1Being justified by faith, we have peace with God: 2we glory in our hope; 3and in present afflictions; 6from the past experience of God's love, looking with more assurance for final salvation: 11we glory in God also, to whom we are reconciled by Christ. 12As sin and death came upon all men by Adam, so the grace of God, which justifieth unto life, cometh more abundantly unto all mankind through Christ. 20Under the law sin abounded unto death; but grace hath much more abounded unto life.
1THEREFOREa being justified by faith, we have 1peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
a Isa. 32:17; John 16:33; Eph. 2:13.
1 That is, the friendship of God, whereas before we were His enemies, verse 8, and 10, and the assurance thereof in our mind, whereby we are set at rest in God; John 16:33; Rom. 14:17.
2Byb whom also we have 2access by faith 3into this grace wherein we stand,c and rejoiced4in hope 5of the glory of God.
b John 10:9; 14:6; Eph. 2:18; 3:12; Heb. 10:19.
2 Or, approach to this grace, whereby it is given to understand that we did not go to this grace of ourselves, but that we were led thereto by Christ through His Spirit, Eph. 2:8; Heb. 8:10.
3 That is, unto this state of friendship and peace with God. From whence also proceeds that we may go unto Him with boldness, and dare to call upon Him as a Father, Eph. 2:18, and 3:12; Heb. 4:16.
c 1 Cor. 15:1.
d Heb. 3:6.
4 Or, on the hope, that is, patient expectation through Christ.
5 Namely, which shall hereafter be revealed in us, Rom. 8:18.
3And not only so, bute6we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh 7patience;
e James 1:3.
6 That is, we rejoice ourselves therein, and defy the same, because of the assurance that we have of the good issue thereof, Rom. 8:34, etc.
7 Not that tribulation does this of its own nature, but that Christ strengthens believers against it by His Spirit, John 16:33; Rom. 8:37.
4And patience, 8experience; and experience, 9hope:
8 Or, experience, or, trial, namely of Christ’s help and faithfulness in accomplishing His promise, wherewith He has promised to stand by us in such trouble, John 14:17, 18; 2 Cor. 1:5, 6.
9 Namely, that also the fulfillment of all other promises, and especially the eternal salvation, shall follow thereupon, as we experience and feel herein the fulfillment of this promise.
5And hope 10maketh not ashamed; because 11the love of God is 12shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost 13which is given unto us.
10 That is, cannot miss and deceive. For, if we expect something, or hope unto boasting which we thereafter miss, we are then grieved about it in ourselves and are ashamed by others.
11 That is, wherewith He loves us in Christ Jesus, as is expressed in verse 8, which in time of tribulation comforts and strengthens us most, Rom. 8:38, 39.
12 That is, abundantly witnessed, Rom. 8:16.
13 Namely, unto a Comforter in our mind, and an Earnest of our inheritance, John 14:16, 17; 2 Cor. 1:22; Eph. 1:13. And this is the first foundation why hope makes not ashamed, because the Holy Ghost cannot lie herein.
6Forf when we were yet 14without strength, 15in due time 16Christ died for the 17ungodly.
f Eph. 2:1; Col. 2:13; Heb. 9:15; 1 Peter 3:18.
14 Or, unable, namely to redeem ourselves as being overcome by sin, like as of a mortal sickness.
15 Or, at the right or suitable time; that is, in the time appointed by God, Gal. 4:4.
16 This is the other foundation of our hope, the certainty of the love of Christ toward us, Who reconciled us to God when we were yet estranged from Him, much more therefore shall save us, now after that we are become His friends by faith.
17 That is, who were sinners in themselves, and by their sins more and more provoked God’s wrath upon them.
7For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: 18yet peradventureg for a 19good man some would even 20dare to die.
18 This says the apostle, because though very few, yet nevertheless some were found, especially in the Roman histories, who have given up themselves to death to deliver their friends and fellow citizens from trouble; but none of them have died for his enemies, as Christ has done.
g perhaps*
19 Or, profitable, that is, who is serviceable or profitable to himself or others.
20 Or, endure. Gr. dare.
8But God 21commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were 22yet sinners, Christ died forh us.
21 Or, affirms, recommends.
22 That is, when sin had yet dominion over us, John 9:31; Rom. 6:17, 19, 20.
h Heb. 9:15; 1 Peter 3:18.
9Much more then, being now justified 23by his blood, we shall be saved 24from wrath through him.
23 Gr. in his blood; that is, by His obedience unto the death of the cross, Philip. 2:8, which is the moving cause wherefore God justifies us, and upon which faith relies, Rom. 3:25.
24 That is, from the punishment of the future judgment, 1 Thes. 1:10, which is also called the day of wrath, Rom. 2:5.
10For if, when we were 25enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved 26by his life.
25 Namely, because of sin which was in us, which God hates, and is enmity against God, Rom. 8:7. Otherwise he has said that God loved us when we were yet sinners, verse 8; namely, in respect that we were elected of Him, and were given to Christ to redeem, John 17:2, 6; Rom. 9:13.
26 Gr. in his life; that is, by Him Who now lives, and sits at the right hand of God, there intercedes for us, and has all things subjected unto Him, Rom. 8:34; Eph. 1:20, 21, 22, etc.; Heb. 9:24.
11And not only so, but we also 27joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.
27 Namely, hereof that we, being now reconciled, shall also be saved from the wrath to come, verse 9, 10, and that God, is our God, and shall forever continue.
1228Wherefore, as byi29one man sin entered into the world, and deathj by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for 30that all have 31sinned:
28 In the following verses the apostle declares how we are justified by Christ, with an opposition of Adam and his disobedience, by whom death pressed through over all men, verses 12, 13, 14, and afterward how on the contrary the obedience of Christ conduces for us unto justification, verses 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, by God’s imputation. And that therefore it is not absurd that we are all justified by one Man’s obedience, seeing we were all made sinners by one man’s disobedience.
i Gen. 3:6; 1 Cor. 15:21.
29 Namely, Adam, 1 Cor. 15:21, under whom Eve is also comprehended, forasmuch as these two were one flesh, and one common stock of all mankind, Eph. 5:31; 1 Tim. 2:14.
j Gen. 2:17; Rom. 6:23.
30 Namely, one man, as this Greek particle, epi, is also elsewhere taken for in, Mark 2:4; Heb. 9:17, etc., and this particle in is also used by Paul about this matter, 1 Cor. 15:22. Or, forasmuch, or, because they have sinned, and that also necessarily implies the same sense, for, all men that die have not committed any actual sin in themselves, as appears in infants, many of which die in their infancy; and therefore must have sinned in this one man in whose loins they were; as Levi is said to have given tithes, being in the loins of Abraham, Heb. 7:9. See a larger exposition hereof in the following verses, and Job 14:4; Psalm 51:5; John 3:5, 6; Eph. 2:3, etc.
31 Namely, so also by one Man, Jesus Christ, righteousness and life is come upon all believers; as Paul concludes, verses 18, 19.
13(For 32until the law sin 33was in the world: but sin is 34not imputed 35when there is no law.
32 Namely, given by Moses.
33 That is, was also in the world, as appears by death, verse 14, which is the wages of sin, Rom. 6:23.
34 That is, not accounted or reckoned for sin.
35 From which the apostle does conclude that therefore there was another law, by the transgression of which even in that time all men were sinners; and that not only the law of nature, which infants did not transgress, but the law which God had given to the first man, the transgression whereof was imputed to all, yea even unto infants, as the following verse implies.
14Nevertheless 36death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them 37that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is 38the figure of 39him that was to come.
36 Namely, not only the spiritual and eternal death, but also the corporal, of which in this verse he especially speaks, because this was evident unto all, Rom. 8:10; 1 Cor. 15:22.
37 That is, infants, who have not yet committed any actual sin against the law of God, as Adam and all adult persons after him have done, and yet nevertheless they die. From which it appears therefore that they are defiled with original sin.
38 That is, a similar example. Namely, that as Adam in himself and by himself has made all those who are begotten of him in a natural manner unto sinners, even so also Christ Himself, and by Himself, makes all those, who are regenerated by Him in a supernatural manner, righteous, as the following explication shows.
39 That is, of Christ, the promised Seed, Which would tread upon Satan’s head, Gen. 3:15, to which promise the apostle seems to allude here. For there the second Adam is promised, as soon as the first was fallen.
15But not as 40the offence, so also is 41the free gift. For if through the offence of one 42many be dead, much more 43the grace of God, and 44the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath 45abounded 46unto many.
40 Or, fall, falling-away, that is, Adam’s sin, which is called more times in this chapter by this name.
41 That is, the benefit which is obtained for us by Christ, and is freely given us.
42 That is, not he himself alone, but many others, namely, all who are come from him according to nature.
43 That is, the mercy and undeserved favor of God.
44 That is, the righteousness of Christ, which is imputed unto us by God of grace through faith.
45 That is, more powerful and manifold; a similitude taken from water which by its power or flood quenches the fire, that so also the power and abundance of Christ’s righteousness extinguishes sin and guilt.
46 That is, all those who are engrafted into Him by faith.
16And not as it was by 47one that sinned, so is the gift: for 48the judgment was by one to 49condemnation, but the free gift is of 50many offences unto justification.
47 Namely, Adam, as before.
48 Or, judgment, that is, guilt, as 1 Tim. 5:12. Namely, whereby, because of sin, we are guilty before God’s judgment of temporal and eternal death, as appears by what follows.
49 Namely, for those who are not delivered from this damnable state by faith in Christ.
50 Namely, of them who have aggravated this common sin with many special sins, as all men do who are come unto their years.
17For if by one man's offence death reigned by 51one; much more they which 52receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign 53in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
51 Namely, first Adam, as before.
52 Or, apprehend, namely, by a true faith, John 1:12.
53 That is, being partakers of this spiritual life, have victory over sin and the guilt thereof, Gal. 2:19, 20; Eph. 2:5, 6, and hereafter be partakers of everlasting life, as is further declared in verse 21.
18Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men 54to condemnation; even so by the 55righteousness of one the free gift came 56upon all men unto justification of life.
54 That is, has brought them into such a state, wherein they are condemnable before God, Rom. 3:19; Eph. 2:1, 3.
55 Gr. dikaioma, so he calls the obedience of Christ, because it has the power to justify others also, as the Greek word here implies; and is placed in opposition to the transgression of Adam, in which also was the power to make others unto sinners, verse 19.
56 Namely, who believe in Him; or who receive this gift, verse 17.
1957For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
57 Here the apostle concludes the similitude of Adam and of Christ, namely, that as the disobedience of Adam is imputed to us unto guilt of condemnation, so Christ’s obedience is imputed to us unto the discharge from that guilt. It is true indeed that as by Adam’s first offense we became not only guilty of the same and of the punishment thereof, but also our nature was corrupted thereby, even so by Christ’s obedience we are not only freed from punishment, but also by the power thereof are renewed and sanctified in our mind by His Spirit; but the apostle has not spoken thereof thus far, but begins to speak of it in what follows. And this renewal is in this life also very imperfect, as he will prove by his own example in the 7th chapter, so that we cannot thereby be made righteous before God.
2058Moreoverk59the law entered, that the offence might 60abound. Butl where sin abounded, 61grace did much more abound:
58 Namely, besides the guilt which we were subject to by nature; or, besides the promise which was already made to Abraham, whereof is spoken in the previous chapter, and Gal. 3:17.
k John 15:22; Rom. 4:15; 7:8; Gal. 3:19.
59 Here the apostle answers this objection: If we are made righteous only by the righteousness of Christ, to what purpose then is the law given to the Israelites by Moses?, and declares that the law is not given to be justified thereby, but that sin and punishment, of which we are guilty by reason of sin, would be the better known; and that thus the grace of God in Christ, which justifies us, notwithstanding the grievousness of our sins, would be the more esteemed, and we would the more diligently flee to the same for refuge. See Gal. 3:19.
60 That is, the more apparent and also the stronger, not through the fault of the law, but of our corrupt nature, which always strives against that which is forbidden, Rom. 7:5, 8.
l Luke 7:47.
61 See the annotations on verse 15.
21That as sin hath 62reigned 63unto death, even so might 64grace reign 65through righteousness 66unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
62 That is, has had the upper hand over us, or has subjected us to its power.
63 Gr. in death, namely, temporal and eternal death, as appears from the following opposition.
64 Namely, of God towards us.
65 Namely, which is freely given us by Him through faith.
66 Namely, which begins in us here, and hereafter shall be fully revealed upon us, John 11:25, 26; Col. 3:3, 4.