✝
← Bible
ARCBLIVREKJVVBL

Romans 5

KJV · Chapter 5/16

1Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

2By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

3And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

4And patience, experience; and experience, hope:

5And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

6For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

7For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.

8But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

9Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

10For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

11And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

12Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

13(For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

14Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.

15But 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.

16And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.

17For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)

18Therefore 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.

19For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

20Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:

21That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

Paul celebrates the benefits of justification by faith: peace with God, hope, and the certainty of God's love shown in Christ's death for us while we were still sinners. He compares Adam and Christ as two representatives of humanity.

Explanation

This is one of the most theologically rich chapters: Paul shows that God's love is proven precisely because Christ died for us 'while we were still sinners' — not after we had earned it. The comparison between Adam and Christ (called by theologians the 'Adamic parallel') explains how a single act (Adam's sin) brought consequences for all humanity, and how a single act (Christ's obedience) can bring life to all who believe. It is a profound explanation of how God's grace far outweighs the damage caused by sin, giving concrete hope even in the midst of suffering and tribulation.

Fun facts

  • The comparison between Adam and Christ here is the basis of the theological concept of 'federalism' or 'federal representation,' used by various Christian traditions to explain how humanity relates to these two representative 'heads.'
  • The Greek word for 'reconciliation' used by Paul (katallage) was a commercial and diplomatic term, used to describe the restoration of relations between nations or people in conflict — Paul applies it to the relationship between God and humanity.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. Romans 5:1"Peace" here is not a feeling of calm but the end of a state of hostility, like the armistice that ends a war. The chapter’s logic is that the declaration of innocence from the previous chapter has this practical consequence.
  2. Romans 5:2"Access" describes an entryway, as if faith were the door that opens the way into this state of grace in which the believer now stands firm, no longer fearing the judgment described in the previous chapters.
  3. Romans 5:3Paul takes a step beyond the joy described in the previous verse: it’s not only future hope that encourages the believer, even present hardships take on value, because they train the capacity to persevere.
  4. Romans 5:4This continues a chain of cause and effect: perseverance forms a character tested by trials, and that character, in turn, feeds hope even more.
  5. Romans 5:5"Maketh not ashamed" means this hope will not disappoint or leave the person embarrassed in the end; the guarantee of that is the love of God, felt as something concrete, "shed abroad" by the Holy Spirit already given to the believer.
  6. Romans 5:6Paul explains the exact timing of Christ’s death: it was not when people were already good or strong, it was "in due time," while they were still weak and far from God, called here ungodly.
  7. Romans 5:7To highlight the magnitude of Christ’s act, Paul uses a human example: it is rare for someone to die for a merely righteous person, and only in exceptional cases would someone dare to risk their life for someone truly good.
  8. Romans 5:8In contrast with the rare example of the previous verse, God’s love proves itself in precisely the opposite of what was expected: Christ died for people who were still sinners, not for people who were already good.
  9. Romans 5:9This is a “how much more” argument: if the harder part, being declared righteous despite sin, has already happened through the blood of Christ, then the remaining part, being saved from the final wrath, is even more certain.
  10. Romans 5:10This repeats the same “how much more” logic from the previous verse with a different word: if reconciliation, which required the death of the Son, already happened while we were enemies of God, then final salvation, which depends only on his life, is even more certain.
  11. Romans 5:11This closes out this block of reasoning by repeating the theme of “rejoicing” that opened the chapter, now with a specific reason: the reconciliation with God already achieved through Christ.
  12. Romans 5:12The “one man” is Adam, and Paul describes the Genesis account as the entry point of a problem that affects everyone after him, not just himself. This is the basis for the comparison he makes for the rest of the chapter between Adam and Christ.
  13. Romans 5:13Paul lays the groundwork for comparing Adam and Christ: even before the law of Moses existed, sin was already in the world, only without a written law it was not formally “counted” as transgression.
  14. Romans 5:14“Figure” here means pattern or foreshadowing — Paul says that Adam, in an inverted way, anticipates the role of Christ. Just as one man brought a consequence upon everyone, the other would also bring a consequence upon everyone, only the opposite one.
  15. Romans 5:15This begins a series of comparisons between Adam’s offense and Christ’s free gift: both have an effect on many, but not in the same proportion — God’s grace far exceeds the damage caused by the sin of one man.
  16. Romans 5:16This marks another difference in proportion: a single offense brought condemnation, but Christ’s free gift resolves many accumulated offenses, not just that first one.
  17. Romans 5:17This continues the “how much more” pattern: if death began to reign because of one man, it is even more certain that those who receive abundant grace will reign in life through one man, Jesus Christ.
  18. Romans 5:18This sums up the whole comparison in a symmetrical sentence: just as one single act, Adam’s sin, brought condemnation upon all, one single act, Christ’s obedience, brings the possibility of life for all.
  19. Romans 5:19The contrast of the whole chapter is summed up here: one act, Adam’s disobedience, brought a negative collective result, and another act, Christ’s obedience, brings a positive collective result. It’s the same “one affects all” logic applied to both sides.
  20. Romans 5:20Paul answers a question he himself anticipates: if the law only made the size of the problem clearer, chapter 3, wouldn’t that be bad? He says no, because the greater the exposed problem, the more visible the answer that follows becomes.
  21. Romans 5:21This closes the chapter with an image of a reign exchanged: where sin once reigned leading to death, now it is grace that reigns, leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ.

Chapters

12345678910111213141516

Our apps

Our apps →

Bible in Stories

The Bible told as a story, with audio and videos.

📱 Get the app

World in Stories

True stories of humanity that sound made up.

App StoreGoogle Play

Feito! Pequenas Vitórias

A light daily routine for people who lose track of the day.

App StoreGoogle Play