The Pulpit Commentary — Romans — Section 133

~bow how the effN'tl! of the IRtter for good the entire t\1lfilmont or the Divine purpose; fur trRnPc-end those or the former for e,·il. and hence those pns.<l\g-e~ Cl\nuot be pressed It i• not MSy, however, to explain the as conelnsive for tho doctrine of universal npos\le's exact intention in the contrast.a final salvation. But in vers. 16, 17 (to be ,.-uioh he draws. He eeems to have written, taken together, ver. 16 being introduced by after his mannez, full of id088 which he did 1<al, eo as to suggt-st a new idea, and ver. 17 not linger to 11.lT&nge in clear form. In ver. being conneoted with it by 70.p) the exlent 15 the contrast between "trespass" (rt&pd· to whioh grace thus abounded, 10 9.11 to ...,.,.,µ,,) and "free gift" (xdp,,,-µ,,) seems to traneaend the effects of the original trans- be the leading idea. The suggesting gression, is disiiuotly set forth. The thought l!8eIIlll to be-If (RS he.s been thought of these verses may, perhaps, be shown) one man's fTet;pa.<s he.d snch fe.r- expressed otherwise, thus : The oue trespass 1"J&Ohing effects, much more must the grace of the one original transgressor did indeed of God (dii;playl.'ll. e.lso in One) have no less render all mankind liable to condemnation: fal-..re&Ching effects. God's grace must be but the free gift in Obrist annnlled the effect, more powerful than me.n's trespass. And not only of that one trespass, but also of it is here e.ssertoo that it wns eo. The all subsequent trespasses of mankind: an 11111M TIMln' ('roUf µ..aAAo•) is best ta.ken ( as immense debt, accumulating through the it must be in ver. 17) in a l,ogiool, not a ages of human history, in addition to the qttantitaJitt eenee ; i.e. a.s enforcing the original debt, was by that one free grant conclusion, not a.s intensifying the verb obliterated. And further, while the original .. abonnded." So fe.r the effects a.re not dis- trespass introduced a temporary reign of tinctly contrasted in respect to their e:r,tent; death, the free gift of righteousness intro- all that is implied in this verse is that both duced life, in which the partakers of the reach tD ~ many (ai ToUol), i.e. the whole gift themselves-triumphant over Death, hnman race collectively; unless, indeed, the who reigned before-shall reign ; and, as verb ir,pia-,nv<T• implies excess of effect. in ver. 15 the idea was that God's grace It is to be observed that the phrase oi must be more powerful than man's sin, 10 roMol does not here mean, ae is nsnal in here it is implied that life in Christ must classical Greek, t~ greater part, but the be more powerful than death in Adam. multitude, mankind being regarded colleo- Li.fe means here (118 elsewhere when the tively. It depends, however, on the writer's life in Christ is spoken of) more than the mental horimn whether the phr-.!Se, taken present life in the flesh-more than the life by itself, is to be undemt.ood ae compre- breathed into man when ho first "bece.me hending o1L The consideration is of im- (l-,"1.,,-o ds) a living soul" (I Cor. xv. 45). pana.uce in the caee before us.. On the one It means the higher life imparted by " the hand, it may be contended that, in the firat last Adam," who "became e. quickening clause of the verse, w the many" must mean Spirit" (1 Cor. xv. 45) ; eternal life with all, for that undoubtedly ell died (cf. ver. God, in the life of Christ risen, swallowing 12., tls r6rras lu,6prftro11s l, e&vaTos MiA6,.,), up mortality (2 Cor. v. 4; cf. also John xi. and that conseqnently all must be intended 25). Thus the "free gift" not only reverses also in the second cla.nse. So also in ver. the far-reaching effects of the original trans- 19, where it u sa.id that 1i(,cauu 1UJTQ.(f'Ta6f,- gression, bnt even transcends what is inti- ,,-oirrw oi ..-oUol. .And it may be said, mated in Genesis as given to man in Paza- further, that the drift of the whole argument dise before hie fall. requires the _view of the effects o~ the~ demption bemg at least coexteDSive with The next two verses (18, 19), introduced the effect.a of the fall. But, on the other by ~a ow, are a snmming up of what has hand, it is ar<,-ued that St. Paul would not been elready said or implied. have used th; pL.rase ol ToMol in vere. 15 and u, imtee.d of rdvrES as in vere. 12 and Ver. 18.--So then, 118 through one treapaSB 18 'DIWlllli he had iniended some difference (rather so than "by the offence of one," ae of ~ng, and that he varied his expr~- in the Anthorized Version) the judgment llli.on in order to avoid the neceSll8.J'y ID· came upon &II men unto oondemnation, so ference that all would be 11aved in fact. also through one aot of righteousness (so CertAi.nly he teaches that the redemption is Revised Version. The expression is lh' lvbs atJai/,abl,e and intended for ell, &II in ver. 18, 311<a1C:,µ.wros, contrasted with the preceding where it ia 11&id to be ••• ..-&,,,ras lut9prftro~s, 3,' ivbs 1ra.pa:,r.,-~µ.111ros) the free gift oame •1, Bucalt,,lT11 ,...;, ; and this, it IDBY be said, upon all men unto jnsti11.oation of life, i.e. iJi enough to 1111.tiefy the view of its effects conferring life. "Dcclaratio Divina ilia, (4.e. in pnrpoee and potentially) being oo- ~us peccator, mortis rcus, vitm adjudioatur, enenaive with the efl°,;ct• or the fall. But 1dque jnre" (Bengol). Here, e.s was ob- it doe. oot aeem to follow that mao'1 reli8t- aerved under ver. 15, the phrase used is ,1, &nce w paoe might not come in u a bar to ..-tincir lw6p<{nro11,, not el, Toll, 1r0Ahob1, th111 an. v. 1-21,] THE EPISTLE OF PAUL TO THE ROMANS.