idea would then be, ' if we are thus subject to death for an offence in which we had no personal concern, how much more shall we be saved by a righteousness which we voluntarily embrace.' The decision of these questions is not at all material to the general interpretation of the passage. Both of the ideas contained in the latter two views of the verse are probably to be included.
For if by one man's offence death reigned hy one. That is, if on account of the offence of one man many are subject to death. This clause is a repetition, in nearly the same words, of the second clause of V. 15, if through the offence of one many he dead, and is to be explained in the same way. The dative has the same force here which it has there. See the remarks on that verse.
Much more they which receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. The phrase abun- dance of grace is explained by the following one, gift of righteousness f ' grace, even the gift of righteousness ;' which is the gift or favour of which the apostle is speaking throughout the whole passage. That righteousness here does not mean holiness, is evident from the constant use of the word by Paul in a different sense in this epistle ; from the fact that it is pardon, justification, justifying righteousness, not sanctifi- cation, that Paul in the context represents as the blessing received from Christ; and because it is in this verse opposed to the reigning of death, or state of condemnation, on account of the offence of Adam. They which receive the abundant grace expresses much more than the mere offer of pardon. It cannot be said of all who live under a dispensation of grace that they shall reign in life through Jesus Christ. This clause evidently is descriptive of those who voluntarily embrace the offered, blessing. The gift of righteousness is something more than pardoning grace. It is that which is expressed in v. 15 by the free gift; and in V. 16 by the free gift unto justification. It is, therefore, the gift of justification ; or, what is but another method of stating the same idea, it is the righteousness of Christ by which we are justified, since the gift of justification includes the gift of Christ's righteousness. The mean- ing of the verse consequently is, ' If on account of the offence of one man we are condemned, much more shall those who receive the right- eousness graciously offered to them in the gospel, not only be delivered from condemnation, but also reign in life by one, Jesus Christ;' that is, be gloriously exalted in the participation of that life of holiness and com- munion with God which is the end of our being, and of which Christ alone is the author.
By one, Jesus Christ. As it was by one man, antecedently to any con- currence of our own, that we were brought into a state of condemnation, so it is by one man, without any merit of our own, that we are delivered from this state. If the one event has happened, much more may we expect the other to occur. If we are thus involved in the condemnation of a sin in which we had no personal concern, much more shall we, whd