For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
Parallel translations
- WEB For as through the one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the one, many will be made righteous.
- BSB For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
- NKJV For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.
- NASB For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.
- NLT Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.
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
Through Adam's disobedience many were made sinners; through Christ's obedience many will be made righteous. Our standing depends on our representative.
Overview
Paul contrasts the disobedience of 'the one man' Adam, which constituted many as sinners, with the obedience of 'the one,' Christ, which constitutes many as righteous. This points to Christ's whole life and especially his obedient death as the basis of believers' righteousness. The verse is a key text for understanding how Christ's righteousness is reckoned to those who are his.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Rom 5:18Therefore 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.
- 2 Cor 5:21For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
- Phil 2:8And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
- 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:
- Eph 1:6To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
- 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.
- Isa 53:10–12Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
- Dan 9:24Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
- Rev 7:9–17After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
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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 5:19 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.