Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.
But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. And the free 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. For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, 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. (Romans 5:12-21)
“All the more so” (technical term: a fortiori) arguments are employed by Paul (a lot!), and especially in the book of Romans. The typically take the form, “If A is true, all the more so B must be true”. For the proposition to work, A and B must share some similarity but, and this is important, B must exceed A in some way.
Perhaps a good demonstration of this is Luke 11:13 where Jesus says – “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
The item of similarity here is fatherhood. Jesus compares (1) evil human fathers with (2) the heavenly Father. But the heavenly Father obviously exceeds human fathers because there is no evil in Him.
Jesus then employs the a fortiori: If even evil human fathers know how to give good gifts, all the more so the heavenly Father will give the best possible gift of all (the Holy Spirit) to those who ask Him.
Now let’s try to understand Paul. The tricky thing here is that Paul is comparing many things in Rom 5:12-20. One example is that he compares Adam’s disobedience (trespass) to Jesus’ obedience. Another item of similarity is that they are also both God’s sons (“the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God” – Luke 3:38). But though they are similar, Jesus is greater than Adam.
One argument Paul is making is that if Adam’s disobedience brought the reign of death into our lives, all the more so Jesus’ obedience brought the reign of eternal life into our lives! – Romans 5:17
Another that he is making is that if Adam’s one act of disobedience led to condemnation for all men, all the more so Jesus’ act of obedience led to justification for all men. The similarity here is the effect of Adam and Jesus’ actions on all humanity.
But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. And the free 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. For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, 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. (Romans 5:12-21)
“All the more so” (technical term: a fortiori) arguments are employed by Paul (a lot!), and especially in the book of Romans. The typically take the form, “If A is true, all the more so B must be true”. For the proposition to work, A and B must share some similarity but, and this is important, B must exceed A in some way.
Perhaps a good demonstration of this is Luke 11:13 where Jesus says – “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
The item of similarity here is fatherhood. Jesus compares (1) evil human fathers with (2) the heavenly Father. But the heavenly Father obviously exceeds human fathers because there is no evil in Him.
Jesus then employs the a fortiori: If even evil human fathers know how to give good gifts, all the more so the heavenly Father will give the best possible gift of all (the Holy Spirit) to those who ask Him.
Now let’s try to understand Paul. The tricky thing here is that Paul is comparing many things in Rom 5:12-20. One example is that he compares Adam’s disobedience (trespass) to Jesus’ obedience. Another item of similarity is that they are also both God’s sons (“the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God” – Luke 3:38). But though they are similar, Jesus is greater than Adam.
One argument Paul is making is that if Adam’s disobedience brought the reign of death into our lives, all the more so Jesus’ obedience brought the reign of eternal life into our lives! – Romans 5:17
Another that he is making is that if Adam’s one act of disobedience led to condemnation for all men, all the more so Jesus’ act of obedience led to justification for all men. The similarity here is the effect of Adam and Jesus’ actions on all humanity.
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