Romans 5:16

16 And not as by one sin, so by the gift; for the doom of one into condemnation, but the grace of many guilts into justification [for why soothly doom of one into condemnation, grace forsooth of many guilts, or trespassings, into justification].

Romans 5:16 Meaning and Commentary

Romans 5:16

And not as [it was] by one that sinned, [so is] the gift,
&c.] The apostle goes on with the dissimilitude between the effects of Adam's sin, and Christ's righteousness:

for the judgment was by one to condemnation;
by "judgment" is meant, not the judgment of God, or the judiciary sentence pronounced by God on Adam and his posterity for sin; but the guilt of the one man's sin, which is imputed to all men to condemnation, on account of which the sentence of condemnation passed on all men; the law transgressed, became a ministration of condemnation to them:

but the free gift is of many offences unto justification;
the righteousness of Christ, which stands opposed to the guilt of Adam's sin, being imputed to all his offspring, is to the justification of them; and that not only from the guilt of that particular offence, but from many other offences, even all their actual sins and transgressions, of every sort; which is another instance of the exuberance, or abounding of the grace of God, in the righteousness of Christ, not only over the sin of the one man, but also over the sins of many, even all the elect of God; for the last clause may be also thus rendered, "the free gift is of the offences of many, unto justification".

Romans 5:16 In-Context

14 But death reigned from Adam unto Moses [But death reigned from Adam till to Moses], also into them that sinned not in likeness of the trespassing of Adam, the which is likeness of Christ to coming [the which is form, or likeness, of one to come].
15 But not as [the] guilt, so the gift; for if through the guilt of one many be dead [+But not as the guilt, or trespass, so and the gift; soothly if through the trespass of one many be dead], much more the grace of God and the gift in the grace of one man Jesus Christ hath abounded into many men.
16 And not as by one sin, so by the gift; for the doom of one into condemnation, but the grace of many guilts into justification [for why soothly doom of one into condemnation, grace forsooth of many guilts, or trespassings, into justification].
17 For if in the guilt of one death reigned through one, much more men that take plenty of grace, and of giving, and of rightwiseness, shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ.
18 Therefore as by the guilt of one into all men into condemnation, so [and] by the rightwiseness of one into all men into justifying of life.
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.