Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
Parallel translations
- WEB So then as through one trespass, all men were condemned; even so through one act of righteousness, all men were justified to life.
- BSB So then, just as one trespass brought condemnation for all men, so also one act of righteousness brought justification and life for all men.
- NKJV Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life.
- NASB So then, as through one offense the result was condemnation to all mankind, so also through one act of righteousness the result was justification of life to all mankind.
- NLT Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
As one trespass brought condemnation to all, one act of righteousness brings justification and life. Christ's obedience answers Adam's sin.
Overview
Paul restates the parallel in summary form: Adam's single trespass led to condemnation for all connected to him, while Christ's one righteous act brings justification and life. The 'all' in each case refers to those united to the respective head, all in Adam and all in Christ. The verse displays the gospel's logic of representation, with Christ undoing in his people what Adam did.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- 1 Cor 15:22For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
- Rom 5:12Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
- Rom 5:15But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
- Rom 5:19For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
- Acts 13:39And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.
- Rom 4:25Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
- Heb 2:9But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
- 1 Tim 2:4–6Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
- Rom 3:19–22Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
- John 1:7The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
- John 12:32And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
- John 3:26And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him.
- 1 Jn 2:20But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.
- 2 Pet 1:1Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:
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Christ at the center
Paul unfolds the gospel in full: Christ our righteousness received by faith, the second Adam in whom many are made righteous, in whose death and resurrection we are buried and raised.
How Romans 5:18 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.