Introduction
My
wife and I watched with fascination as the impact of one man upon the
world was being described on television. The man was Christopher
Columbus. According to research, Columbus was responsible for
introducing many new things to America: horses, cattle, pigs, goats,
and, if I recall correctly, small pox. Columbus brought not only some of
Europe to America, he also took some things from America back to
Europe. Among these were smoking and syphilis. Whether for the good of
mankind or for his
detriment, this one man made a great impact on his
world.
Over the centuries of mankind�s history, many
men and women have significantly impacted the destiny of those who
followed after them. None, however, has had greater impact than Adam,
the first man. In our text, Paul shows just how great the impact of
Adam�s �fall� has been upon mankind. Paul stresses this impact to
demonstrate that in spite of the curse, which Adam�s sin brought upon
the human race, God has provided a cure in the person and work of Jesus
Christ.
To the unbeliever, this passage promises and
offers not only the forgiveness of sins, but a new beginning, in Christ.
To the Christian, there are no more encouraging words than those found
here. These words speak not only of the salvation which God has
accomplished for us, in Christ, they also lay the foundation for the
next section of Romans in chapters 6-8, for the basis for sanctification
is found in the truths which Paul expounds here. The words of our text
are words of life and hope for all mankind.
The Context of Our Text
After
explaining his relationship to those at Rome, his desire to visit them,
and his purpose for writing this epistle (1:1-17), Paul sets forth the
great dilemma: the righteousness of God and the rottenness of men
(1:18�3:20). In His righteousness, God must condemn sinners. In his
rottenness, every human being, Jew or Gentile, is under divine
condemnation because each has rejected that revelation of God which he
or she has received. The solution to this dilemma is the cross of
Calvary. There, Jesus Christ took upon Himself the sins of the world and
bore the righteous wrath of God for sinners. God�s righteous anger was
thereby satisfied, and there His righteousness was made available to all
men, through faith in Jesus Christ.
Viewed from a
divine perspective, salvation was provided by God through Jesus Christ
so that God�s righteousness might be revealed (3:21-26). This
righteousness is imputed to men on the basis of faith, not works, as
seen in the biblical account of Abraham�s life (Romans 4:1-25). The
account of Abraham�s faith reveals that he was saved by faith alone,
apart from works, and at a time when he was uncircumcised and thus, a
Gentile. His faith, like ours, was in a God who had the power to raise
the dead.
In Romans 5, Paul views the justification of
men by faith from yet another, much broader, perspective. Paul first
portrays man�s salvation as the grounds for exultation and boasting in
5:1-11. We may boast, confident in the certainty of entering into the
�hope of the glory of God� (verses 1-2). We may boast even in our
present tribulations, assured of God�s love, on the basis of Christ�s
death, and through the ministry of the Holy Spirit (verses 3-10). We may
finally boast in God, through the person and work of Jesus Christ
(3:11).
In Romans 5:12-21, Paul views salvation from
the curse of Adam to God�s cure in Christ. Adam�s one act of
disobedience brought both sin and death upon mankind. Christ�s one act
of obedience, on the cross of Calvary, brought about the solution to
this curse. The work of Christ offers all men not only the promise of
the forgiveness of their sins, but a new identity and a new beginning,
in Christ.
The Structure of the Text
Our text
falls into three sections. Verses 12-14 describe the similarity between
the act of Adam and that of Christ. Both men are �federal heads� of
mankind, whose actions affect all men.132 Verses 15-17 emphasize the
many significant contrasts between the act of Adam and the act of our
Lord. The similarity between these two men is the basis for the work of
our Lord. The differences between them are the basis for His becoming
the cure for the curse which Adam brought upon the human race. Verses
18-21 sum up the results of the work of our Lord, in relation to those
which stem from the action of Adam. Paul also defines the role which the
Law played, in relation to man�s sin and God�s grace.
We can therefore summarize the structure of our text as follows:
(1) The link between Adam and Christ (verses 12-14)
(2) Distinctions between Adam and Christ (verses 15-17)
(3) Christ�s work, man�s sin, and the Law (verses 18-21)
From the Curse to the Cure (Romans 5:12-21)
By: Bob Deffinbaugh , Th.M. (Bio)