In Romans 4, Paul showed that righteousness has always been credited by faith, not by works, signs or Torah. Avraham believed while still uncircumcised, trusting God’s promise before it was fulfilled. Romans 5 now moves from the pattern of faith in promise to its full realization in Messiah Yeshua. Just as Abraham’s faith was credited before he could earn anything, we are declared righteous through faith in the One who accomplished what was promised.
1 Having been justified therefore by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Yeshua Messiah
2 Through Whom also access we have by the faith unto grace, in which we stand and we boast in hope of the glory of God
3 Not only now, but also we glory in tribulations having that tribulation perseverance produces
4 And perseverance character and character hope
“ho de hupomone dokime ho de dokime elpis”
Hupomone dokime- steadfastness; the process of, or result of, a trial by proving
elpis- hope; expectation; trust; confidence
Steadfastness proving by trial proves our trust in God
5 and hope (expectation, trust) does not make us ashamed, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit of the One having been given to us.
6 Yet indeed Messiah having been- ourselves without strength- still according to the right time, for the ungodly died
7 Rarely indeed for a righteous [man] anyone will die on behalf of, though the good [man] perhaps someone even having courage to die
8 Demonstrates however the love of Himself to us God, that still sinners being ourselves , Messiah for us died.
9 Much more therefore, having been justified now by His blood, we will be preserved by Him from the wrath
10 For if enemies being we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more having been reconciled shall we be saved by His life
Messiah died for us while we were powerless and still sinners, demonstrating a love far beyond anything humans could offer. Through His death, we are reconciled to God, and through following Him in resurrected life, we are preserved from wrath and assured of salvation.
11 More than that, we are rejoicing in God through our Lord Yeshua Messiah, through whom now the reconciliation is received
12 Because of this, just as through one man sin into the world entered, and through sin death also, thus to all men death passed on all that sinned
13 Until indeed Torah; sin already being in the world; sin however not was imputed, not there being Torah
14 Nevertheless reigned death from Adam until Moshe, even over those not having sinned in the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is the mark of the coming
People between Adam and Moshe did not break a direct command the way Adam did, yet they still died.
Paul is showing that humanity was under the consequences of Adam’s disobedience, not merely personal violations of a written law. This establishes Adam as a representative head: his act affected all who came after him.
15 But not like the trespass also is the gift? If indeed by the trespass of one many died, how much more the grace of God and the gift in grace which is of the one man Yeshua Messiah to the many did abound?
16 And not through one having sinned is the gift. Indeed the judgment truly of one was unto condemnation, but the gift is out of many trespasses unto justification.
17 If indeed by the one trespass death reigned through the one, how much more those [under] the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness receiving in life will reign through the one Yeshua Messiah?
Through Adam, sin and death entered the world, affecting all humanity- everyone inherits the consequences of his disobedience. By contrast, Yeshua’s obedience and sacrificial death bring righteousness and life to all who belong to Him.
18 So then just as by one trespass to all men unto condemnation, so also by one restoring act of God to all men unto the justification of life
19 For as through the disobedience of the one man sinners were made the many, so also through the obedience of the One righteous will be made the many
20 Torah now entered so that might abound the trespass; however where abounded sin, overabounded grace
This does not mean God wanted more sin.
It means:
- Sin becomes fully exposed
- Rebellion becomes clearly defined
- What was once vague disobedience becomes willful
21 in order that just as reigned sin in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness unto life eternal through our Lord Yeshua Messiah
Paul makes multiple parallels between Yeshua and Adam-
One man vs One man
One act of disobedience vs One act of righteousness
Condemnation vs Justification
Sin reigns vs Grace reigns
Paul is not saying all of this to ask “Why does man sin?”
He’s answering: “Why does Messiah now lead to life again?”
- Humanity fell under Adam
- Humanity is restored under Messiah
- The same covenant logic applies – headship, obedience, outcome
Paul’s explaining how disobedience brought humanity under Adam’s realm, and how Yeshua restores us to a new realm where grace empowers righteousness and obedience once again.
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