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Shared Word Translation

Romans 5

Adam and Christ

Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one human being, and death through sin, and so death spread to all, because all sinned— for sin was indeed in the world before the law, but sin is not reckoned where there is no law. Yet death exercised dominion from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sin was not like the transgression of Adam, who is a type of the one who was to come.

But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died through the trespass of the one, much more surely have the grace of God and the gift in the grace of the one human being, Jesus Christ, overflowed for the many. And the gift is not like the effect of the one person’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass led to condemnation, but the gift following many trespasses leads to being set right. If, because of the one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one, much more surely will those who receive the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.

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Notes

Translation notes for Romans 5.

v01

“having been set right through trust” — The Greek participle (dikaiōthentes) gathers the argument of Romans 3–4 rather than beginning a new argument. “Through trust” carries forward Paul’s emphasis on reliance upon God without resolving questions that the Greek itself leaves open.

v01

The participle dikaiōthentes is grammatically dependent on the argument preceding this verse and means “having been set right/justified.”

v02

“we boast” — The verb often translated “rejoice” or “exult” (kauchaometha) retains the stronger sense of boasting. Paul redirects boasting away from human achievement and toward God’s action and the hope of God’s glory.

v03–05

suffering → endurance → tested character → hope — Paul does not present suffering as inherently good or as a means of earning peace with God. The sequence proceeds from the already-given reality of reconciliation and describes hope formed within suffering.

v05

“God’s love has been poured into our hearts” — The image conveys abundance. The Holy Spirit is the agent through whom God’s love is given, while the love itself remains explicitly God’s.

v06

“at the appointed time” — The phrase places Christ’s death within divine purpose rather than historical accident.

v09

“saved through him from wrath” — The future tense holds present reconciliation together with future deliverance. Paul does not collapse salvation into a single moment.

v12

“because all sinned” — The Greek construction permits more than one interpretation and has generated extensive debate. The translation preserves the clause without explaining how sin and death are transmitted from Adam to humanity.

v14

“who is a type of the one who was to come” — “Type” (typos) establishes a correspondence between Adam and Christ without making them equivalent. Paul’s argument will emphasize that the effect of Christ’s action surpasses the effect of Adam’s trespass.

v15–17

“much more surely” — Paul repeatedly emphasizes the asymmetry between trespass and gift. Grace does not simply balance the effects of sin; it exceeds them.

v17

“exercise dominion in life” — The same language previously used for death’s dominion is transferred to those who receive the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness.

v18–19

“one” and “the many” — Paul develops the comparison between Adam and Christ through deliberate parallelism. The correspondence is structural, but the surrounding argument continues to emphasize the greater effect of grace.

v18

“one righteous act” — The Greek dikaiōma can refer to a righteous deed or action. The expression stands in deliberate contrast with the “one trespass” without further defining the relationship between Christ’s act and the resulting setting right.

v19

“were made sinners … will be made righteous” — Paul parallels the disobedience of the one with the obedience of the one. The translation preserves the representative structure of the argument without expanding it into a theory of how that participation occurs.

v20

“the law came in so that the trespass might increase” — Paul describes the law entering an already existing history of sin and death. The statement is allowed to retain its tension; Paul immediately places the increase of trespass beside the still greater abundance of grace.

v20

“grace overflowed all the more” — The Greek intensifies the language of abundance. Grace does not merely equal the increase of sin but surpasses it.

v21

“grace might exercise dominion” — The chapter concludes by returning to the language of dominion. Sin reigns in death; grace reigns through righteousness toward eternal life through Jesus Christ.

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Vocabulary

Selected source-language vocabulary for Romans 5.

v01

δικαιόω (dikaioō)

“To set right.” Denotes restoration to right standing. In Romans 5, the term gathers the argument of chapters 3–4 and describes an established reality.

v01

πίστις (pistis)

“Trust; faith; faithfulness.” A relational term involving reliance and allegiance. TSW uses “trust” in this context while recognizing the term’s wider semantic range.

v01

εἰρήνη (eirēnē)

“Peace.” Restored relationship and wholeness rather than merely inward calm. “Peace with God” marks the end of hostility.

v02

καυχάομαι (kauchaomai)

“To boast.” Paul redirects boasting away from human achievement and toward God’s action.

v05

ἀγάπη (agapē)

“Love.” Here God’s love is described as something poured into human hearts through the Holy Spirit and demonstrated in Christ’s death.

v10

καταλλαγή (katallagē)

“Reconciliation.” The removal of enmity and restoration of relationship. In this passage reconciliation originates in God and is received rather than negotiated.

v12

ἁμαρτία (hamartia)

“Sin.” In this section Paul increasingly speaks of sin not merely as individual acts but as a power associated with death and dominion.

v14

τύπος (typos)

“Type” or “pattern.” A correspondence that points beyond itself. Adam is described as a type of the one who was to come without being made equivalent to Christ.

v14

βασιλεύω (basileuō)

“To exercise dominion” or “to reign.” Used first of death’s rule and later transferred to those who receive grace and finally to grace itself.

v15

παράπτωμα (paraptōma)

“Trespass.” A false step or transgression. Paul repeatedly contrasts the trespass with the gift.

v18

δικαίωμα (dikaiōma)

“Righteous act.” The term can refer to a righteous deed or action. Here it stands opposite the one trespass and leads to setting right and life.

v19

παρακοή (parakoē)

“Disobedience.” Literally a failure or refusal to hear. It describes the action of the one human being through whom the many were made sinners.

v19

ὑπακοή (hypakoē)

“Obedience.” Responsive hearing expressed in action. Paul places the obedience of the one in deliberate contrast with the disobedience of the one.

v20

ὑπερπερισσεύω (hyperperisseuō)

“To overflow all the more.” An intensified verb describing grace as exceeding the increase of sin rather than merely matching it.

v21

ζωὴ αἰώνιος (zōē aiōnios)

“Eternal life” or “life of the age.” The destination of grace’s dominion through righteousness, given through Jesus Christ our Lord.