Romans 5:12-21

5:12-21 | The doctrine of solidarity says all humanity is under the headship of two men: Adam and Christ. Connection with Adam is death. Connection with Christ is life. Paul deals with sins as expressed in human life, and now with sin as the principle behind expressions of sin. The root of the problem is original sin (universal depravity).

5:12 | Satan was the original violator of the righteousness of God, but sin entered the world through Adam and death entered the world through sin (Gen. 2:17).

5:13-14 | Even though there was no law, death was universal because people were still sinful. They died because they inherited the nature of death from Adam, not because of their sinful acts.

5:15-19 | Christ in His obedience rectified the wrong Adam did in his disobedience. Christ is not Adam’s successor but his Savior. They are alike only in the sense that both had universal significance: Adam for death, Christ for life. The key is much more. Whatever humankind has inherited from Adam, they have much more in Christ (1 Cor. 15:22).

5:15-17 | Christ’s one act of salvation was far superior to Adam’s one act of rebellion. Commentator CEB Cranfield said, “That the one single misdeed should be answered by judgment, this is perfectly understandable: that the accumulated sins and guilt of all the ages should be answered by God’s free gift, this is the miracle of miracles.” Christ’s reign in life is greater than Adam’s “reign” in death.

5:18-19 | Christ’s obedience is greater than Adam’s disobedience. Adam was in an environment conductive to obedience (the Garden); still, he disobeyed and brought death. The second Adam (Jesus) was in an environment that hindered obedience (the fallen world), yet He obeyed and brought life (1 Cor. 15:21, 45).

5:20 | The abundance of grace available through the work of Christ far surpasses the quantity of Adam’s sin. No one can out-sin God’s infinite grace (1 Tim. 1:14).