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Romans 5

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Peace with God Through Faith 1–5

1
Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; ​
2
through whom also we have had our access by faith into this grace wherein we stand; and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. ​
3
And not only so, but we also rejoice in our tribulations: knowing that tribulation worketh stedfastness; ​
4
and stedfastness, approvedness; and approvedness, hope:
5
and hope putteth not to shame; because the love of God hath been shed abroad in our hearts through the Holy Spirit which was given unto us. ​

Christ Died for Us 6–11

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For while we were yet weak, in due season Christ died for the ungodly. ​
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For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: for peradventure for the good man some one would even dare to die.
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But God commendeth his own love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. ​
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Much more then, being now justified by his blood, shall we be saved from the wrath of God through him.
10
For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, shall we be saved by his life; ​
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and not only so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. ​

Adam and Christ: The Two Heads of Humanity 12–21

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Therefore, as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin; and so death passed unto all men, for that all sinned:— ​
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for until the law sin was in the world; but sin is not imputed when there is no law. ​
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Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the likeness of Adam’s transgression, who is a figure of him that was to come. ​
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But not as the trespass, so also is the free gift. For if by the trespass of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God, and the gift by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abound unto the many.
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And not as through one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment came of one unto condemnation, but the free gift came of many trespasses unto justification.
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For if, by the trespass of the one, death reigned through the one; much more shall they that receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one, even Jesus Christ. ​
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So then as through one trespass the judgment came unto all men to condemnation; even so through one act of righteousness the free gift came unto all men to justification of life.
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For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the one shall the many be made righteous.
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And the law came in besides, that the trespass might abound; but where sin abounded, grace did abound more exceedingly: ​
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that, as sin reigned in death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Romans 5

Verse 1

being justified by faith — Dikaioo, to declare righteous, the verdict set out in chapters 3–4 and grounded in Christ, 'raised again for our justification' (Rom 4:25). Its first result is eirene, peace 'with God': 'the work of righteousness shall be peace' (Isa 32:17).

Verse 2

access — Prosagoge, a bringing in to a presence, found only here, in Eph 2:18 ('through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father') and Eph 3:12. 'Rejoice' is kauchaomai, the verb rendered 'glory' in v.3 and 'joy' in v.11.

Verse 3

we glory in tribulations — The verb is the one rendered 'rejoice' in v.2 and 'joy' in v.11. Thlipsis is pressure; hypomone, 'patience', is endurance under it. James gives the same sequence, 'the trying of your faith worketh patience' (Jas 1:3), and Christ foretold it: 'In the world ye shall have tribulation' (John 16:33).

Verse 5

hope maketh not ashamed — Kataischuno, to put to shame, as in 'whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed' (Rom 10:11). The love of God 'is shed abroad' (ekcheo, poured out), the verb of the Spirit 'pour out' in Acts 2:17 and 'shed on us abundantly' in Titus 3:6.

Verse 6

without strength — Asthenes, strengthless. 'The ungodly' (asebes) is the class God 'justifieth' in Rom 4:5. 'In due time' is kairos, the appointed season, the word of Christ's 'The time is fulfilled' (Mark 1:15); Christ died at that season for those unable to help themselves.

Verse 8

commendeth his love — Synistemi, to set together, to present as proved; Paul uses it of commending oneself or another (2 Cor 3:1; Rom 16:1). It is present tense: the death of Christ 'while we were yet sinners' is God's standing proof. Vv.6, 8 and 10 call the same people 'ungodly', 'sinners' and 'enemies'.

Verse 10

reconciled to God — Katallasso, to exchange enmity for friendship. Its 'enemies' (echthros) are the 'alienated and enemies in your mind' of Col 1:21. The 'much more' runs from his death, by which they were reconciled, to his life, by which the reconciled 'shall be saved'.

Verse 11

the atonement — Katallage, the noun of the verb in v.10. This is the only place the KJV renders it 'atonement'; elsewhere it is 'reconciling' (Rom 11:15) and 'reconciliation' (2 Cor 5:18–19). The joy 'in God' belongs to those already reconciled, 'now' received.

Verse 12

by one man sin entered into the world — The one man is Adam (v.14), and the sentence is the one spoken in Gen 2:17, 'thou shalt surely die'. The 'as' opens a comparison with Christ that is completed at v.18, and matches 'as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive' (1 Cor 15:22).

Verse 13

sin is not imputed — Ellogeo, to enter on account; elsewhere only Philemon 18, 'put that on mine account'. Sin was in the world before the law of Moses, but 'where no law is, there is no transgression' (Rom 4:15). That it was real is shown by v.14: death reigned all the same.

Verse 14

the figure of him that was to come — Typos, the mark left by a blow, hence a pattern; the word rendered 'examples' for Israel's history in 1 Cor 10:6. Adam is the pattern and Christ 'the last Adam' (1 Cor 15:45). Parabasis, 'transgression', is a step over a stated command, which Adam had (Gen 2:17) and those from Adam to Moses did not.

Verse 17

reign in life — Basileuo, 'reigned', is used of death in vv.14 and 17, of sin in v.21, and here of believers, who 'shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ'. They receive the 'gift' (dorea) of righteousness, not earn it; compare 'if we suffer, we shall also reign with him' (2 Tim 2:12).

Verse 20

the law entered — Pareiserchomai, to come in alongside; elsewhere only of the false brethren who 'came in privily' (Gal 2:4). The law came in beside the offence so that it 'might abound' (Gal 3:19, 'added because of transgressions'). Hyperperisseuo, 'did much more abound', is found elsewhere only in 2 Cor 7:4.

Verse 21

grace reign through righteousness — The verb basileuo closes the comparison: sin 'hath reigned unto death', grace reigns 'unto eternal life' (aionios). The chapter ends on the name with which it began: 'through our Lord Jesus Christ' (v.1), 'by Jesus Christ our Lord'.