Romans 5:14

Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. NEVERTHELESS - q.d., 'Yet, though according to this sound principle it might have been supposed that mankind, from Adam to Moses, being under no law expressly and outwardly revealed, could not be held liable to death as breakers of law-even then,' DEATH REIGNED, [ ebasileusen (G936)] - that is, 'held unresisted and universal sway,' FROM ADAM TO MOSES, EVEN OVER THEM THAT HAD NOT SINNED AFTER THE SIMILITUDE OF ADAM'S TRANGRESSION. But who are they? Infants (say some) who, being guiltless of actual sin, yet subject to death, must be sinners in a very different sense from Adam. (So Origen, Augustine, Melancthon, Beza, Edwards, Haldane,...

14._Even over them_, _etc. _Though this passage is commonly understood of infants, who being guilty of no actual sin, die through original sin, I yet prefer to regard it as referring to all those who sinned without the law; for this verse is to be connected with the preceding clause, which says, that those who were without the law did not impute sin to themselves. Hence they sinned not after the similitude of Adam’s transgression; for they had not, like him, the will of God made known to them by a certain oracle: for the Lord had forbidden Adam to touch the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; but to them he had given no command besides the testimony of conscience. The Apostle then intended to imply, that it did not happen through the difference between Adam and his posterity that they were exempt from condemnation. Infants are at the same time included in their number. _...

12-14 The design of what follows is plain. It is to exalt our views respecting the blessings Christ has procured for us, by comparing them with the evil which followed upon the fall of our first father; and by showing that these blessings not only extend to the removal of these evils, but far beyond. Adam sinning, his nature became guilty and corrupted, and so came to his children. Thus in him all have sinned. And death is by sin; for death is the wages of sin. Then entered all that misery which is the due desert of sin; temporal, spiritual, eternal death. If Adam had not sinned, he had not died; but a sentence of death was passed, as upon a criminal; it passed through all men, as an infectious disease that none escape. In proof of our union with Adam, and our part in his first transgression, observe, that sin prevailed in the world, for many ages before the giving of the law by Moses....

Verse Romans 5:14. _NEVERTHELESS, DEATH REIGNED FROM ADAM TO MOSES_] This supposes, as Dr. Taylor very properly observes:- 1. That _sin_ was in the world from Adam to Moses. 2. That _law_ was not in the world from Adam to Moses during the space of about 2500 years; for, after Adam's transgression, that law was abrogated; and, from that time, men were either under the general _covenant of grace_ given to Adam or Noah, or under that which was specially made with _Abraham_. 3. That, therefore, the sins committed were not imputed unto them _to death_, for they did not sin _after the similitude of_ _Adam's transgression_; that is, they did not, like him, transgress a law, or rule of action, to which _death_, as the penalty, was annexed. And yet- 4. Death reigned over mankind during the period between Adam and Moses;

Romans 5:12 has been usually regarded as the most difficult part of the New Testament. It is not the design of these notes to enter into a minute criticism of contested points like this. They who wish to see a full discussion of the passage, may find it in the professedly critical commentaries; and especially in the commentaries of Tholuck and of Professor Stuart on the Romans. The meaning of the passage in its general bearing is not difficult; and probably the whole passage would have been found far less difficult if it had not been attached to a philosophical theory on the subject of man’s sin, and if a strenuous and indefatigable effort had not been made to prove that it teaches what it was never designed to teach. The plain and obvious design of the passage is this, to show one of the benefits of the doctrine of justification by faith. The apostle had shown,...

EXPOSITION ROMANS 5:1 (6) The _results of the revelation of the righteousness of God, as affecting_ (A) the consciousness and hopes of believers; (B) the position of mankind before God. ROMANS 5:1 (_a_) _As to the consciousness of individual believers._ ROMANS 5:1 THEREFORE, BEING JUSTIFIED BY FAITH, WE HAVE PEACE WITH GOD THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. Instead of the ἔχομεν of the Textus Receptus, an overwhelming preponderance of authority, including uncials, versions, and Fathers, supports ἔχωμεν ("let us have"). If this be the true reading, the exp

NEVERTHELESS DEATH REIGNED FROM ADAM TO MOSES,.... Though the law of Moses was not yet given, death exerted itself, and extended its dominion over all the sons and daughters of Adam, during the interval between Adam and Moses; which clearly shows that sin was in the world, and that there must be a law in being, which that was a transgression of: death is represented as a king, as sin and Satan sometimes are; and indeed, death reigns by sin, and Satan both by sin and death; their empires rise, stand, and fall together. So Bildad calls death "the king of terrors", Job 18:14; and a very formidable and powerful king he is; his dominion is very large, his power uncontrollable, and the dread of him very great, especially to Christless sinners. The Jews say b, that at the resurrection the world will be renewed, and will not be as at the first, when בעלמא דשליט מותא, "death reigned in the wor

Romans 5:1. _Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with, God_ It is a matter of present possession, and present enjoyment. Whatever tribulation there may be in the world, «we have peace with God.» Blessed be God for that glorious fact! We may not have peace with all men, though we would seek to have that; but «we have peace with God.» Romans 5:1. _Through our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God._ So we ascend this golden ladder, from faith to peace, from peace to access with God, and from this to joy by the way of hope. Happy people, who know this blessed way of climbing out of the sorrows of the present into the glory that shall be revealed!...

ADAM TO MOSES Broadly, the contrast is: Adam: sin, death; Christ: righteousness, life. Adam drew down into his ruin the old creation (Romans 8:19) of which he was lord and head. Christ brings into moral unity with God, and into eternal life, the new creation of which he is Lord and Head. (Ephesians 1:22); (Ephesians 1:23). Even the animal and material creation, cursed for man's sake, (Genesis 3:17) will be delivered by Christ. (Isaiah 11:6); ...

4. IN CHRIST. The Sanctification of the Believer; his Deliverance from Sin and the Law; Children and Heirs. Chapter 5:12-8. CHAPTER 5:12-21 _ 1. Sin and Death Through the First Adam. (Romans 5:12 .)_ 2. In Adam by Nature; in Christ Through Grace(Romans 5:15 .) So far the subject of this Epistle has been our sins and how God has dealt with them in the Cross of Christ. The guilt and penalty of the sins of the believer are forever gone. With this section the question of sin itself is taken up and we learn how the justified believer is also sanctified in Christ and as such delivered from the dominion of sin and from the law. Furthermore we learn it also includes that believers are children and heirs of God. To distinguish between sins and sin is important. Sin is that ev