Compare And Contrast Series

COMPARE AND CONTRAST

ROMANS 5:12-6:14

THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHEN I HAVE BEEN ASKED TO EXPLAIN SOME VERY CONTROVERSIAL THEOLOGICAL POSITIONS, ONE OF WHICH IS THE UNIVERSALITY OF SIN. IT DOES NOT SEEM FAIR THAT BECAUSE ADAM SINNED, WE SHOULD ALL BE PLACED IN A GUILTY POSITION AS SINNERS. SOME HAVE REACHED THE SIMPLE CONDITION THAT IT’S ALL HIS FAULT.

PAUL HAS USED CHAPTERS 3-5 TO DISCUSS THE ISSUE OF “JUSTIFICATION”. HE HAS JUST FINISHED AN INDEPTH DISCUSSION ON HOW WE ARE SAVED AND DECLARED RIGHTEOUS. PAUL ALSO DEALS WITH ISSUES OF THE LAW WITH REGARDS TO “JUSTIFICATION”, ESPECIALLY WITH THE TIME FRAME BETWEEN ADAM TO THE INTRODUCTION OF THE LAW WITH MOSES.

NOW, HE IS ENTERING A SECOND PHASE OF HIS LETTER WHERE HE IS INSTRUCTING CHRISTIANS ON HOW TO DEEPEN THEIR FAITH ONCE THEY HAVE BEEN SAVED OR JUSTIFIED. HE WILL FOLLOW THIS COURSE IN CHAPTERS 6 AND 7, DEALING WITH THE RESULTS OF LEADING A SANCTIFIED LIFE IN CHAPTER 8.

THIS PASSAGE DEALS WITH HOW “THE SIN NATURE” IS PASSED ON TO ALL OF HUMANITY, AND HOW THE NEW ERA OR COVENANT WAS INTRODUCED BY CHRIST. HE DOES THIS BY USING A DEBATE STYLE OF WRITING, BUT HIS DEBATE IS WITH AN IMAGINARY CHARACTER, TO SET UP A SERIES OF FIVE CONTRASTS BETWEEN ADAM AND THE “OLD COVENANT” AND CHRIST AND THE “NEW COVENANT.”

PAUL, THROUGHOUT THE BOOK OF ROMANS, HAS ALWAYS MAINTAINED THE UNIVERSAL GUILT AND RESPONSIBILITY FOR ALL PEOPLE AS A RESULT OF SIN. NUMEROUS TIMES HE HAS STATED THAT THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN JEW AND GENTILE AND EVERYONE STANDS IN NEED OF JUSTIFICATION.

AS WE EXAMINE THE PASSAGE WE FIND THREE CONNECTING WORDS. “THEREFORE” IS USED TWICE AND “CONSEQUENTLY” IS USED ONCE.

THE FIRST USE OF “THEREFORE” IS FOUND IN VERSE 1 AND CONNECTS THE RESULTS OF JUSTIFICATION LISTED IN THE FIRST 11 VERSES OF CHAPTER 5 TO THE THOUGHTS ON JUSTIFICATION THAT ARE GIVEN IN CHAPTERS 4 AND 3..

NOTE THESE RESULTS:

1. WE HAVE PEACE WITH GOD

2. WE HAVE BY FAITH GAINED ACCESS INTO HIS GRACE

3. WE BOAST IN THE HOPE OF THE GLORY OF GOD

4. WE ARE SAVED FROM GOD’S WRATH THROUGH HIM

5. WE HAVE RECEIVED RECONCILIATION THROUGH HIM

PAUL HAS A CHANGE IN THOUGHT IN VERSE TWELVE AND BEGINS TO TALK ABOUT HOW SIN ENTERED THE WORLD. HE USES “THEREFORE” IN THIS CASER TO JOIN THESE THOUGHTS WITH VERSES 9-11.

VERSE 12 IS ALSO UNIQUE IN THAT PAUL LEAVES US HANGING A LITTLE BIT. HE EVENTUALLY WANTS TO SET UP A CONTRAST BETWEEN ADAM AND CHRIST, AS WE CAN SEE FROM THE VERSES THAT FOLLOW, BUT VERSE 12 STOPS IN HALF THOUGHT. HE SPEAKS ONLY OF HOW SIN ENTERED THE WORLD.

THIS NECESSITATES THE THIRD CONNECTING WORD. “CONSEQUENTLY” SERVES BASICALLY THE SAME PURPOSE AS “THEREFORE” BUT IN THIS CASE, PAUL IS JOINING HIS THOUGHTS OF VERSE 12 TO GO ALONG WITH VV. 18 AND 19. NOW WE HAVE THE CONTRASTING PARTIES LISTED.

WHAT THEN IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF ADAM AND THE ENTRANCE OF SIN IN THE WORLD? I’VE HAD PEOPLE SAY TO ME THAT IT IS NOT FAIR THAT BECAUSE OF THE ACTIONS OF ONE MAN, WE ARE ALL GUILTY.

THIS IS NOT QUITE FAIR THOUGH TO ADAM, FOR WE HAVE SEVERAL EXAMPLES WHERE WE WOULD FOLLOW THIS FORM OF REPRESENTATION WITH NO PROBLEM.

NOT ALL CANADIANS GO TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS. WE ELECT INDIVIDUALS TO GO AND SPEAK AND REPRESENT OUR INTERESTS. WHEN THEY VOTE, WE ACCEPT THE FACT THAT WHAT THEY HAVE DECIDED REPRESENTS US. BEFORE FOOTBALL GAMES IS THE COIN TOSS. THE CAPTAINS REPRESENT THE TEAMS AND MAKE THE CALL.

WHAT IS THE FAMOUS LINE IN THE THREE MUSKETEERS? “ALL FOR ONE AND ONE FOR ALL.” IN SPORTS IF SOMEONE TAKES A CHEAP SHOT AT ONE OF YOUR TEAM, THEN YOU STAND UP FOR YOUR TEAMMATE AS YOU ARE CLOESLY RELATED AS TEAMMATES. WHAT EFFECTS ONE EFFECTS ALL. IF A PLAYER MAKES A BAD CHOICE THAT COSTS THE GAME, NOT ONLY DOES THE PLAYER LOSE, BUT SO DOES THE TEAM.

THE SAME THING IS TRUE WITH REFERENCE TO SIN. WHILE IT IS NOT FAIR THAT WE BE HELD GUILTY OF THE SAME ACTUAL SINFUL ACTION THAT ADAM WAS GUILTY OF, WE DO HAVE TO ADMIT THAT WE ALL HAVE THE SAME SINFUL NATURE THAT NATURALLY DRAWS US TOWARD SIN. SIN IN IT’S RAWEST FORM IS DISOBEDIENCE TO GOD. THE ACTUAL ACTIONS ARE IN SOME CASES VERY INSIGNIFICANT, AS IS SHOWN IN THE GARDEN WITH THE SINFUL ACTION EATING THE FRUIT OF THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL.

WHAT IS SIGNIFICANT FOR US IN THIS PASSAGE IS THAT ONLY ADAM IS MENTIONED. PERHAPS THE REASON WAS THE MALE DOMINANCE OF THE AGE, OR THAT IT FORMED A BETTER COMPARISON ONLY WITH TWO MALES, THE FIRST INVOLVED IN BOTH COVENANTS. I THINK THAT OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY AND REV. DR. CHARLES PRICE CAN SHED SOME LIGHT ON THE ROLE OF ADAM.