That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
Parallel translations
- WEB that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
- BSB so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
- NKJV so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
- NASB so that, as sin reigned in death, so also grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
- NLT So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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 sin reigned in death, grace now reigns through righteousness to eternal life in Christ. Grace has dethroned sin and brings everlasting life.
Overview
Paul concludes the Adam-Christ comparison by depicting two reigns: sin ruled through death, but now grace reigns 'through righteousness' to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Christ's righteous work establishes the rule of grace. This climactic verse crowns the chapter with the assurance of eternal life secured in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 17
- Titus 2:11For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
- John 1:16–17And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
- Rom 5:14Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.
- Rom 6:14For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
- Rom 6:23For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
- Rom 8:10And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
- 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 5:17For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
- Heb 4:16Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
- 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:
- Rom 4:13For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
- 1 Jn 2:25And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.
- 1 Pet 5:10But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
- 1 Jn 5:11–13And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
- Rom 6:16Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
- Rom 6:12Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
- John 10:28And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
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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 5:21 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.