Praise God, the Good Newspaper. I have a question: What does Apostle Paul mean when he writes in Romans 5:19 that: “For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the one shall the many be made righteous.”? Andrew Makka
Thank you for this question, dear Andrew. We will be able to give you a response, and we hope that the Holy Spirit will educate all of us.
Disobedience
Normally, the terms Obedience and Disobedience are legal. We know that when someone is commended for obedience and the other accused of disobedience, it is normally about the Law. In the context of the Epistle of Romans, however, Apostle Paul from chapters 1-7 has addressed the issue of Salvation, the fall, Redemption, the Law and Righteousness. It is within this context that in Romans 5, Paul addresses the issue of the two Adams, one who was disobedient, and many became disobedient, and the second Adam, who was obedient, and many became obedient.
The disobedience of the first Adam (Human Race), however, was not necessarily disobeying the Law since the Law came later (Galatians 3:17). It was rather disobeying the will of God and divine principles, which is not necessarily covered in the scope of the law (Genesis 3:1-20). It is a disobedience that led to the fall away of Humanity from its creator and divine righteousness. In the Epistle to the Romans, Pauline use of the term law means the decalogue in Exodus 20, the Torah and the entire religio-cultural moral code.
However, all these (the ten commandments, Torah and cultural norms) represent in principle the will of God. Disobedience is more to the will of God than it is to these man-made laws and rituals. When Jesus was struggling in the Garden of Gethesemane, his attitude was, ‘Let your Will be done’ (Luke 22:42). It is the will of God that we disobey not necessarily Laws. Yes, the will of God can be represented in both religious and political laws, but it is independent of those representations.
Obedience
In Romans chapter 5, Apostle Paul talks about the two Adams. Jesus, (the second Adam), unlike the first Adam, obeyed and fulfilled the will of God and the law altogether (Mathew 5:17). The point that Apostle Paul makes in Romans 5:19. What man messed up due to his disobedience, Jesus Christ, as the second Adam, fixed it with nothing but through Obedience. Obedience is at the centre of man’s problem and God’s solution.
The Obedience of Christ
This term means the obedience Christ showed in His perfect life and His perfect death. God demanded perfect obedience from man. Adam and all of us that have come out of him have failed God in this respect. To bring mankind redemption and salvation, this had to be rendered to God. Jesus offered up perfect obedience to God in our behalf, Hebrews 5:8, “though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered”. Philippians 2:8 “And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” Romans 5:19 “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.”
Paul is discussing how humanity fell through the disobedience of the first metaphorical Adam and how all Humanity was redeemed from the guilt of disobedience through the obedience of the second Adam. Our redemption (not necessarily our salvation) is only possible by the active Obedience of Jesus (God Incarnate). The disobedience of the first Adam led all to be sinners by identity, regardless of what they do; however, the obedience of the second Adam redeemed all from the guilt of disobedience.
The obedience of Christ is the saying of YES to God, where Adam and all of mankind said NO! The lie that caused Adam to fall is rooted in REBELLION. Jesus gave God on behalf of man a resounding YES of complete obedience and trust. His entire existence and all He did came from abiding in the Father and drawing upon the Father. Jesus said all that He did, and everything He said came from the Father. Jesus lived out THE TRUTH! Jesus finished work in His perfect life, and His perfect offering of Himself unto death is the OBEDIENCE OF CHRIST.
It is the obedience of Christ that was deposited to the account of all those who believe in the obedient Christ for purposes of our redemption, and it is by that redemption (redeemed from disobedience) that we qualify as candidates of salvation in the second Adam, who is Jesus Christ (God incarnate).
Response by Isaiah White, A life coach and theologian contact: 0775822833, whitemwine@gmail.com
