Studies in Romans

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Summary of ContentsOPENING REMARKS: 1:1-17BAD NEWS: Universality of sin and its condemnation 1:18 - 3:20GOOD NEWS : A gospel that changes our relationship to God 3:21- 5:21HOW TO GROW AS A CHRISTIAN : 6:1- 8-39

Sanctification 6:1-23The Place of the Law 7:1-25Life in the Spirit 8:1-39

A SHORT DETOUR : Questions concerning Israel 9:1-11:36HOW A CHRISTIAN OUGHT TO LIVE : 12:1-15:13 In our various relationships 12:1-13:14 Dealing with the ‘weak’ and the ‘strong’ 14:1-15:13PAUL’S GENTILE MINISTRY, POLICY AND PLANS : 15:14-33GREETINGS AND CLOSING DOXOLOGY : 16:1-27

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Studies in RomansOld and New Humanities

Part1 Chap. 5v12-21

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In these verses Paul holds before us a comparison of two men, Adam and Christ, and two humanities, of which they are the representative heads. He will show how these two humanities have been influenced by the respective behaviour of Adam and Christ. Why introduce this comparison at this stage of the epistle? It is as we compare what Adam lost with what Christ has won, we begin to realise that God’s salvation is much more than a big eraser reversing the effects of the Fall.

A Gospel that Changes...Old and New Humanities : 5v12-21

Introduction

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There is a thoroughness to God’s salvation that is quite mind-blowing. In v14 Adam is described as ‘a pattern’ of the one to come - in other words, as the pattern of Christ. There are certain similarities about these two figures that we need to grasp if our appreciation of the gospel is to grow. First of all, each represents a constituency, a group of people who are related to their head in a very special way.

A Gospel that Changes...Old and New Humanities : 5v12-21

1. Comparison of two men and two humanities.

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The term ‘representative head’ describes both Adam and Christ, because their actions affect the lives of those they represent. Illustration: David and Goliath did not fight a personal dual, the nation they represented would enter into their victory or defeat 1Sam 17:8-9. So too both Adam and Christ are representatives of particular groups of people. Their behaviour affected those to whom they were related.

If I win the Philistines win!If I win all

Israel wins.

A Gospel that Changes...Old and New Humanities : 5v12-212. Both were representative heads of humanity

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Adam and Christ represent two distinct humanities. Both humanities are recognised in 1 Cor 15.47. We are either in Adam or in Christ. To be in Adam is to be a member of the human race. All mankind is related to Adam by virtue of our birth – it is a natural relationship.

A Gospel that Changes...Old and New Humanities : 5v12-21What does it mean to be “in Adam”?

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See the two circles below, one smaller circle inside a larger one. We all belong to the large one, we are all related to Adam by nature. To be ‘in Christ’ - in the smaller circle - as a result of the new birth constitutes a faith relationship.

A smaller group are related to Christ by faith

A Gospel that Changes...Old and New Humanities : 5v12-21What does it mean to be “in Christ”?

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God made a covenant with both representative men. In both cases obedience to covenant obligations was required. The obedience God required of Adam is found in Gen 2:16-17, where he is told not to eat from a particular tree in the garden. The covenant made with Jesus was the covenant of redemption mentioned in Isa 42:6. Jesus’ obedience led him to the cross.

Isaiah 42:6 Genesis 2:16-17

A Gospel that Changes...Old and New Humanities : 5v12-213. Both men had covenants made with them

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a. Sin invaded God’s creation…the human heart. Man was God's masterpiece, a spiritual, rational, social, moral, authoritative, working, aesthetic being, created to reveal God to the whole of creation. But when Adam, the head of the human race, broke covenant with God by disobeying his command, sin entered the world. The word translated ‘entered’ is lit. 'invaded'. Sin is an intruder invading God's good creation binding itself to Adam’s human nature.

Invasion of sin

A Gospel that Changes...Old and New Humanities : 5v12-214. The Consequences of Adam’s Failure

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b. God’s image in man was marred.

God's image in man was defaced and corrupted. Sin wrecked what was beautiful and good in man. That fallen sinful element in the nature of man, was passed on to the whole of the human race.

“When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. He created them male and female and blessed them. And when they were created, he called them "man. " When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he named him Seth”. Gen 5v1-3

A Gospel that Changes...Old and New Humanities : 5v12-214. The Consequences of Adam’s Failure

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c. All of mankind inherits original sin.Adam’s failure means our lives are marked by what is known as ‘original sin’. How does that affect us? The natural bent of our hearts is to do wrong. In the game of bowling the bowl does not run straight. It has been made with a weight on one side called a bias and this causes the path of the bowl to bend. It is natural for the bowl to behave in this way.

Similarly it is natural for man, born with a sinful bias in his nature, to sin.

A Gospel that Changes...Old and New Humanities : 5v12-214. The Consequences of Adam’s Failure

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d. We have all sinned in AdamWe are born with a natural craving for sin just as the child of a drug addict is born addicted to drugs. But more than that we share in Adam’s culpability! Paul teaches that we are all involved in Adam's original disobedience. We have sinned ‘in Adam’. We live with the consequences of his disobedience. The evidence of that is seen in the reign of death, introduced into creation by Adam’s one act of disobedience.

A Gospel that Changes...Old and New Humanities : 5v12-214. The Consequences of Adam’s Failure

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e. Death is introduced to God’s creationAdam's disobedience resulted in spiritual and physical death for all whom he represented. Before Adam's disobedience there was no principle of death in man. Do you see the havoc that Adam has introduced? Havoc that involves us all, because we are all a part of the human race of which he is the head? Mankind, by its sinfulness, shows itself to be related to Adam and his fallenness, rather than to God and his perfection.

A Gospel that Changes...Old and New Humanities : 5v12-214. The Consequences of Adam’s Failure

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f. Sin’s consequences existed before the Law was given.Adam's one act of disobedience was enough to ensure that death 'passed on all men'. Sin was in the world before God's law was published through Moses. Those living before Moses were guilty of breaking God’s published law, they too died. How could they be guilty? Not only was God's law written in their hearts making them culpable for their sin, but the fact of their Mortality can also be traced to Adam's one act of disobedience.

A Gospel that Changes...Old and New Humanities : 5v12-214. The Consequences of Adam’s Failure

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g. Related to Adam we deserve sin’s consequences.

God made a covenant with Adam our representative head. Both obedience and disobedience would produce quite different results. Adam disobeyed. Therefore all who are related to Adam reap sin’s consequences: death and separation from God!

A Gospel that Changes...Old and New Humanities : 5v12-214. The Consequences of Adam’s Failure

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