Romans 5:12–21

Adam and Christ, sin and grace.

Text — King James Version (1611)

5:12Wherefore, 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:

5:13(For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

5:14Nevertheless 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.

5:15But 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.

5:16And 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.

5:17For 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.)

5:18Therefore 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.

5:19For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

5:20Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:

5:21That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

From the site’s Bible translations (Day 10). Compare other translations on the compare view.

Works discussing this passage

Links marked curated are an editor’s selection; links marked cited in text were found by scanning the work for a reference to this passage.

Augustine of Hippo — City of God curated
Augustine of Hippo — Enchiridion curated

Cited in the Fathers’ own texts

Jerome — Letters cited in text · 8 references — (Jerome)
Tertullian — Adversus Marcionem cited in text · 3 references — Against Marcion, Book V (Tertullian)
Ambrose of Milan — Exposition of the Christian Faith cited in text · 2 references
Basil of Caesarea — On the Holy Spirit (De Spiritu Sancto) cited in text · 2 references
Clement of Alexandria — Stromata cited in text · 2 references — Caput IX.— Dictum Christi ad Salomen Exponit, Quod Tanquam in Vituperium Nuptiarum Prolatum Hæretici Allegabant.
Ambrose of Milan — On the Holy Spirit cited in text · 1 reference
Athanasius — Four Discourses Against the Arians cited in text · 1 reference — Discourse I Against the Arians (Athanasius)
Athanasius — On the Incarnation of the Word cited in text · 1 reference — On the Incarnation of the Word
Augustine of Hippo — City of God cited in text · 1 reference — Of the Fall of the First Man, in Whom Nature Was Created Good, and Can Be Restored Only by Its Author.
Gregory of Nazianzus — Select Orations cited in text · 1 reference — Oration 38 (Gregory Nazianzen)

Parallel passages

Romans 3:21–26 — Righteousness apart from the law, through faith.

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