Romans 5:12-14

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Romans 5:6-21

The apostle here describes the fountain and foundation of justification, laid in the death of the Lord Jesus. The streams are very sweet, but, if you run them up to the spring-head, you will find it to be Christ's dying for us; it is in the precious stream of Christ's blood that all these privileges come flowing to us: and therefore he enlarges upon this instance of the love of God which is shed abroad. Three things he takes notice of for the explication and illustration of this doctrine:?1.... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Romans 5:12-21

5:12-21 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and, through sin, death entered into the world, and so death spread to all men, in that they had sinned; for up to the coming of the law sin was in the world, but sin was not debited against men because the law did not yet exist; but death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses even over those who had not sinned in the way that Adam had, Adam, who was the symbol of the one who was to come. But the gift of free... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Romans 5:12

Wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world ,.... The design of these words, and of the following, is to show how men came to be in the condition before described, as "ungodly", Romans 5:6 , "sinners", Romans 5:8 , and "enemies", Romans 5:10 ; and to express the love of Christ in the redemption of them; and the largeness of God's grace to all sorts of men: the connection of them is with Romans 5:11 , by which it appears that the saints have not only an expiation of sin by the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Romans 5:13

For until the law, sin was in the world ,.... This is a proof of sin's having entered into the world, by one man's transgression of the positive law of God, which forbid him the eating of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil; since it was in the world before the law of Moses was given: the sin of Adam and the guilt of that were in the world before, and came upon all men to condemnation; the general corruption of nature appeared before; and actual sins, and transgressions of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Romans 5:14

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... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Romans 5:12

Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world - From this verse, to the conclusion of the chapter, the apostle produces a strong argument to prove that, as all mankind stood in need of the grace of God in Christ to redeem them from their sins, so this grace has been afforded equally to all, both Jews and Gentiles. Dr. Taylor has given the following analysis of the apostle's mode of argumentation. The argument stands thus: - "The consequences of Christ's obedience extend as far as the... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Romans 5:13

For until the law sin was in the world - As death reigned from Adam to Moses, so also did sin. Now, as there was no written law from Adam to that given to Moses, the death that prevailed could not be the breach of that law; for sin, so as to be punished with temporal death, is not imputed where there is no law, which shows the penalty of sin to be death. Therefore, men are not subjected to death for their own personal transgressions, but for the sin of Adam; as, through his transgression,... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Romans 5:14

Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses - This supposes, as Dr. Taylor very properly observes: - That sin was in the world from Adam to Moses. 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. That, therefore, the sins committed were not... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Romans 5:12

Verse 12 12Wherefore as, etc. He now begins to enlarge on the same doctrine, by comparing with it what is of an opposite character. For since Christ came to redeem us from the calamity into which Adam had fallen, and had precipitated all his posterity with him, we cannot see with so much clearness what we have in Christ, as by having what we have lost in Adam set before us, though all things on both sides are not similar: hence Paul subjoins an exception, which we shall notice in its place; and... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Romans 5:13

Verse 13 13.For until the law, etc. This parenthesis anticipates an objection: for as there seems to be no transgression without the law, it might have been doubted whether there were before the law any sin: that there was after the law admitted of no doubt. The question only refers to the time preceding the law. To this then he gives this answer, — that though God had not as yet denounced judgment by a written law, yet mankind were under a curse, and that from the womb; and hence that they who... read more

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