What does Romans 5:19 Mean?

Study Notes

sinners
Sin.

sinned

Sin, Summary: The literal meanings of the Heb. and (Greek - ἀλεκτοροφωνία sin," "sinner," etc)., disclose the true nature of sin in its manifold manifestations. Sin is transgression, an overstepping of the law, the divine boundary between good and evil Psalms 51:1 ; Luke 15:29 , iniquity, an act inherently wrong, whether expressly forbidden or not; error, a departure from right; Psalms 51:9 ; Romans 3:23 , missing the mark, a failure to meet the divine standard; trespass, the intrusion of self-will into the sphere of divine authority Ephesians 2:1 , lawlessness, or spiritual anarchy 1 Timothy 1:9 , unbelief, or an insult to the divine veracity John 16:9 .

Sin originated with Satan Isaiah 14:12-14 , entered the world through Adam Romans 5:12 , was, and is, universal, Christ alone excepted; Romans 3:23 ; 1 Peter 2:22 , incurs the penalties of spiritual and physical death; Genesis 2:17 ; Genesis 3:19 ; Ezekiel 18:4 ; Ezekiel 18:20 ; Romans 6:23 and has no remedy but in the sacrificial death of Christ; Hebrews 9:26 ; Acts 4:12 availed of by faith Acts 13:38 ; Acts 13:39 . Sin may be summarized as threefold: An act, the violation of, or want of obedience to the revealed will of God; a state, absence of righteousness; a nature, enmity toward God.

Verse Meaning

Here the contrast is the issues involved in Adam"s act and Christ"s act. Adam disobeyed God, and Christ obeyed God. "Transgression" or "trespass" (cf. Romans 5:15-17) highlights the deliberate disobedience of Adam ( Romans 5:19; cf. Genesis 2:17). Many will become righteous ( Romans 5:19) both forensically (justified), as they believe, and finally (glorified). "The many" here, of course, means the justified. Obviously these verses do not mean that everyone will be justified. The obedience of Christ is a reference to His death as the ultimate act of obedience rather than to His life of obedience since it is His death that saves us. [source][source]

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"There is no more direct statement in Scripture concerning justification than we find in Romans 5:19 ..." ^[1] [source]

Context Summary

This is the profoundest and most fundamental section of the whole Epistle. It contains an insight into the deep things of God, 1 Corinthians 2:10. We must read it slowly and thoughtfully many times in order to catch its drift. In these comments we can only skim in the most superficial manner across the surface.

We are here taught the unity of the race, not only in Adam, but in Christ. Adam's sin has affected the standing of every man; but the grace and the obedience of the "One Man," Jesus Christ, have secured for all men the offer of the free gift. The guilt that lay upon the race by the sin of Adam has been removed from the race by the obedience of the Son of man to the Cross. None, therefore, are condemned, on account of that first transgression, or doomed for that primal fall. In a sense, all are made righteous; that is, all stand before God on the basis of their individual, rather than their racial, responsibility. We are not condemned with Adam, but may be condemned, if we refuse to avail ourselves of the grace of Jesus Christ. All that sin forfeited is put within our reach. Nay, we may reach higher heights than Adam, if we will only receive the abundance of the grace of Christ. [source]

Chapter Summary: Romans 5

¹  Being justified by faith, we have peace with God;
²  and joy in our hope;
⁸  that since we were reconciled by his blood, when we were enemies;
¹⁰  we shall much more be saved, being reconciled
¹²  As sin and death came by Adam;
¹⁷  so much more righteousness and life by Jesus Christ
²⁰  Where sin abounded, grace did superabound