5:18 Consequently, 14 just as condemnation 15 for all people 16 came 17 through one transgression, 18 so too through the one righteous act 19 came righteousness leading to life 20 for all people. 5:19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man 21 many 22 were made sinners, so also through the obedience of one man 23 many 24 will be made righteous.
1 tn The nature of the “righteousness” described here and the force of the genitive θεοῦ (“of God”) which follows have been much debated. (1) Some (e.g. C. E. B. Cranfield, Romans [ICC], 1:98) understand “righteousness” to refer to the righteous status given to believers as a result of God’s justifying activity, and see the genitive “of God” as a genitive of source (= “from God”). (2) Others see the “righteousness” as God’s act or declaration that makes righteous (i.e., justifies) those who turn to him in faith, taking the genitive “of God” as a subjective genitive (see E. Käsemann, Romans, 25-30). (3) Still others see the “righteousness of God” mentioned here as the attribute of God himself, understanding the genitive “of God” as a possessive genitive (“God’s righteousness”).
2 tn Grk “in it”; the referent (the gospel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
3 tn Or “by faith for faith,” or “by faith to faith.” There are many interpretations of the phrase ἐκ πίστεως εἰς πίστιν (ek pistew" ei" pistin). It may have the idea that this righteousness is obtained by faith (ἐκ πίστεως) because it was designed for faith (εἰς πίστιν). For a summary see J. Murray, Romans (NICNT), 1:363-74.
4 sn A quotation from Hab 2:4.
5 sn An allusion to Ps 143:2.
6 tn Grk “because by the works of the law no flesh is justified before him.” Some recent scholars have understood the phrase ἒργα νόμου (erga nomou, “works of the law”) to refer not to obedience to the Mosaic law generally, but specifically to portions of the law that pertain to things like circumcision and dietary laws which set the Jewish people apart from the other nations (e.g., J. D. G. Dunn, Romans [WBC], 1:155). Other interpreters, like C. E. B. Cranfield (“‘The Works of the Law’ in the Epistle to the Romans,” JSNT 43 [1991]: 89-101) reject this narrow interpretation for a number of reasons, among which the most important are: (1) The second half of v. 20, “for through the law comes the knowledge of sin,” is hard to explain if the phrase “works of the law” is understood in a restricted sense; (2) the plural phrase “works of the law” would have to be understood in a different sense from the singular phrase “the work of the law” in 2:15; (3) similar phrases involving the law in Romans (2:13, 14; 2:25, 26, 27; 7:25; 8:4; and 13:8) which are naturally related to the phrase “works of the law” cannot be taken to refer to circumcision (in fact, in 2:25 circumcision is explicitly contrasted with keeping the law). Those interpreters who reject the “narrow” interpretation of “works of the law” understand the phrase to refer to obedience to the Mosaic law in general.
7 tn Grk “is.”
8 tn Or “was justified.”
9 tn Or “who justifies the ungodly.”
10 sn Verse 7 forms something of a parenthetical comment in Paul’s argument.
11 tn Grk “having now been declared righteous.” The participle δικαιωθέντες (dikaiwqente") has been translated as a causal adverbial participle.
12 tn Or, according to BDF §219.3, “at the price of his blood.”
13 tn Grk “the wrath,” referring to God’s wrath as v. 10 shows.
14 tn There is a double connective here that cannot be easily preserved in English: “consequently therefore,” emphasizing the conclusion of what he has been arguing.
15 tn Grk “[it is] unto condemnation for all people.”
16 tn Here ἀνθρώπους (anqrwpou") has been translated as a generic (“people”) since both men and women are clearly intended in this context.
17 tn There are no verbs in the Greek text of v. 18, forcing translators to supply phrases like “came through one transgression,” “resulted from one transgression,” etc.
18 sn One transgression refers to the sin of Adam in Gen 3:1-24.
19 sn The one righteous act refers to Jesus’ death on the cross.
20 tn Grk “righteousness of life.”
21 sn Here the one man refers to Adam (cf. 5:14).
22 tn Grk “the many.”
23 sn One man refers here to Jesus Christ.
24 tn Grk “the many.”