is countering Antinomianism — a school of thought that says grace leads to sin because we aren’t condemned for our sins, that the moral law is of no use and we are under no obligation to it.

Chapter 5 shows how God gives life. Chapter 6 shows how I should live that life — unto God.

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