Romans 5 15

Romans 5:15 kjv

But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.

Romans 5:15 nkjv

But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man's offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many.

Romans 5:15 niv

But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!

Romans 5:15 esv

But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.

Romans 5:15 nlt

But there is a great difference between Adam's sin and God's gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God's wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ.

Romans 5 verses

Romans 5 15 Meaning

Romans 5:15 emphasizes a profound contrast and greater truth: the catastrophic impact of Adam's single transgression is far surpassed by the overwhelming and abundant grace of God through the single act of Jesus Christ. It highlights that while sin brought spiritual death to many (all humanity), God's unmerited favor and the gift of salvation, enacted by Christ, result in a much greater impartation of life and righteousness to those who receive it. The verse stresses the disparity between the effects of sin and the super-abounding nature of grace, portraying grace as infinitely more potent and widespread in its positive consequence.

Romans 5 15 Context

Romans chapter 5 immediately follows Paul's profound declaration of justification by faith in Christ, through which believers gain peace with God (Rom 5:1). Paul moves to explain the deep theological implications of this justification, tracing humanity's predicament back to Adam's sin and presenting Jesus Christ as the representative head through whom righteousness and life are freely bestowed. This section (Rom 5:12-21) develops the theme of two humanities – one in Adam and one in Christ – and the contrasting, yet incomparably greater, effects of Christ's righteousness. Romans 5:15 stands as the crucial statement of disproportion: emphasizing that the positive impact of Christ's singular act of grace far outweighs the negative impact of Adam's single act of disobedience. Historically and culturally, this passage addressed both Jewish readers (familiar with corporate solidarity) and Gentiles (who might grapple with a non-meritorious gift). Paul refutes any idea that the consequences of Adam's sin equate to or exceed the triumph of God's grace.

Romans 5 15 Word analysis

• But not as the offence, so also is the free gift.

  • But not as: This phrase Ou kathos (οὐ καθὼς) signals a strong antithesis and comparison. It is an immediate denial of equivalence, introducing the central contrast. The outcome of grace is not simply equal to but fundamentally different and superior to the outcome of sin.
  • Offence: Greek paraptōma (παράπτωμα), meaning "a false step," "a lapse," "a trespass," or "a falling aside." It refers to Adam's deliberate act of disobedience, his stepping over the line God had drawn. It implies more than an accident; it was a volitional deviation from God's command, leading to systemic failure for humanity.
  • Free gift: Greek charisma (χάρισμα), derived from charis (grace). It denotes something freely given out of undeserved favor, specifically a divine favor or enablement. Here, it refers to the totality of salvation, justification, and eternal life offered through Christ, which is not earned but bestowed. It immediately contrasts the paraptoma (human failure) with God's gratuitous offering.

• For if by the offence of one many be dead,

  • By the offence: This specifies the cause – Adam's trespass. The preposition "by" (ek) emphasizes the origin or source of the state of death.
  • One: Greek heis (εἷς). Refers to Adam. It highlights the singularity of the originating act that had widespread consequences. Paul establishes Adam's corporate representation.
  • Many: Greek polloi (πολλοί). This term refers to "the many" or "the multitude," understood in this context as all who are affected by Adam's sin—i.e., all humanity, the whole human race, without exception in their participation in Adam's fallen nature. It does not imply a limited group but a collective body.
  • Be dead: Greek apothnēskō (ἀποθνῄσκω), meaning "to die," or "to be in a state of death." This refers to spiritual death, which is separation from God, alienation from His life, and subjection to His righteous judgment, which culminates in physical death. It signifies not annihilation but a state of being cut off from the source of life.

• much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.

  • Much more: Greek pollo mallon (πολλῷ μᾶλλον). This crucial comparative phrase stresses the emphatic qualitative and quantitative superiority of God's action in Christ. It means "by so much the more," or "how much more abundantly." It underscores the overflowing, surpassing nature of God's grace compared to the effects of sin. It's a statement of hyper-abundance.
  • Grace of God: Greek charis tou Theou (χάρις τοῦ Θεοῦ). Charis signifies unmerited divine favor and kindness, the active benevolence of God towards humanity despite their sinfulness. It is the core concept of God's saving initiative, completely undeserved and freely given. This emphasizes that the source of salvation is God Himself, not human effort.
  • The gift by grace: Reinforces that the saving outcome (the dōrea, δωρεά – gift, specifically a divine one) originates solely from God's charis. It’s not something earned but is purely a gracious impartation.
  • By one man, Jesus Christ: Once again, heis (εἷς), referring to Jesus Christ. Paul establishes Him as the representative head for those who are "in Him," just as Adam was the representative head for all humanity. This emphasizes that Christ's act, like Adam's, had universal scope in principle (though limited in application to believers for salvation's benefits), offering a corporate remedy.
  • Hath abounded: Greek perisseuō (περισσεύω). It means "to superabound," "to be preeminent," "to be more than enough," "to be in excess." This powerful verb signifies an overflowing, limitless, and surpassing abundance. The grace did not just "counter" the sin, it overwhelmed and far exceeded it in its beneficial effects.
  • Unto many: Again, polloi (πολλοί). This signifies all those who receive God's grace through Jesus Christ—the vast number of believers throughout history, mirroring the "many" who were affected by Adam, yet now with an infinitely more positive outcome.

Romans 5 15 Bonus section

The comparison drawn in Romans 5:15 is an example of typology, where Adam is a "type" (prefigurement) of Christ, who is the "anti-type." Both acted as federal or corporate heads whose single actions had profound and lasting consequences for the multitude they represented. However, this is not merely a parallel but an escalation; the "much more" underscores the anti-type's superior impact and effectiveness. It signifies that God's plan of redemption through Christ is not simply remedial, restoring what was lost, but augmentative, bestowing greater blessings than what existed prior to the Fall. This highlights God's sovereignty, showing that even amidst the tragedy of sin, His ultimate design culminates in an even more glorious display of His character and power. The passage ultimately testifies to the exceeding greatness of divine grace, ensuring that the triumph of Christ is greater than the triumph of sin.

Romans 5 15 Commentary

Romans 5:15 encapsulates the heart of the gospel's supremacy over sin's dominion. Paul constructs a profound theological comparison, highlighting a fundamental qualitative and quantitative disparity between the impact of Adam's sin and the effects of Christ's grace. Adam's paraptoma (trespass) introduced spiritual death to all humanity ("the many"), demonstrating the far-reaching destructive power of a single act of disobedience. However, Paul emphatically states, "not as the offence, so also is the free gift." This disproportionality is key.

The "much more" (πολλῷ μᾶλλον) serves as a theological magnifying glass, focusing on the superabundant nature of God's grace. The grace of God and the resulting charisma (free gift) delivered by one man, Jesus Christ, did not merely counteract or nullify the sin; it perisseuō (abounded) far beyond. Where sin brought death to "the many" (all humanity), grace brings life, justification, and righteousness to "the many" (all believers, a number vast beyond human comprehension).

This verse emphasizes God's proactive, sovereign love that addresses humanity's deepest need not just adequately, but overwhelmingly. Adam's fall unleashed a wave of death, but Christ's redemptive work unleashed an infinitely greater tidal wave of life and blessing, demonstrating God's inherent generosity and restorative power. The work of Christ through grace far surpasses the damage of sin, offering not just restoration to a pre-fall state, but an exalted status in Christ beyond anything Adam possessed. For example, a debt of $10,000 might destroy a family; Christ's grace is not just a forgiveness of that debt, but a gift of $1,000,000 and a new mansion, showing its extravagant "much more" nature.