Romans 5 vs 1 vs 12 - chpt 7 vs 25 - Corps Notes - 10a
Publication Date: 1973
Victor Paul Wierwille was a Bible scholar and teacher for over four decades.
By means of Dr. Wierwille's dynamic teaching of the accuracy and integrity of God's Word, foundational class and advanced class graduates of Power for Abundant Living have learned that the one great requirement for every student of the Bible is to rightly divide the Word of Truth. Thus, his presentation of the Word of God was designed for students who desire the in-depth-accuracy of God’s Word.
In his many years of research, Dr. Wierwille studied with such men as Karl Barth, E. Stanley Jones, Glenn Clark, Bishop K.C. Pillai, and George M. Lamsa. His formal training included Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Theology degrees from Mission House (Lakeland) College and Seminary. He studied at the University of Chicago and at Princeton Theological Seminary from which he received a Master of Theology degree in Practical Theology. Later he completed his work for the Doctor of Theology degree.
Dr. Wierwille taught the first class on Power for Abundant Living in 1953.
Books by Dr. Wierwille include: Are the Dead Alive Now? published in 1971; Receiving the Holy Spirit Today published in 1972; five volumes of Studies in Abundant Living— The Bible Tells Me So (1971), The New, Dynamic Church (1971), The Word's Way (1971), God's Magnified Word (1977), Order My Steps in Thy Word (1985); Jesus Christ Is Not God (1975); Jesus Christ Our Passover (1980); and Jesus Christ Our Promised Seed (1982).
Dr. Wierwille researched God's Word, taught, wrote, and traveled worldwide, holding forth the accuracy of God's "wonderful, matchless" Word.
Romans 5:12-7:25
Lesson 10a
Now tonight, we go to Romans 5. I covered with you 5:12 and told you that this
section from 5:12 now was the inner heart of the whole epistle. And the word “as” in verse
12 was, what?
[Students:] Because of this.
Right, “because of this.” And when you read “wherefore because of this” then you
have to ask yourself, “because of this,” what? And we concluded it was, what?
[Students:] Reconciliation.
Reconciliation, right. Because of this justification which made possible for us the
reconciliation. Now, the word “one man” in verse 12 refers back to Adam. Sin entered in
the world, and you notice now we’re not dealing with sins, we’re dealing with, what?
[Students:] Sin.
Right, the nature of it. And in checking out this word one I think I noticed it was used
12 times in the rest of this chapter. Do you think we can find them? See if we can find
them. I didn’t take time to check them in every detail. The word “one”.
Now, in verse 12 it appears how many times? {Once.}
Verse 13? {None.}
Fourteen? {None.}
Fifteen? {Twice.}
Sixteen? {Twice.}
Seventeen? {Three times.}
Eighteen? {Twice.}
Nineteen? {Twice.}
How many times is that? I must have missed something then because I counted 12
when I read it I thought. Did anybody get 12? Donna Randal has, some of the rest of you.
[CROSSTALK]
Whenever the Bible uses one word so many times as it does the word “one” here, you
really got to take note. I think as far as I know the Word of God, this word, one single word
which happens to be “one” is used more in these few verses than any other single word in
the entire word. I haven’t had time to check it to detail, but from my general knowledge of
the Word I think that is true. Now, were going to again, be reading it after bit. But I want to
set some of these things and then we’ll check it out all the way and read it later. In this
section now, 5:12-21, you know, there is something even deeper than Christ our substitute.
And you’ll especially see this when I handle chapter six and seven later tonight. That
there’s something deeper in God’s Word than Christ our substitute. You can play a Walton
on a UCLA team, is he the center? Then you can put a Craig Martindale in as a substitute.
There is something even greater than a substitute and that is identification, identity. And
that’s what we’re going to see in this great section of Romans. Sure, Jesus Christ was our
substitute, but we were identified with him. Boy oh boy when that thing really gets to hit
you someday, it blows your mind. That’s why if we were identified with him, then you can
begin picking up where he said the works that I do, ye shall do and just oodles of other
scriptures will begin to fit together. He was our substitute but more than that, we were
identified with him. And we were sanctified remember that scripture? Sanctification is in
our identification with him; that’s where the sanctification is.
Now because of this in 5:12 (this reconciliation, because of this reconciliation), we’re
going to see what really happens. And what you’re going to see in this section is in one
sense the headship of the human race, Adam, and our unity or identification with him in
the physical human head relationship. On the other hand you’re going to see something
greater than that in the headship of Christ and our unity or identification with him. And let
me give you a great truth that you must recognize and become totally cognizant of, and
that is that all in Adam, does not mean all of Adam. Keep your preposition in and of
separated. They just haven’t done it that’s why they’ve never gotten into the inner depth of
the greatness of it. All in Adam who represents the human race (and like it would be all in
Abraham representing the believers) does not mean that all are of Adam (or like all are of
Abraham.) Even though we are all of Adam as far as the flesh is concerned, not all of
Adam are in Adam. Think about it. In chapter 5 here where we’re working and we’re going
to be in it, I told you that verses 15, 16 and 17 are a parenthesis. Where does the
parenthesis really begin in King James?
[Students:] Thirteen.
Thirteen? It doesn’t, it doesn’t. What’s your problem? It’s an interesting thing about
this 15, 16 and 17. Read it first and then I’ll go over it with you.
Romans 5:15-17:
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,...abounded unto many.
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 righteousness.
For if by one man’s offence death reined by one; much more they which receive
abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by..., Jesus
Christ.)
In verse 15, “but not as” is a division, “but not as.” Then “for if by” of 15 and the
words “much more,” see? “Not as the offense (for if by the offense) many be dead much
more (the super abundance, grace, super abounding grace of God),” see? In verse 16 “and
not as,” it’s “but not as.” Verse 17 “for if by.” Verse 17 “much more they which receive
abundance of grace,” see? Isn’t it interesting to see the twice patterns? The dual patterns?
It’s an established reality. You see, 15 the offense. “for if through the offense, much more
the grace of (what?) God.” Right. In verse 16, “but not as by one that sinned, judgment by
one to condemnation, but the free gift is on many offenses unto righteousness. [Verse 17,]
For if by one man offense, death reigned much more they which received abundance of
grace.” Much more. And abundance of grace is that gift of righteousness which came by
the Lord Jesus Christ when we were identified with him in his death resurrection and all of
it. That parenthesis if you miss that division: “but not as,” “for if by,” and “much more,”
you missed the whole thing. It just goes clean clear through. A believer may be justified, he
may be righteous, we know he’s saved, yet a believer may not reign. Why? Because he is
not receiving. The reigning with Christ in the identification depends upon our receiving
what he made available, else you can’t reign. You see? In verse 11, we have now what?
Received, the what? Okay, and the word “received” is the word lambanō. It is not a
subjective reception, it is the subject’s manifestation and the objectivity of that which he
has received. And that’s why verse 11 talks about receiving and with that receiving, verse
21 closes with the reign. And sandwiched in between you have this whole trip, you know,
about sin and what happened and the much more of grace that came. It’s really something.
You see the justification, the sanctification, the redemption, the righteousness, the saved,
that’s all that is in Christ, that’s what he did.
Now, when you and I confessed with our mouth, we received spiritually what he made
available. But that doesn’t help us until we lambanō it and reign. Walk as men and women
with authority. Oh sure, it’s a heaven trip, but it’s not reigning. Christians were made to
reign. But we’ve gotten so talked out of it, and the whole lousy world is so negative that
even at the great place of International, we still live below par. But the Adversary’s after
this joint because of what we know the Word teaches and we have the knowledge and the
ability to declare it. There is just nobody who dares to proclaim in our time or has
proclaimed that we are what the Word of God says we are and we have what the Word of
God says we have if we all died tonight, that’s right. And you get all screwed up in this
stuff because people talk about being saved, about being justified, made righteous and all
of that. That’s nice, but it’s in Christ. And it’s only in you spiritually because when you’re
born again it’s Christ in you, the hope of glory. It never comes into manifestation until you
lambanō, receive it in the reign. Praise God, we’ve gone that far anyways. That’s a lot
further than I went before I knew anything about the book, or about what he did for us.
Alright, I want to read this section in Romans from this New English trip.
Romans 5:12 (New English):
[Wherefore,] It was through one man that sin entered the world, and through sin
death, and thus death pervaded the whole human race, [insomuch] as all men have
sinned.
I got to thinking about this today, while I was working this stuff again. There are how
many gods?
[Students:] Two.
And the original sin had to basically then be this idolatry trip, because he believed
Satan’s lie, more than God’s truth. And that was to put something else ahead of God, that is
idolatry. Thou shalt have no, what?
[Students:] Other gods.
Started right at the beginning. And that’s what he talks about “and as much as all men
have sinned in Adam” because, Adam is the headship of the human race.
And this sin is in the nature of man, you can have a little child at three or four years of
age speaking in tongues, yet he’ll be meaner than a little old stick. Just by nature, just a
little, old Meany. It was one man’s sin that entered the world and through sin, death. Well
now, if it’s dead we’re, what? {Dead.} Okay. “And thus death pervaded the whole human
race (because of or) inasmuch as all men have sin,” therefore death is written into the
nature of the reality of life. Now, sin was already in the world before there was law, gets
back to the Moses time. Starts way back with whom? Adam, see? Even though as the Old
Testament says there was no law or, how does it say that?
[Lionel:] “And the times of this ignorance God winked at;...” [Acts 17:30]
Right, see? There was law, but it was a different kind.
Romans 5:13b (New English):
...though in the absence of law no reckoning is kept of sin.
King James says what? Not imputed, charged, reckoned.
Romans 5:14 (New English):
But [even though it wasn’t reckoned] death held sway from Adam to Moses, even
over those who had not sinned as Adam did, by disobeying a direct command -
and Adam foreshadows the Man who was to come.
That is why the second Adam is, who? Christ, the man who was to come. That’s at the
end of 14. After the likeness of Adam’s transgression who is the type of him that was to
come. Now, the parenthesis that we talked about 15-17:
Romans 5:15, 16 (New English):
But God’s act of grace is [all out of] proportion to Adam’s wrongdoing. [Boy
that’s fantastic.] For if the wrongdoing of that one man brought death upon so
many, its effect is vastly exceeded by the grace of God and the gift that came to so
many by the grace of [that] one man, Jesus Christ.
And again, the gift of God is not to be compared in its effect with that one man’s
sin; for the judicial action, following upon the one offence, issued in a verdict of
condemnation, but the act of grace, following upon so many misdeeds issued in a
verdict of acquittal.
Thinking, read it a hundred more times, thinking. You see, if a murderer is hanged, he
has paid for his crime, and it would be justified as far as the law is concerned, he has paid
the price of the law. He would be acquitted because he had paid for it. But he wouldn’t get
back life to him. Even though the murderer paid for the price, he wouldn’t give back life if
they hanged him. Even though Christ died for us, was our substitute, gave us righteousness,
redemption, sanctification, and all of that, it never brings life to the dead person, except
they receive it and reign. Now, what did you want me to do?
[Student:] Read that last verse again.
Sixteen?
Romans 5:16, 17 (New English):
And again, the gift of God is not to be compared in its effect with that one man’s
sin; for the judicial action, following upon the one offence, issued in a verdict of
condemnation, but the act of grace, following upon so many misdeeds issued in a
verdict of acquittal.
For if by the wrongdoing of that one man [Adam] death established its reign,
through a single sinner, much more shall those who receive [get it?] in far greater
measure God’s grace, and his gift of righteousness, live and reign through the one
man, Jesus Christ.
You see, the world has never seen it, Craig. Well you wouldn’t expect the stupid world
to see it. But the church has never seen it, the organized systems have never seen it. So, we
just dribble along and at best we go through life miserable, but we’re going to have a glory
time at the gathering together, because, salvation is by grace. But to reign, nobody has
dared to say what they are in Christ Jesus. Really dare to say I am what the Word of God
says I am, I have what the Word of God says I will be, they just haven’t dared to do it.
Because, if they did, they’re lives would have to change, the systems would die, because
the systems are dead to begin with. Well, I’m going to read you something. The meaning of
sin: There are three definitions of that one sin that brought death into the world. Each one
of the three is compounded with the word para, which means aside.
Well, I want to go back and pick you up something else here. In this offense trip, what
verse, 15? Okay. The word “offense” is the word paraptōma and this word is used as a
variant of the word hamartia. Where does it talk about the free gift of many offenses, got
to find it. We had it here, yeah. Okay.
Romans 5:16b (KJV):
...the free gift...of many offences unto righteousness...
You see, in verse 12, “sin” is the word hamartia, in verse 15, you have the word
“offense” which is paraptōma and in 16, “the free gift is of many offenses,” see? The word
hamartia means missed the mark, to come short. In verse 14, in King James it’s translated
or it’s called transgression in verse 14. The word “transgression” is the word parabasis,
which means to go beside, to deviate. The word “offense” is paraptōma I told you, in verse
15, and this word paraptōma, is sometimes translated sin. It’s translated: trespass, fault,
and at fall. The verb form of this paraptōma is parapipto and it’s used in Hebrews 6:6,
where it’s translated fall away. It’s like falling into a ditch, to fall after you stumble. It is to
fall in contrast with standing. In Luke it’s translated to fail. It contains the idea of the fall,
and therefore in understanding we shouldn’t use the word “offense” but to fall aside. The
other word is the word “disobedience” in verse 19. Disobedience is but another aspect of
hamartia sin that brought death in the world. It is the word parakoē, which is translated
disobedience here in Romans 5:19. And it means literally to hear aside. Hearing the wrong
stuff, hearing aside, sin is missing the mark, being hamartia, missing the mark, being
beside not on the straight, see? In Matthew they neglected to hear, same word “neglect to
hear,” see? To hearken in the Old Testament is synonymous with hearing here in Romans,
obedience. In Genesis, Adam heard aside. Genesis 3, remember he hearkened to his wife?
It’s the word “heard aside,” he missed the mark. See, in 19: “For as by one man’s
disobedience,” hearing aside Adam. In I Timothy 2:14, where it talks about the woman
having been deceived, came into the transgression; Adam was not deceived. The word
transgression is the word parabasis.
There are three definitions I told you, of that one sin that brought death into the world.
And each definition is compounded with the word para preceding, which means aside.
Adam when he sinned came short, that is its first meaning. He stepped aside when he heard
aside and as a result he fell aside. Now he came short, he missed the mark, okay? How did
it happen? Here’s God’s Word, he stepped aside, when he heard aside; as a result he fell
aside. And we all got involved in the same mess. I think I’ll put this on the board for you. I
was hoping Walter would be here, he could have done this better than I can. This is that
word hamartia, means falling short. It means to fall aside. It means to miss the mark. It just
means sin, that’s all. This thing will fit as follows: here’s this para trip, three times. And it
always means aside, remember? This one is stepping aside, and that is the basis of it,
parabasis. And this paraptōma, we talk about it, is the offense, remember? And that is
falling aside. (I don’t know why I write it on the board for you, you can’t read it anyway.)
And this is this parakoē, I was telling you about. And this is disobedience, which is a
hearing aside. That’s how this stuff works. Now, for this cause, it says:
Romans 8:32 (KJV):
He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up...
And the words “delivered him up,” is the word paradidōmi, which literally means the
giving aside of his son. God spared not his own son but delivered him up. It’s the giving
aside of his son, that’s the gift that God gave. What? Oh, that’s up in Romans 8, you’ll get
there later. You see in contrast with the fall and sin that we put up here, those verses 15 and
16 and 17 that I told you were the parenthesis the heart within the heart of this great thing,
you have the free gift. Which is the super abounding grace, which is bigger than the
offense, bigger than the sin. In 15:
Romans 5:15-17 (combined, not KJV):
Not as the fall, the free gift, for if by the fall of one many died much more the
grace of God and the gift in grace which is by one man. The free gift is of many
fallings unto justification. Those who receive the abundance of grace and the gift
of righteousness shall reign in life through one Jesus Christ.
Really something isn’t it? That’s why just nothing – nothing equals this gift of God
and it is by super abounding grace. Does man deserve it? No, man is what? Dead. You see
God doesn’t owe man a lousy thing. That’s why when you’re real honest, people say, “Well,
what about the poor sinners in Africa? Or in India, who have never heard?” I’ll tell you
something, God don’t owe them nothing. He doesn’t owe you anything. He doesn’t owe
me anything. You know what all mankind deserved? Beat the hell out of them. That’s right,
because all man sinned; they went contrary to God’s Word. God doesn’t owe them a thing,
because every man is a sinner by nature. Every child is a sinner by nature. And the devilish
thing, you know, you can’t ever tell them the truth. You can tell the truth, you just don’t tell
all you know; but that silly little thing, get worried about the people in Africa, India. Well
that’s great but what about the fellow next door? He doesn’t deserve it either, none of us
did. Boy, if we’d remember that, we wouldn’t always get ticked off about everything.
We’re all dead; God doesn’t owe us anything except to hit us over the head with a ball bat.
But because of the super abounding grace of the Lord Jesus Christ of God in Christ, you
and I can live and have a life that’s more than abundant, if we will receive and reign. That’s
how big it is. And most of the people all spend their time in this category, talking about it,
thinking about it, living that way. Because most of them are always in the sin trip, you
know? Magnifying sin over above salvation, I think, is how I teach it in the Foundational
Class. See, man does not go to hell because of sin, he goes to hell because he rejects what
God made available and then he stays dead. Well, let’s split for five minutes then we come
back, okay?
Has to be wrong; it can’t be eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord, it has to be Christ
Jesus. They have to be turned around, just have to be. I don’t know what the Greek text
does with that.
[Student:] What verse?
I’m on 21 in 5. Does Bullinger ever do anything with that Christ Jesus or Jesus Christ
of 21?
[Student:] It refers back to Jesus Christ in verse one. In the Greek it’s Jesus Christ.
In all of the texts? Okay, I don’t care. Could be, I guess it could be, I can’t believe it
though. Okay, now remember that this whole section that we’re dealing with. The first
section closed with 5 what? {5:11} Right and now the section starts with 5:12 and goes to
where? {8:39}Right now, in between 5:21 and chapter 8, we have a very specific, distinct
and unique section. I’m almost tempted to put chapter 6 and 7 in a parenthesis, the whole
thing, it’s that big. Because, all it does now, is to explain what 5:12-21 is all about. You see
Romans 6 and 7 deal with the basic question that arises out of chapter 5, verse 20, 21.
Romans 5:20a (KJV):
Moreover the law [came in beside] that the offense might abound....
In other words, that it might just be gloriously manifested that man can’t do a lousy
thing for himself except blow it.
Romans 5:20b-6:2 (KJV):
...But where sin abounded, grace did [super] abound.
That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness
unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
God forbid....
And that “God forbid” is the key to the whole section of 6 and 7, because it’s used four
times. First of all “God forbid” literally means: let it not become so.
Always start with a statement, then it will pause at a question. Better look at my notes,
see if I’m right. Yeah, I’m right. Makes a statement then it asks the question, then it will
have the repudiation of it and then it will have the answer. And this works four times in 6
and 7.