“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned— ” (Romans 5:12).
Romans 5:12 introduces a thematic segment that should prompt us to consider three questions: what, how, and why.
What
The second half of Romans chapter five introduces a new perspective that builds upon Paul the Apostle’s teachings from earlier in this chapter. The word “therefore” introduces us to that transition, for it connects verse twelve with the theme established earlier in verses one to eleven: reconciliation with God through Christ.
Verse twelve begins with a reference to “one man.” That establishes a baseline for our discussion by directing our attention to Adam, the first man. The illustrations that follow thus apply to everyone, for every human family tree ultimately grows from their relationship to Adam. Paul will further illustrate God’s gracious act of reconciliation by presenting Jesus as “the second Adam.” Finally, these verses also introduce some key theological ideas that help shed light on the current state of the world.
How
This portion of Romans chapter five revisits the idea of an exchange. This concept appeared earlier in Romans chapter one and now returns to illustrate the following principles…
- Adam’s sin is credited, imputed, or reckoned to his descendants. We’ll explore the impact of Adam’s guilt upon his descendants as we progress through these verses.
- The burden of sin’s guilt is credited, imputed, or reckoned to Jesus through faith in Him. Jesus bore the penalty for our sin and propitiated (or satisfied) God’s righteous anger toward sinful humanity.
- Jesus’ righteousness is credited, imputed, or reckoned to us through faith. Therefore, we are now regarded as righteous before God in Christ.
Why
Adam’s sin initiated a chain of negative consequences that continue to this day. However, Jesus’ atoning sacrifice initiated a different chain of consequences that reversed the effect of Adam’s sin. This has important implications, but we must first address an important question before we move forward. That question involves Adam’s literal existence as an authentic, historic figure.
If Adam was not an actual person, then the analogy presented to us in Romans 5:12-23 is rendered invalid. For example, if the first Adam is nothing more than a myth or legend, then what are we to make of Jesus, the second Adam who brings eternal life? The core of the argument presented in Romans 5:12-21 hinges on Adam’s existence as a genuine historical figure. We’ll consider Jesus’ view of Adam and his historic reality next.