Why did death reign as a king in Romans 5:17?
Death reigned as king because of one man’s offense—Adam’s transgression. In Romans 5:17, Paul identifies Adam as the one through whom death exercised dominion, and the conditional statement points to that single offense. The surrounding argument stresses that God’s grace, which compensates for Adam’s fall, is much greater.
Les explains that in Romans 5:17 Paul is still hammering the word justification, then moves on to the conditional “for if by one man’s offense.” The one man is Adam, and death reigned as a king by one—because of Adam. Paul constantly drives home that the grace of God, which will compensate for the fall of Adam, is greater than anything Adam did. It may seem as though God is severe in condemning everyone who was born out of Adam’s race, yet He is not severe, because He has made the way back for every human being without lifting a finger.
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.)
More Questions
Who is the 'one' in Romans 5:17 who caused death to reign?
In Romans 5:17, death reigned as a king because of Adam, and the 'one' through whom death reigned is Adam.
In Romans 5:17, who is the 'one' through whom death reigned?
In Romans 5:17, the 'one man' is Adam, and because of Adam's offense death reigned as a king by that one.