Romans Chapter 5 — Peace with God through Christ
Paul explains how being justified through faith results in peace with God and discusses how Christ’s righteous act overcomes the legacy of Adam’s disobedience.
1Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ;
2through whom we also have our access by faith into this grace in which we stand. We rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
3Not only this, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces perseverance;
4and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;
5and hope doesn’t disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
6For while we were yet weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
7For one will hardly die for a righteous man. Yet perhaps for a good person someone would even dare to die.
8But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
9Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we will be saved from God’s wrath through him.
10For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we will be saved by his life.
11Not only so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
12Therefore, as sin entered into the world through one man, and death through sin, so death passed to all men because all sinned.
13For until the law, sin was in the world; but sin is not charged when there is no law.
14Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those whose sins weren’t like Adam’s disobedience, who is a foreshadowing of him who was to come.
15But the free gift isn’t like the trespass. For if by the trespass of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many.
16The gift is not as through one who sinned; for the judgment came by one to condemnation, but the free gift followed many trespasses to justification.
17For if by the trespass of the one, death reigned through the one; so much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ.
18So then as through one trespass, all men were condemned; even so through one act of righteousness, all men were justified to life.
19For as through the one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the one, many will be made righteous.
20The law came in that the trespass might abound; but where sin abounded, grace abounded more exceedingly,
21that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
WEB Translation
Notable Verses
Romans 5:1
“Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ;”
This verse summarizes the foundational shift from a state of enmity to a state of peace with God through faith.
Romans 5:5
“and hope doesn’t disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
It highlights the internal assurance of God's love provided by the Holy Spirit.
Romans 5:8
“But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
This is a key statement defining the nature of divine love as unconditional and sacrificial.
Chapter Summary
Romans Chapter 5 begins by detailing the results of justification by faith, including peace with God and access to His grace. Paul notes that this standing allows believers to rejoice even in suffering, as trials produce perseverance, character, and hope. He emphasizes God's profound love, pointing out that Christ died for the ungodly while they were still weak and sinful. This sacrifice provides reconciliation and salvation from wrath. The chapter then transitions into a theological comparison between Adam and Jesus Christ. Paul explains that just as sin and death entered the world through one man’s trespass, the free gift of grace and justification entered through one man’s act of righteousness. While the law was introduced to highlight human trespass, Paul concludes that where sin increased, grace increased even more, leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ.
Frequently Asked Questions
According to the text, peace with God is the immediate result of being justified by faith. It signifies a reconciled relationship where the barrier of sin has been removed through the work of Jesus Christ.
Paul outlines a progression where suffering leads to perseverance, which then develops proven character. This character results in a hope that does not disappoint because it is rooted in God's love.
Paul uses Adam as a foreshadowing of Christ. Adam’s one act of disobedience brought condemnation and death to all, whereas Christ’s one act of righteousness brought the free gift of grace and life to many.
The text states that the law came in so that the trespass might abound, making the extent of sin more visible. However, it emphasizes that where sin increased, grace abounded even more exceedingly.
Study Note
The comparison between Adam and Christ in verses 12-21 utilizes a 'kal v'chomer' (light to heavy) logical argument common in rabbinic teaching to show how much greater grace is than sin.
Related Chapters
Genesis Chapter 3
Provides the historical context for the entry of sin and death through Adam mentioned in Romans 5.
Romans Chapter 3
Establishes the initial argument that all have sinned and need the justification described in Chapter 5.
1 Corinthians Chapter 15
Further explains the theological parallel between Adam and Christ regarding the resurrection of the dead.
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