TODAYS BLOG FOLLOWS THE EPISCOPAL DAILY READINGS ALONG WITH A HEADLINE FROM WORLD NEWS:

NORTH KOREA THREATENS STRIKE AT USA

Romans 5:12-21

12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death came through sin, and so death spread to all because all have sinned— 13sin was indeed in the world before the law, but sin is not reckoned when there is no law. 14Yet death exercised dominion from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sins were not like the transgression of Adam, who is a type of the one who was to come.

15 But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died through the one man’s trespass, much more surely have the grace of God and the free gift in the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abounded for the many. 16And the free gift is not like the effect of the one man’s sin. For the judgement following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brings justification. 17If, because of the one man’s trespass, death exercised dominion through that one, much more surely will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness exercise dominion in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.

18 Therefore just as one man’s trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man’s act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all. 19For just as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. 20But law came in, with the result that the trespass multiplied; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21so that, just as sin exercised dominion in death, so grace might also exercise dominion through justification* leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Paul makes use of the story of Adam and Eve in Genesis 2and 3, which presents Adam and Eve as prototypes of humanity. Befoere they sin they live in a paradise and are immortal “Like Gods”, but after their sin they are driven from the garden to live by hard work in the world, and children are brought forth by painful labour. But the worst curse is death, “dust you are and to dust you will return.” Paul accepts that the wages of sin are death. The curse of Adam is not spread by magic but rather by the fact that all people have sinned. But Christ is the “man who was to come” the new kind of human being who doesn’t sin but obeys the command of God to pour out his life in the struggle against evil and death. So human beings are now living between the Old Man, Adam and the New Man, Jesus. If they choose to receive the free gift of saving justice through Jesus, they will also receive (this sounds like a supermarket “2 for1” deal) the gift of eternal life. United with the old man we sin and die; united with the new man we become just and live for ever.

In this life we never entirely free ourselves from the old Adam, nor do we pefectly join ourtslves to Jesus. But we continue to grow as new people while our “old man” is dying. Luther said we are “simul justus et pecator,” -just and sinful at the same time. Paul would have agreed but would have disturbed the balance by saying we are already growing into the full stature of Messiah.

Paul is hopeful about human beings inspite of being utterly realistic about our capacity for evil. This passage shows both his hopeful vision and his rigorous realism.