Romans / Chapter 5

Romans 5

21 verses • SBL Greek New Testament 1 tradition available

Translator's Introduction

What This Chapter Is About

Romans 5 opens with the results of justification: peace with God, access to grace, hope of glory, and the ability to rejoice even in suffering (vv. 1-11). God's love is poured into believers' hearts through the Holy Spirit, and Christ's death for the ungodly is the supreme proof of that love. The chapter then shifts to a sweeping Adam-Christ comparison (vv. 12-21): through one man sin and death entered the world; through one man grace and life overflow. Where sin increased, grace overflowed all the more.

What Makes This Chapter Remarkable

Verses 1-11 present the most comprehensive summary of the benefits of justification in the New Testament. The 'boasting in suffering' sequence (vv. 3-5) — suffering produces endurance, endurance produces character, character produces hope — is not Stoic endurance but eschatological hope grounded in the Holy Spirit. The Adam-Christ typology (vv. 12-21) is Paul's most ambitious theological construction, treating the entire human race as represented by two figures. The rhetorical crescendo of 'much more' (pollō mallon, vv. 9, 10, 15, 17) drives the argument: if God did the harder thing (dying for enemies), how much more will he do the easier thing (saving those now reconciled).

Translation Friction

Verse 12 contains a famously difficult clause: eph' hō pantes hēmarton ('because all sinned'). This has been read as 'because all sinned [in Adam]' (Augustine), 'because all sinned [individually]' (Pelagius), or 'with the result that all sinned.' We render the causal sense ('because all sinned') while noting the ambiguity. The precise nature of Adam's headship over humanity — federal representation, biological inheritance, or archetypal pattern — is debated.

Connections

The peace and reconciliation themes (vv. 1, 10-11) connect to 2 Corinthians 5:18-21. The Adam-Christ typology is developed further in 1 Corinthians 15:21-22, 45-49. The Spirit's role in pouring out love (v. 5) anticipates Romans 8. The 'reign of grace through righteousness' (v. 21) prepares for the 'shall we sin that grace may abound?' question of 6:1. **Tradition comparisons:** The Latin Vulgate shaped Western theology here: Pacem habeamus (let us have peace) — Jerome reads the subjunctive (hortatory: 'let us have') rather than the indicative ('we have'). This is a significant textual variant in the Greek manuscripts (ech... (3 notable Vulgate renderings in this chapter) See the [Vulgate Romans](/vulgate/romans).

Romans 5:1

Δικαιωθέντες οὖν ἐκ πίστεως εἰρήνην ἔχομεν πρὸς τὸν θεὸν διὰ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ,

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

KJV Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

Notes & Key Terms 1 term

Key Terms

εἰρήνη eirēnē
"peace" — peace, harmony, wholeness, well-being, reconciliation

Corresponds to the Hebrew shalom. Here it denotes the restored relationship between God and justified sinners — the hostility described in 1:18-3:20 has been resolved through Christ's atoning work.

Translator Notes

  1. A significant textual variant exists: some manuscripts read echomen ('we have,' indicative) while others read echōmen ('let us have,' subjunctive). The indicative is preferred (SBLGNT) because Paul is stating the result of justification, not issuing an exhortation. The whole section (vv. 1-11) describes what is true of the justified, not what they should pursue.

Latin Vulgate (Jerome, 384 CE)

"Therefore, being justified by faith, let us have peace with God"

Pacem habeamus (let us have peace) — Jerome reads the subjunctive (hortatory: 'let us have') rather than the indicative ('we have'). This is a significant textual variant in the Greek manuscripts (echōmen vs. echomen). The subjunctive reading makes peace an exhortation rather than a statement of fact, subtly changing the theology from assurance to aspiration.

Romans 5:2

δι' οὗ καὶ τὴν προσαγωγὴν ἐσχήκαμεν τῇ πίστει εἰς τὴν χάριν ταύτην ἐν ᾗ ἑστήκαμεν, καὶ καυχώμεθα ἐπ' ἐλπίδι τῆς δόξης τοῦ θεοῦ.

By whom as well we possess access by path of trust into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in confident expectation of the glory of God.

KJV By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The word prosagōgēn ('access, introduction, approach') is a court term — the prosagōgeus was the official who introduced visitors to a king. Christ is the one who ushers believers into the royal presence of grace. The perfect tense hestēkamen ('we stand') indicates a settled, secure position. The verb kauchōmetha ('we boast, rejoice, exult') resumes the boasting theme from 2:17 and 3:27 — boasting is not eliminated but redirected from self to God's glory.
Romans 5:3

οὐ μόνον δέ, ἀλλὰ καὶ καυχώμεθα ἐν ταῖς θλίψεσιν, εἰδότες ὅτι ἡ θλῖψις ὑπομονὴν κατεργάζεται,

Not only that, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,

KJV And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The shift from rejoicing in hope (v. 2) to rejoicing in suffering (v. 3) is deliberate and paradoxical. The Greek thlipsis ('tribulation, suffering, pressure') refers to the afflictions that accompany faith in the present age. Paul does not say suffering is good but that it produces something good. The verb katergazetai ('produces, works out, accomplishes') describes a process with an intended outcome.
Romans 5:4

ἡ δὲ ὑπομονὴ δοκιμήν, ἡ δὲ δοκιμὴ ἐλπίδα·

Indeed, patience, experience. And experience, hope:.

KJV And patience, experience; and experience, hope:

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The word dokimēn ('proven character, tested quality') describes metal that has passed through fire and been verified as genuine. The KJV's 'experience' misses this — the idea is character that has been tested and approved. The chain of progression (suffering → endurance → character → hope) is not automatic but describes the Spirit-empowered process of maturation.
Romans 5:5

ἡ δὲ ἐλπὶς οὐ καταισχύνει, ὅτι ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ ἐκκέχυται ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ἡμῶν διὰ πνεύματος ἁγίου τοῦ δοθέντος ἡμῖν.

Indeed, hope makes not ashamed. Because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given to us.

KJV And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

Notes & Key Terms 1 term

Key Terms

ἀγάπη agapē
"love" — love, self-giving love, unconditional love, divine love

Agapē in Paul is not an emotion but a disposition of self-giving commitment. God's love is demonstrated concretely in Christ's death (vv. 6-8), not abstractly.

Translator Notes

  1. The verb ekkechytai ('has been poured out') is a perfect tense — the pouring happened and the love remains. The image is of abundant, overflowing love. This is the first mention of the Holy Spirit in Romans since 1:4, and it introduces the Spirit's crucial role that will dominate chapter 8. The phrase 'love of God' (agapē tou theou) is primarily God's love for us (subjective genitive), not our love for God, as the following verses (6-10) demonstrate.

Latin Vulgate (Jerome, 384 CE)

"Because the love of God is poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit"

Caritas Dei diffusa est in cordibus nostris (the love/charity of God is poured out in our hearts) — Jerome chose caritas (love, charity, dearness) for Greek agapē rather than amor (love). This distinction between caritas (selfless, divine love) and amor (natural love, desire) became fundamental to Western moral theology. The word 'charity' in English derives directly from Jerome's caritas.

Romans 5:6

ἔτι γὰρ Χριστὸς ὄντων ἡμῶν ἀσθενῶν ἔτι κατὰ καιρὸν ὑπὲρ ἀσεβῶν ἀπέθανεν.

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.

KJV For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The word asthenōn ('weak, powerless, helpless') describes humanity's inability to save itself. The phrase kata kairon ('at the right time, at the appointed time') echoes Galatians 4:4 ('when the fullness of time had come'). Paul uses three terms to describe those for whom Christ died: 'weak' (v. 6), 'sinners' (v. 8), and 'enemies' (v. 10) — an escalating description of unworthiness.
Romans 5:7

μόλις γὰρ ὑπὲρ δικαίου τις ἀποθανεῖται· ὑπὲρ γὰρ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ τάχα τις καὶ τολμᾷ ἀποθανεῖν·

For one would scarcely die for a righteous person — though perhaps for a good person someone might even dare to die.

KJV For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Paul distinguishes between dikaios ('righteous' — one who meets obligations) and agathos ('good' — one who goes beyond obligations, who is generous and beneficent). Even for such people, voluntary death is rare. The word tolma ('dare') suggests that dying for another requires exceptional courage. The point of the comparison: what Christ did (dying for the ungodly) exceeds what anyone would do even for the best of people.
Romans 5:8

συνίστησιν δὲ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἀγάπην εἰς ἡμᾶς ὁ θεός, ὅτι ἔτι ἁμαρτωλῶν ὄντων ἡμῶν Χριστὸς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἀπέθανεν.

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

KJV But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The verb synistēsin ('demonstrates, proves, shows') is present tense — God's love is not a past event but an ongoing demonstration. The cross is the permanent exhibit of divine love. The phrase eti hamartōlōn ontōn hēmōn ('while we were still sinners') is the crucial qualifier: God's love is not a response to human worthiness but an initiative toward the unworthy.
Romans 5:9

πολλῷ οὖν μᾶλλον δικαιωθέντες νῦν ἐν τῷ αἵματι αὐτοῦ σωθησόμεθα δι' αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τῆς ὀργῆς.

How much more then, having now been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath.

KJV Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The first of the 'much more' (pollō mallon) arguments. The logic: if God did the costly thing (justifying enemies by Christ's blood), how much more will he do the less costly thing (preserving the already-justified from final wrath). 'The wrath' (tēs orgēs) with the definite article points to the eschatological day of wrath (2:5). Justification is past; salvation from wrath is future — a reminder that salvation has a 'not yet' dimension.
Romans 5:10

εἰ γὰρ ἐχθροὶ ὄντες κατηλλάγημεν τῷ θεῷ διὰ τοῦ θανάτου τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ, πολλῷ μᾶλλον καταλλαγέντες σωθησόμεθα ἐν τῇ ζωῇ αὐτοῦ·

For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life.

KJV For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The word echthroi ('enemies') is the strongest of the three descriptions (weak, sinners, enemies). Reconciliation (katallassō) is a relational metaphor — the restoration of a broken relationship. The two-stage argument: reconciliation comes through Christ's death; ongoing salvation comes through his life (his resurrection life and continuing intercession, cf. 8:34). This 'much more' is the second in the series.
Romans 5:11

οὐ μόνον δέ, ἀλλὰ καὶ καυχώμενοι ἐν τῷ θεῷ διὰ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ δι' οὗ νῦν τὴν καταλλαγὴν ἐλάβομεν.

Not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

KJV And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The section that began with peace (v. 1) ends with rejoicing. The word katallagēn ('reconciliation') is better than the KJV's 'atonement,' which in modern English suggests the means of reconciliation rather than the reconciled state itself. The verb elabomen ('we received') is aorist — reconciliation is a completed gift, already possessed.
Romans 5:12

Διὰ τοῦτο ὥσπερ δι' ἑνὸς ἀνθρώπου ἡ ἁμαρτία εἰς τὸν κόσμον εἰσῆλθεν καὶ διὰ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ὁ θάνατος, καὶ οὕτως εἰς πάντας ἀνθρώπους ὁ θάνατος διῆλθεν, ἐφ' ᾧ πάντες ἥμαρτον —

Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death spread to all people, because all sinned —

KJV Wherefore, 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:

Notes & Key Terms 1 term

Key Terms

ἁμαρτία hamartia
"sin" — sin, missing the mark, failure, offense; also personified as a cosmic power

Here hamartia is fully personified — it 'entered' the world as an invading force through Adam's act. This personification will intensify in chapters 6-7, where sin reigns (5:21), enslaves (6:6, 17), dwells within (7:17, 20), and kills (7:11).

Translator Notes

  1. This verse begins a sentence Paul never completes — the 'just as' (hōsper) expects a 'so also' that does not arrive until verse 18. The parenthetical material (vv. 13-17) interrupts the comparison. The phrase eph' hō pantes hēmarton is one of the most debated in the New Testament. The Latin Vulgate's 'in quo' ('in whom') led to the Augustinian doctrine of original sin — all sinned 'in Adam.' The Greek more naturally reads 'because' (eph' hō as a causal conjunction). We render the causal sense while acknowledging the complexity.
  2. Sin is personified as an invading power that 'entered' (eisēlthen) the world. Death came 'through' (dia) sin — death is sin's consequence and agent. Paul traces the universal human condition to a historical origin in Adam.

Latin Vulgate (Jerome, 384 CE)

"Therefore, just as through one man sin entered this world...in whom all sinned"

In quo omnes peccaverunt (in whom all sinned) is one of the most consequential translation choices in Western theology. The Greek eph' hō most likely means 'because' (all sinned), but Jerome's in quo (in whom) means all humanity sinned IN Adam — a corporate solidarity reading. Augustine built his entire doctrine of original sin on this Latin reading, arguing that all humans were seminally present in Adam and actually sinned in him.

Romans 5:13

ἄχρι γὰρ νόμου ἁμαρτία ἦν ἐν κόσμῳ, ἁμαρτία δὲ οὐκ ἐλλογεῖται μὴ ὄντος νόμου·

For until the instruction of Moses wrongdoing was in the world — but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

KJV For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Paul addresses a logical problem: if sin is transgression of a known law, how can sin exist before the law was given? His answer: sin was present but not formally 'counted' (ellogeitai, an accounting term meaning 'charged to one's account'). The word ellogeitai is related to logizomai from chapter 4 but emphasizes formal bookkeeping.
Romans 5:14

ἀλλ' ἐβασίλευσεν ὁ θάνατος ἀπὸ Ἀδὰμ μέχρι Μωϋσέως καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς μὴ ἁμαρτήσαντας ἐπὶ τῷ ὁμοιώματι τῆς παραβάσεως Ἀδάμ, ὅς ἐστιν τύπος τοῦ μέλλοντος.

Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like Adam's transgression. Adam is a type of the one who was to come.

KJV Nevertheless 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.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The verb ebasileusen ('reigned') personifies death as a king — a monarch whose rule extends over all humanity from Adam to Moses (the pre-law period). People died even though they had not sinned by violating a specific divine command as Adam had. The word typos ('type, pattern, figure') introduces typology: Adam foreshadows Christ. Paul will now show how the type and the antitype both correspond and differ.
Romans 5:15

Ἀλλ' οὐχ ὡς τὸ παράπτωμα, οὕτως καὶ τὸ χάρισμα· εἰ γὰρ τῷ τοῦ ἑνὸς παραπτώματι οἱ πολλοὶ ἀπέθανον, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἡ χάρις τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ἡ δωρεὰ ἐν χάριτι τῇ τοῦ ἑνὸς ἀνθρώπου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ εἰς τοὺς πολλοὺς ἐπερίσσευσεν.

But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died through the one man's trespass, how much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man, Jesus Christ, overflowed to the many.

KJV But 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.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Paul insists the analogy breaks down because the gift far exceeds the trespass. The third 'much more' (pollō mallon). The word charisma ('gift of grace, free gift') shares the root of charis ('grace'). The phrase hoi polloi ('the many') in Semitic idiom means 'the totality, the great number' — not 'many but not all.' The verb eperisseusen ('overflowed, abounded') means the gift doesn't merely match the damage but far surpasses it.
Romans 5:16

καὶ οὐχ ὡς δι' ἑνὸς ἁμαρτήσαντος τὸ δώρημα· τὸ μὲν γὰρ κρίμα ἐξ ἑνὸς εἰς κατάκριμα, τὸ δὲ χάρισμα ἐκ πολλῶν παραπτωμάτων εἰς δικαίωμα.

And the gift is not like the result of that one man's sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification.

KJV And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. A second contrast: the judgment (krima) came from one sin (Adam's) and resulted in condemnation (katakrima); the gift (charisma) dealt with many trespasses and resulted in justification (dikaiōma, 'righteous verdict, acquittal'). The asymmetry is staggering: one sin → condemnation for all; many sins → justification for all who believe. Grace is not merely proportional to sin but exponentially exceeds it.
Romans 5:17

εἰ γὰρ τῷ τοῦ ἑνὸς παραπτώματι ὁ θάνατος ἐβασίλευσεν διὰ τοῦ ἑνός, πολλῷ μᾶλλον οἱ τὴν περισσείαν τῆς χάριτος καὶ τῆς δωρεᾶς τῆς δικαιοσύνης λαμβάνοντες ἐν ζωῇ βασιλεύσουσιν διὰ τοῦ ἑνὸς Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.

For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.

KJV For 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.)

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The fourth 'much more.' The stunning shift: in the Adam-regime, death reigned over people; in the Christ-regime, people reign over death. Believers are not merely rescued from death's kingdom but enthroned in life's kingdom. The phrase perisseian tēs charitos ('abundance of grace') uses the language of overflow and excess. The gift is not just righteousness but the gift of righteousness — dikaiōsynē as something received, not achieved.
Romans 5:18

Ἄρα οὖν ὡς δι' ἑνὸς παραπτώματος εἰς πάντας ἀνθρώπους εἰς κατάκριμα, οὕτως καὶ δι' ἑνὸς δικαιώματος εἰς πάντας ἀνθρώπους εἰς δικαίωσιν ζωῆς·

Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all people, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all people.

KJV 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.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Paul finally completes the sentence begun in verse 12. The parallel is precise: one trespass (paraptōmatos) → all people → condemnation; one righteous act (dikaiōmatos) → all people → justification of life. The phrase dikaiōsin zōēs ('justification of life') ties justification to its result — not merely a legal verdict but life itself. The 'all people' (pantas anthrōpous) in the second half has been debated: universalists read it as universal salvation; most interpreters qualify it by the reception language of verse 17 ('those who receive').
Romans 5:19

ὥσπερ γὰρ διὰ τῆς παρακοῆς τοῦ ἑνὸς ἀνθρώπου ἁμαρτωλοὶ κατεστάθησαν οἱ πολλοί, οὕτως καὶ διὰ τῆς ὑπακοῆς τοῦ ἑνὸς δίκαιοι κατασταθήσονται οἱ πολλοί.

For just as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so also through the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.

KJV For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The contrast between parakoēs ('disobedience' — literally 'hearing amiss') and hypakoēs ('obedience' — literally 'hearing under, heeding') connects to 1:5 ('obedience of faith'). Christ's obedience refers to his entire life of faithful submission to the Father's will, culminating in the cross (cf. Philippians 2:8). The verb katestathēsan/katastathēsontai ('were constituted, will be constituted') may mean 'made' or 'appointed to the category of.'
Romans 5:20

νόμος δὲ παρεισῆλθεν ἵνα πλεονάσῃ τὸ παράπτωμα· οὗ δὲ ἐπλεόνασεν ἡ ἁμαρτία, ὑπερεπερίσσευσεν ἡ χάρις,

Now the law came in alongside so that the trespass would increase. But where sin increased, grace overflowed all the more,

KJV Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The verb pareisēlthen ('came in alongside, entered as a side-issue') is striking — the law is not the main storyline but a subsidiary element in the Adam-Christ drama. The purpose clause hina pleonasē ('so that the trespass would increase') is intentionally provocative: the law's purpose was not to reduce sin but to multiply it (by making sin conscious and deliberate, cf. 7:7-13). The verb hypereperisseusen ('super-abounded, overflowed exceedingly') is a double-compound superlative — Paul coins an extravagant word to express the extravagance of grace.
Romans 5:21

ἵνα ὥσπερ ἐβασίλευσεν ἡ ἁμαρτία ἐν τῷ θανάτῳ, οὕτως καὶ ἡ χάρις βασιλεύσῃ διὰ δικαιοσύνης εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν.

That as sin has reigned to death, even so might grace reign by way of righteousness to eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

KJV That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The chapter concludes with two personified monarchs: sin reigned through death (its instrument), and grace now reigns through righteousness (its instrument) leading to eternal life. The phrase dia dikaiosynēs ('through righteousness') is crucial — grace does not bypass righteousness but operates through it. God's grace and God's justice are not in competition. The chapter ends where every major section of Romans ends — with Jesus Christ our Lord.
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