the other in v. 19, yet it is only a greater degree of prominency to the one, and not the exclusion of the other, that is in either case intended.
By one manh disobedience. The disobedience here is evidently the first transgression of Adam, spoken of in v. 16, as ike one offence. The obedience of Christ here stands for all his work in satisfying the demands of the law ; his obedience unto and in death ; that by which the law was magnified and rendered honourable, as well as satisfied. From its oppo- sition to the disobedience of Adam, his obedience, strictly speaking, rather than his sufferings, seems to be the prominent idea. The words the many^ in both clauses of this verse, are obviously equivalent to the all of the corresponding clauses of v. 18, and are to be explained in the same manner.
With regard to the first clause of this verse, we meet again the three interpretations to which reference has so frequently been made. That the disobedience of Adam was the occasion of men's becoming sinners. That through that disobedience all men were corrupted, that is, that they have derived a corrupt nature from Adam, which is the immediate ground of their suffering penal evils. That it is on account of his dis- obedience they are regarded and treated as sinners. With increasing clearness it may be made to appear that here, as elsewhere throughout the passage, the last is the apostle's doctrine.
1. It is in accordance with one of the most familiar of scriptural usages, that the words to make sinners, are interpreted as meaning, to regard and treat as such. Thus, to make clean, to make unclean, to make righteous, to make guilty, are the constant scriptural expressions for regarding and treating as clean, unclean, righteous, or unrighteous ; see on v. 12.
2. The expressions to make sin, and to make righteousness, occurring in a corresponding sense, illustrate and confirm this interpretation. Thus in 2 Cor. 5:21, Christ is said to be "made sin," i. e. regarded and treated as a sinner, " that we might be made the righteousness of God in him," i. e. that we might be regarded and treated as righteous in the sight of God, on his account. 3. The antithesis is here so plain as to be of itself decisive. " To be made righteous" is, according to Professor Stuart, "to be justified, pardoned, regarded and treated as righteous." With what show of consistency, then, can it be denied that " to be made sinners," in the opposite clause, means to be regarded and treated as sin- ners 1 If one part of the verse speaks of justification, the other must speak of condemnation. 4. As so often before remarked, the analogy between the case of Adam and Christ requires this interpretation. If the first clause means either that the disobedience of Adam was the occasion of our committing sin, or that it was the cause of our becoming inherently corrupt, and on the ground of these sins, or of this corruption, being con- demned ; then must the other clause mean that the obedience of Christ is the cause of our becoming holy, or performing good . works on the ground of which we are justified. But this confessedly is not the mean-