Paul's Epistle to the Romans — page 19

People often ask: “Since God is Almighty and All-Love, why did He allow sin to enter the world?” It is true that He could have interfered and prevented Adam and Eve from sinning, but God knew that He would receive more glory and that believers would receive more blessings (through the death and resurrection of Christ) than if sin had never entered the world. We (believers) are in a supremely more blessed position in Christ than we could be in a race under Adam that had not fallen. Furthermore, there are certain aspects and characteristics of the Persons of the Godhead that we would not know if sin had not entered the world. For example, we would not know God as “the God of all grace” (1 Pet. 5:10). If sin had not entered, grace would not have abounded over sin (Rom. 5:20). Nor would we know God as “the God of my mercy” because in a sinless state we would never do anything wrong that would demand His mercy (Ps. 59:17). Furthermore, we would not know Him as “the God of all comfort”, because we would never be in a situation of sickness, sorrow or suffering, where we would need His tender comforts (2 Cor. 1:3-4). We will probably not have a definitive answer regarding why God allowed sin to enter the world until we get to heaven. While we wait for that day, faith perceives “how unsearchable [are] His ways” (Rom. 11:33) and accepts that “the way of God is perfect” (Ps. 18:30). This gives us the confidence to leave these difficult questions in His hands, knowing that “the Judge of all the Earth” would never do anything other than what is “right” (Gen. 18:25).

Who Sinned First?

Looking at the record of the fall in Genesis 3, we would conclude that it was the woman who brought sin into the world, but Paul says here that it was through the “man” (chap. 5:12). This shows that he could not be speaking of what happened chronologically. Clearly Eve sinned before Adam, and Satan and his angels sinned before her. (This last point can be seen in the fact that Satan was already in the garden lying to and deceiving Eve before she had sinned.) It is clear, therefore, that Paul was speaking of Adam in his role as the representative head of the human race. God placed him in the garden in the position of head of creation (Gen. 2:15-17), and so he was held responsible for sin entering the world. (W. Reid said: “The word ‘head’ is not used in the chapter [Rom. 5], but the truth of it is there” – The Bible Herald).

Adam’s nature was corrupted by his fall and this was passed on to every generation of his posterity (Ps. 51:5). And not only that, but the consequence of the sinful nature being in creation was also passed on to his posterity – namely, death. Paul says: “...and through sin death, and so death passed to all men”. (The effects of sin and death were also passed on to all lower creation – the animals and plants etc. – but that is not his subject here. See chapter 8:20-22.)

Federal Head

Paul adds: “for that all sinned”. The margin in the King James Version says: “In whom all sinned”. If this alternative reading can be used, it shows that Paul was not emphasizing that all men are guilty because they personally have sinned (which is certainly true – chap. 3:23), but that Adam’s disobedience produced an entire race of sinners (v. 19). When he fell, he became the head of a fallen race (Gen. 5:3). This phrase (“all sinned”) is in the aorist tense in Greek, indicating that Adam’s disobedience had a once-for-all effect on the race that would develop under him. This shows again that Paul was viewing Adam as the head

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federal head of the human race. Subsequently, men proved that they have the same nature as their “first father” because all sinned like him (Isa. 43:27). J. N. Darby said: “It is by the disobedience of one man that many (all men) were made sinners, and not by their own sins. Sins, each one has his own: here it is a state of sin common to all” (Synopsis of the Books of the Bible, on Romans 5:12). Thus, the presence of sin (the fallen nature) and death in the human race are not the result of men’s personal sins, but rather the result of Adam’s action, the federal head of the human race.

Federal head has to do with a person in a responsible place as head, acting for and on behalf of those who are subordinate to him. It could be like the head of a State, the head of a family, the head of a corporation, etc. For example, when the president of a country signs a law, as head of State, he acts for all the citizens of that country, and it is binding on everyone in the country. The epistle to the Hebrews gives an example of federal head in a family. The writer speaks of Abraham acting in this role. He says that Levi paid tithes to Melchizedek through the tithes that Abraham gave to Melchizedek, although at that time Levi had not even been born in Abraham’s posterity – which happened about 200 years later (Heb. 7:9-10). Nevertheless, Levi is said to have “still... been in the loins of his father” when Melchizedek received tithes from Abraham, and so Abraham acted for and on behalf of Levi (and his posterity) as federal head of the family.

Two Federal Heads

In a parenthesis (vv. 13-17), Paul shows that federal headship applies to both Adam and Christ. Each is the head of a race of men, and their actions as such had a great effect upon their races. Chap. 5:13-14 – Paul begins with Adam. He shows that as head of the human race, Adam acted for the race (negatively), and his posterity is viewed as having acted with him, even though they did not exist at the time of his action. Thus, when Adam sinned, he constituted a whole race of sinners (v. 19). This does not mean that we are responsible for Adam's sin, nor does it mean that we are responsible for having a sinful nature.

Even before the Law was given, in the days "from Adam to Moses" (about 2,500 years), when men did not have a direct command from God, as Adam did, "death reigned". The men in those days "did not sin after the similitude of Adam's transgression" by breaking a known commandment, yet the effects of sin were felt by them, inasmuch as all died – with the exception of Enoch (Heb. 11:5). Adam received a direct (verbal) command from God (Gen. 2:16-17), so his disobedience was an evident transgression. But the men in those early days (before the Law was given) did not have a legal code from God; their only guide was their consciences. Since there was no commandment established by God during that period, no transgression could be "imputed" [charged to their account – ARA] against sinners. Paul's argument here is that, regardless of whether or not there was an established law, sin was in the world, and this can be proven by the fact that death maintained its dominion over the whole race during that time – all died.

Paul then says that Adam is a "figure of Him who was to come" (v. 14b). This refers to Christ and shows that He too is an Adam – that is, the head of a race of men. Indeed, as Head of His race, Christ is called "the last Adam" (1 Cor. 15:45). He is the "last" Adam because no other race of men will come from God. This new race under Christ is perfect; there is no need, therefore, for God to bring another race of men into existence after this one. Christ's race is completely new and of a different character from Adam's race, being a "new creation" of God (2 Cor. 5:17 – TB; Rev. 3:14). The heads of the two races are distinguished in the Scriptures by the technical phrases: "in Adam" and "in Christ" (1 Cor. 15:22). Christ became Head of His race of the new creation in resurrection, and thus He is "the Firstborn among many brothers" (Rom. 8:29; Col. 1:18; Heb. 1:6, 2:11-13; Rev. 1:5). "Firstborn", in this sense, does not refer to being the first in order of birth in a family, although the Lord was that (Matt. 1:25), but to being first in order and position, having the place of preeminence among the others. "Firstborn" is used in various places in the Scriptures in this way. (Compare Gen. 25:25 with Ex. 4:22; 1 Chron. 2:13-15 with Ps. 89:27; Gen. 48:14 with Jer. 31:9). As the "Firstborn", the Lord "is not ashamed" to call those of His race His "brothers", because they are of the same kind as He and therefore are entirely suited to Him (Gen. 1:25, 2:21-23; Heb. 2:11).

Chap. 5:15 – Paul argues: "But shall not the act of favor be as the offense?" (JND). The answer is "yes." As certainly as the "offense" of Adam, as federal head, affected the whole race under him, the "act of favor" of Christ, as federal head of His race, affected all under Him. This is a great similarity between Adam and Christ; by one act, each left a mark on his race, although both races did not exist at the time of their actions. This is emphasized when Paul uses the word "many" twice. The first "many" in verse 15 refers to all under Adam's head who became subject to death as a result of Adam's transgression – the whole human race. The second "many" refers to all who are part of the new race of the creation under Christ – only believers.

Contrast Between the Offense and the Free Gift

Chap. 5:15b – Paul then contrasts the vast difference between "the offense" of Adam and "the free gift" of Christ. This is emphasized when Paul uses the words "Much more ...". Adam's offense provoked an enormous negative effect on the race under him, whereas Christ produced an enormous positive effect in His race. Paul states "by the offense of one many died", but "the gift by grace, which is of [by – JND] one Man, Jesus Christ, has abounded unto many". This contrast could not be greater.

Contrast Between Condemnation and Justification

Chap. 5:16 – A second contrast he presents is that Adam's act brought "judgment... unto condemnation" (ARA), while Christ's act came from "many offenses" of sinners who believe unto "justification [judicial righteousness]". Paul uses the word "but" to contrast these two things.