Romans 5:18 kjv
Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
Romans 5:18 nkjv
Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life.
Romans 5:18 niv
Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people.
Romans 5:18 esv
Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.
Romans 5:18 nlt
Yes, Adam's one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ's one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone.
Romans 5 18 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 3:6-7 | So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food... she took of its fruit and ate... gave also to her husband... | Adam's initial transgression, source of human sin |
| Gen 3:19 | By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return. | Consequences of Adam's sin: physical death |
| Rom 3:23 | for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God... | Universal reach of sin inherited from Adam |
| Rom 5:12 | Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— | Direct preceding context establishing Adam's role |
| Rom 6:23 | For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. | Link between sin-death and righteousness-life |
| Rom 8:1 | There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. | Freedom from condemnation through Christ |
| 8:2 | For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. | Spirit's role in delivering from the consequence of sin |
| Rom 10:4 | For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. | Christ's role in fulfilling righteous requirements |
| Rom 10:9-10 | because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved... | Means by which Christ's righteousness is received |
| 1 Cor 15:21 | For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. | Adam-Christ parallel concerning death and life |
| 1 Cor 15:22 | For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. | Direct parallel showing universal consequences |
| Isa 53:11 | Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall my righteous servant make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. | Prophecy of Christ's work in making many righteous |
| Jer 23:6 | In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The LORD is our righteousness.’ | Prophecy of God's provision of righteousness |
| 2 Cor 5:21 | For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. | Imputation of righteousness through Christ |
| Php 2:8 | And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. | Christ's obedience culminating in death |
| Heb 10:10 | And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. | Christ's singular, effective sacrifice for righteousness |
| John 3:16 | For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. | Universality of God's love and Christ's provision |
| John 5:24 | Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. | Passing from condemnation to life through belief |
| Eph 2:1 | And you were dead in the trespasses and sins... | Original state of humanity due to sin |
| Col 2:13 | And you, who were dead in your trespasses... God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses. | Made alive with Christ after being dead in sin |
| Tit 3:5 | he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit. | Justification not by works, but by God's mercy and Spirit |
| Gal 2:16 | knowing that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ... | Justification by faith, not law, contrasting self-effort |
Romans 5 verses
Romans 5 18 Meaning
Romans 5:18 conveys a fundamental theological parallel: just as the singular act of transgression by one man, Adam, resulted in universal condemnation and spiritual death for all humanity, so too the singular act of righteousness performed by one Man, Jesus Christ, brings about the divine declaration of righteousness and the gift of spiritual and eternal life to all who receive it. It establishes a profound link between the actions of two federal heads and their representative outcomes for mankind, highlighting God's redemptive power through Christ's perfect obedience as a counterpoint to Adam's fall.
Romans 5 18 Context
Romans 5:18 stands at the pinnacle of Paul's explanation of Adam's sin and Christ's righteousness, immediately following a similar parallel in verse 12 and its elaborate expansion in verses 13-17. The overarching theme of Romans Chapter 5 is justification by faith, emphasizing peace with God and rejoicing in hope through Christ. Paul meticulously builds an argument contrasting the impact of Adam's one sin, which introduced sin and death to all humanity, with the profound and infinitely greater impact of Christ's one righteous act, which brings justification and life. This verse serves as a concise summary and powerful conclusion to the Adam-Christ typology, underscoring that grace, though freely given, required a perfect, righteous deed to effectively overturn the condemnation incurred by Adam's disobedience. Historically, this served to counter Jewish arguments for salvation through law-keeping by demonstrating a universal fallen state requiring a universal and divine solution outside human effort.
Romans 5 18 Word analysis
- So then (Ἄρα οὖν - Ara oun): A conclusive conjunction, signaling a logical summation or consequence derived from the preceding arguments (specifically from Rom 5:12-17). It introduces a condensed reiteration of the parallel established between Adam and Christ.
- as through (ὡς δι᾽ - hōs di'): Indicates the instrumental means by which a consequence occurred. It highlights the mechanism of cause and effect through a single individual's action.
- one transgression (ἑνὸς παραπτώματος - henos paraptōmatos): Refers specifically to Adam's act of disobedience, the first sin in human history, often identified as eating the forbidden fruit. "Paraptōmatos" signifies a 'false step,' a 'trespass,' a 'fall' from the straight path. It implies a deviation from a known standard, a culpable act.
- resulted (εἰς - eis): Conveys the consequence or outcome. The transgression's effect led into the state described.
- condemnation (κατάκριμα - katakrima): A judicial verdict of guilt, an adverse judgment, a sentence of condemnation. This refers to humanity's universal state of being held guilty before God due to Adam's representative sin. It entails the legal and spiritual consequences of being declared culpable, leading to death.
- to all men (εἰς πάντας ἀνθρώπους - eis pantas anthrōpous): This phrase emphasizes the sweeping universality of the consequence. It means the condemnation, both judicially and existentially, has reached every human being descendant from Adam. This is based on the principle of federal headship, where Adam acted as the representative of all humanity.
- even so (οὕτως καί - houtōs kai): Introduces the symmetrical, yet contrasting, second part of the parallel. It signals that what follows mirrors the pattern of the first part but with an opposite outcome, highlighting the proportionality and yet super-abundance of God's grace.
- through one act of righteousness (δι᾽ ἑνὸς δικαιώματος - di' henos dikaiōmatos): "Dikaiōmatos" (related to dikaoō - to declare righteous) here signifies a single, decisive righteous deed or a singular act of righteous obedience. While sometimes debated whether this refers narrowly to Christ's death or broadly to His entire life of perfect obedience, in context, it generally encompasses Christ's sinless life culminating in His sacrificial death on the cross, which fulfilled all righteous requirements of God's law. This specific "act" counteracted Adam's "transgression."
- resulted (εἰς - eis): Again, conveys the consequence or outcome, but this time, the "act of righteousness" led into the state of "justification of life."
- justification of life (δικαίωσιν ζωῆς - dikaiōsin zōēs): "Dikaiōsin" means 'a declaration of righteousness,' 'acquittal,' or 'being made righteous.' It is a forensic term, a legal pronouncement by God. "Zōēs" means 'life'—not merely physical existence, but spiritual and eternal life. This phrase combines the two concepts: it's not just a declaration of innocence but an imparting of true life, indicating a new standing before God that leads to and includes spiritual vitality, renewal, and eternal fellowship with Him. It reverses the spiritual death brought by Adam.
- to all men (εἰς πάντας ἀνθρώπους - eis pantas anthrōpous): Again, the universality. This refers to the universal scope of the provision of justification and life. Christ's work is sufficient for all, offered to all, and applicable to all who receive it by faith (as emphasized throughout Romans). It underlines the boundless potential of Christ's work to impact all who were impacted by Adam, making salvation universally available not necessarily universally effective without faith.
Romans 5 18 Bonus section
The concept of "forensic justification" is particularly strong in Romans 5:18. Forensic refers to a legal declaration, as in a court of law. When God justifies a believer, He declares them righteous, acquitting them of sin and crediting them with Christ's righteousness, rather than making them inherently righteous in themselves first. This declaration of righteousness leads to spiritual and eternal life. The 'all men' phrase also points to what theologians term "federal headship" or "representative headship," a critical doctrine in understanding the fall and redemption. Adam acted as the representative 'head' for all humanity in his sin, causing the legal consequences to pass to all. Similarly, Christ acts as the representative 'head' of a new humanity (those in Him) in His obedience, and His righteousness is imputed to those who believe, bringing justification and life. This framework underscores that our standing before God is not primarily based on our individual performance but on the representative actions of either Adam or Christ.
Romans 5 18 Commentary
Romans 5:18 succinctly summarizes Paul's profound theological argument regarding federal headship, highlighting the decisive actions of two individuals: Adam and Christ. Adam's single act of disobedience plunged humanity into a state of condemnation and spiritual death. This wasn't merely a private failing; it had cosmic ramifications, universally affecting all his descendants. In stark, divinely ordained contrast, Christ's singular, perfect act of righteousness (His sinless life culminating in His atoning death) accomplished a perfect and universal provision of justification. This justification not only pardons but imparts new, spiritual life, effectively reversing the dire consequences of Adam's fall. The "all men" in both clauses indicates a comprehensive reach, implying that as Adam's sin incurred a debt for all humanity, Christ's righteousness made a payment for all humanity's debt. The personal appropriation of this "justification of life" occurs through faith, but the divine provision is for the entire world that was held under the power of sin. This verse beautifully encapsulates the Gospel: mankind's universal problem (condemnation) finds its universal, divine solution (justification and life) in Jesus Christ, far outweighing the damage wrought by Adam.