Read the passage: Romans 5:12-21 (ESV, Bible Gateway)
Verses 12-14
- According to these verses, what are the two problems humanity faces?
- How do you see these two problems continue to afflict humanity?
- How does secularism seek to address them?
- In v12, Paul says that death spread to all because all sinned. However, the tense he uses for ‘sinned’ implies one single past action. What one single sin is he referring to, and how does this include everyone?
- The rest of the passage is based on this idea of Adam and Christ being our representative heads. Where do we still see the concept of one person representing a whole people show itself in other cultures and still, to some degree, in the West?
- How does the biblical concept of our being ‘in Adam’ or ‘in Christ’ – that they are our representatives, our ‘federal heads’, that humanity shares a corporate identity in Adam or Christ – compare to Western individualism? Do you appreciate this idea, or resent it? Why?
- How do you see these two problems continue to afflict humanity?
Verses 13-14
- What is Paul referring to when he says that sin is not counted as sin where there is no law? And how does this differ from Adam’s sin?
Verse 14
- Considering this verse, what does it mean for death to reign?
- As you look at our post-Christian, secular societies, how do you see death still reigning?
- Paul describes Adam as a ‘type’ of Jesus. What does he mean by that?
Verses 15-17
- Paul makes a number of contrasts between what Adam brought upon humanity, and what Christ has:
- In v15, what contrast is Paul making? (See also 1 Corinthians 15:22)
- In v16, what contrast does he make between Christ’s free gift and the result of Adam’s sin?
- Does the concept of grace and justification by faith minimise sin, or say ‘it doesn’t really matter’, or sweep it under the carpet? Why or why not?
- Again, what contrast is Paul making in v17?
Verse 17
- What does it mean to ‘reign in life’?
- How might the message that in Christ you reign in life impact how you live and see life?
Verse 18
This is a summary verse. Summarise in your own words the difference between Adam and Christ.
- Is Paul teaching universalism (the idea that all will be saved)?
Verse 19
- Why does the obedience of Christ matter?
Verse 20
- How does the law increase the trespass?
- Do you ever find yourself wanting to do something just because you’ve been told you can’t? After all, ‘rules are meant to be broken!’ aren’t they?!
- How did/does God respond to humanity’s increasing sin?
Application
- Basing your answer on what you saw in today’s passage, how do you pick yourself up again when you stumble in sin – in your thoughts, words or actions?
Leader’s notes
Verses 12-14
- According to these verses, what are the two problems humanity faces?
Sin and death- In v12, Paul says that death spread to all because all sinned. However, the tense he uses for ‘sinned’ implies one single past action. What one single sin is he referring to, and how does this include everyone?
He is referring to Adam’s sin. Adam was our representative head, and we were all ‘in’ Adam, so when he sinned, all humanity sinned. And because we are born into this state of sin, and are thus by nature sinners, we continue to sin. - The rest of the passage is based on this idea of Adam and Christ being our representative heads. Where do we still see the concept of one person representing a whole people show itself in other cultures and still, to some degree, in the West?
In other cultures, when a family/tribal head or member is shamed or disgraced, or wins a victory, the whole family/tribe is disgraced or are victors. The individual’s disgrace/victory is counted as that of the whole tribe. In the West, we still ‘sense’ this to some degree: if our elected president/prime minister behaves disgracefully, we feel something of the shame – we may even say ‘I’m ashamed to be associated with them.’ Or, ‘He makes me ashamed to be a….’. Or in the realm of negotiations, we can have a representative who negotiates for a whole group. What he agrees to, the whole group he/she represents is held to agree to. In the realm of sport, if an athlete who represents his country wins, the whole country glows in the joy of the victory.
- In v12, Paul says that death spread to all because all sinned. However, the tense he uses for ‘sinned’ implies one single past action. What one single sin is he referring to, and how does this include everyone?
Verses 13-14
- What is Paul referring to when he says that sin is not counted as sin where there is no law? And how does this differ from Adam’s sin?
Between Adam and Moses, the law of Moses hadn’t yet been given. So, although people sinned, they weren’t breaking explicit commands of God, and so it wasn’t counted as ‘law-breaking-sin’ or ‘trespass’. Adam, however, did break an explicit command of God, not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Verse 14
- Considering this verse, what does it mean for death to reign?
- As you look at our post-Christian, secular societies, how do you see death still reigning?
Everyone dies, but there is also a culture of death: think of issues like abortion and euthanasia – segments of society want the freedom to kill rather than care for the most vulnerable; the undermining/killing off of the institutions or foundational principles on which our societies have been built: like a shared view of what makes for human thriving, or right and wrong, or what the good life looks like. There is a culture of tearing down rather than building up. - Paul describes Adam as a ‘type’ of Jesus. What does he mean by that?
Adam points forward to Jesus – both in his being like and unlike Jesus. Adam and Jesus are our federal representative heads; Adam sinned, Jesus did not; Adam disobeyed, Jesus did not; Adam’s sin had humanity-wide consequences, so did Jesus’ righteousness, etc.
- As you look at our post-Christian, secular societies, how do you see death still reigning?
Verses 15-17
- Paul makes a number of contrasts between what Adam brought upon humanity, and what Christ has:
- In v15, what contrast is Paul making? (See also 1 Corinthians 15:22)
It is the contrast between the free gift of grace and life and righteousness in Christ, and the trespass/sin of Adam. Many died through Adam’s trespass, but many have received grace and God’s free gift of righteousness through Christ. - In v16, what contrast does he make between Christ’s free gift and the result of Adam’s sin?
Adam’s sin brings judgment and condemnation; Christ’s free gift brings the opposite: justification. Instead of being declared guilty in Adam, we are declared righteous/innocent/not-guilty in Christ. - Does the concept of grace and justification by faith minimise sin, or say ‘it doesn’t really matter’, or sweep it under the carpet? Why or why not?
No. Paul says God’s free gift followed ‘many trespasses’. So each sin crosses a boundary of God’s law and purposes for our lives. Every trespass matters, that is why we need grace. - Again, what contrast is Paul making in v17?
As a result of Adam’s sin, death reigned; as a result of Christ’s free gift we get to reign in life. Note Paul does not say that as a result of Adam’s sin death reigns, but now in Christ life reigns. He says that because of Christ we reign in life.
- In v15, what contrast is Paul making? (See also 1 Corinthians 15:22)
Verse 17
- What does it mean to ‘reign in life’?
Through Christ we can live in triumph over sin and death – we know our sins are forgiven and our sinful selves are accepted and reconciled to God; we know that through Christ’s resurrection death is defeated and we do not need to live in fear of death. We know that after death we will be with Christ. The reign of sin made us slaves to sin; the reign of Christ makes us joint heirs with Him – it makes us kings, not slaves.
Verse 18
- Is Paul teaching universalism (the idea that all will be saved)?
No. So far in Romans Paul has been talking of both Jews and Gentiles. The ‘all’ here refers to ‘both Jews and Gentiles, all groups of people, no one left out’. So, Adam’s transgression has led to condemnation for all humanity – regardless of whether someone is a Jew or Gentile. But so too, Christ’s obedience and sacrifice have made possible justification and life for all men – both Jew and Gentile. However, as v17 makes clear, that grace and the gift of righteousness must be received like any gift, and so the second ‘all’ – those who are justified and receive life – refers specially to those who receive the gift of God’s grace. So… which ‘all’ we are in depends on which humanity we belong to: the old humanity in Adam – under judgement because of his transgression, or the new humanity in Christ.
Verse 19
- Why does the obedience of Christ matter?
Jesus came as the second Adam (see also 1 Cor 15:45). The second, and ultimate representative of humanity. Unlike Adam, who did not obey, Jesus perfectly obeyed God’s law. He thus became the perfect, spotless sacrifice who could give His life as our substitute. But also, just as Adam’s sin was counted to us, so as our representative, Jesus’ perfect life and sacrificial death are counted to us. As our representative His obedience is our obedience. His perfect moral record our perfect moral record.
Verse 20
- How does the law increase the trespass?
Not only do we become increasingly conscious of our sin – it becomes more visible as we see it as trespassing God’s boundaries, but to be told we can’t do something, or must do something, can provoke our sinful natures to want, and to do, the opposite. It is not the law that’s the problem, it’s us.- How did/does God respond to humanity’s increasing sin?
Grace abounded all the more. Christ’s representative obedience and representative death has more than covered Adam’s and our sin. In the death and resurrection of Christ sin and death are totally vanquished and overwhelmed by God’s grace, love and mercy.
- How did/does God respond to humanity’s increasing sin?
Application
- Basing your answer on what you saw in today’s passage, how do you pick yourself up again when you stumble in sin – in your thoughts, words or actions?
If we err on the liberal side, we will tell ourselves our sin doesn’t really matter, that it’s not so bad. If we err on the legalistic side, we will try and ‘work’ our way out of it and try and earn/deserve God’s forgiveness. But when we understand that God’s love and grace has abounded to us in Christ, we realise that His obedience and death were ours and are more than enough to cover our sins, and we can pick ourselves up and start over again, trusting in His grace and righteousness, not our own.
Download the complete study: Bible study on Romans (PDF) and leader’s guide (PDF)