Original Sin: Romans 5 (Part 5)

Romans 5 is the central Original Sin prooftext so today we’re
going to dig in and look at what it says. As we mentioned in our
first episode Augustine used Romans 5:12 as the cornerstone text
for his doctrine of concupiscence, original sin, and infant
depravity. First we need to set the context of Romans before we
exegete the text. 





Context of Romans


Romans is a pastoral (Shepherding) letter that does contain
theology. The theology in the letter is to service Paul’s purpose
in the Roman church (Lived theology and a lived gospel). 





Summary and connections to Original Sin in Romans 1-4


As we have seen the narrative is that Jesus is the truly faithful
Human and Jew. Because of his faithfulness and our faith in him
we are reconciled to God and to our vocation as Imagers. (All
have sinned and missed that Mark). 


·      There are a lot of connections
and allusions to Adam and the image of God but it never says
anything about transferred guilt but Romans 1 actually shows how
God’s wrath (“handing over”) leads to death just like in
Eden. 


·      Romans 2 says that pagan gentiles
can do the things of the Law instinctively though they do not
have it. This goes against total depravity. 


·      All HAVE sinned (become sinners)
they are not born sinners. But a better way to take this is that
both Jews and Gentiles have gone off course from God’s original
plan in the garden. 


·      All of these arguments are to
show how Jews and Gentiles are on an equal plain and need to come
to unity in Jesus to truly live out the kingdom in their
church. 


 





Romans 5:12-21





All of Romans 5:12-21 is a contrast of 2 ways- Adam or Jesus… the
way of life or the way of death:


o   We saw that the thing Adam brought was death
through his sin


o   We do not inherit Adam’s sin but we are born into
mortality


o   We become sinners when we sin and Adam introduced
these systems of sin into the world by our expulsion from Eden


o   Sin and Death are seen as Powers that enslave us.
We all need saving from death and from sin


o   Jesus defeats these Powers as the 2nd Adam and
brings life. 


o   The entire narrative of Romans up to Romans 5 is
about “glory”- the image of God. The purpose of this life is for
the purpose of being conformed to his image (Romans 8)


o   We can walk this way through the life of the Spirit


 


Original sin?


o   Where is original sin and total depravity here? It
is completely absent! 


o   The only way you can get there is through reading
Romans out of context.


o   We see that death is the focus and the thing that
needs to be dealt with in order to get to the restoration of
glory!


 


Original Context: 


o   The pastoral context of Romans is not just about
some abstract theologies of original sin and total depravity, or
a road to individual salvation (Romans road). 


o   Paul exhorting the Roman house churches to live out
the way of Jesus in unity instead of the divisions of the Weak
and the Strong. He wants them to be conformed into Christ’s image
and live out the gospel under Jesus’ kingship- GLORY and
GLORIFICATION. 


o   This message is also for us today- Choose the Life
and Way of Christ and live in it (the Truth)!


 


_________





Visit www.expedition44.com for posted articles and more.





If you have comments or questions please email us at:
ryan@expedition44.com, matt@expedition44.com