Similitude of Adam's Transgression

A BROTHER asks for an explanation of Rom. 5:14. The query is, What is meant by sinning, or not sinning, after the similitude of Adam's transgression?

This question was raised by hearing a man preach a discourse in which he took the position that Adam sinned against a positive or expressly revealed law, that those who lived between Adam and Moses had no revealed law, though they were counted sinners, and therefore did not sin after the manner of Adam's sin, against a revealed precept.

This is not a new idea; it has been held by many, but we consider it a great error, and think it is not difficult to show that it is an error. The letter of Paul to the Romans has been a favorite subject of study with us for years, and we are satisfied that no one will arrive at right conclusions on some parts of the argument while he overlooks the main points in chapter three, namely, that the whole world is condemned by the law of God, that the justice of God is maintained by the gospel, and that the law of God is established by the faith or gospel of Christ. We will examine some points of the argument by which we think it may be clearly shown that the position noticed on the similitude of Adam's transgression is an error.

1. That position supposes that no law was known by the people who lived "from Adam to Moses." And if that were true it would follow necessarily that they had no knowledge of sin, and that by their actions they incurred no guilt. We rest these declarations on the express statements of Paul himself, for he says, "By the law is the knowledge of sin." Chap. 3:20. And this is strengthened by the reasonable assertion that "Where no law is, there is no transgression;" 4:15, and also this: "Sin is not imputed when there is no law;" 5:13. Now as matters of fact we know they were sinners; see Gen. 13:13. "But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly." And many other texts. But as there is no sin where there is no law, they had a law to transgress. Also, sin is not imputed when there is no law; but sin was imputed to them. Therefore there was a law. See the cases of Cain, the people in the days of Noah, the men of Sodom, etc. And the law was revealed to them, for they had a knowledge of sin, which, Paul says, is by the law. Abraham plead with the Lord that he would not destroy the righteous with the wicked. Lot entreated the men of Sodom not to do so wickedly. We might cite a multitude of cases, but will only quote the words of the Lord himself to Isaac. "I will perform the oath which I swore unto Abraham thy father; . . . because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws." Gen. 26:3, 5. How could this have been so if there were then no commandments, no statutes, no laws, for him to keep? In the light of these and other scriptures, the idea that they had no express or revealed law to keep or to break, is absurd. This, then, is not the idea of Rom. 5:14.

Prof. Stuart, in his Commentary on the Romans, repudiates the idea that they had no law, but strangely mistakes the teaching of the Scripture as to what that law was which they had. He says that in chap. 2:14, 15, Paul "asserts the existence of another law antecedent to that of Moses, to which men were accountable." We suppose that he attributes to Moses the revelation of the moral law, the ten commandments, as many authors do, for he is speaking of a law to which men were accountable. Passing that, we wish only to notice that Paul has not in Rom. 2:14, 15, spoken of "another law" antecedent to the time of Moses. Paul speaks of "the law" throughout his argument; one and the same law, affecting alike both Jews and Gentiles. Even his expression, "without law," Rom. 2:12, must be taken in a limited sense, for he says they have "sinned," which they could not do in the entire absence of law, as we have already shown. Notice the following:—

1. Not the hearers but the doers of the law shall be justified. Verse 13.

2. The Gentiles do by nature the things contained in the law. Verse 14.

3. They show the work of the law written in their hearts. Verse 15.

4. The Jews rested in the law. Verse 17.

5. They knew the will of God, being instructed out of the law. Verse 18.

6. Stealing, committing adultery, and the worship of idols are condemned by the law. Verses 21, 22.

7. The Jews made their boast of the law but dishonored God through breaking it. Verse 23.

8. Circumcision was profitable only if they kept the law; otherwise it was counted for uncircumcision—was a nullity. Verse 25.

9. And if the uncircumcision, or Gentile, kept the law he was counted as circumcised, that is, accepted of God. Verse 26.

10. Jews and Gentiles are all counted sinners; proved to be such by Scripture (Old Testament) authority. Chapter 3:9-18.

11. All the world has sinned; all are condemned by the law, and stand guilty before God. Verse 19.

12. Inasmuch as all have transgressed the law, no flesh can be justified by the law, but all are condemned by it. Verse 20.

13. The knowledge of sin is by the law. Verse 20.

14. All being condemned by the law, justification or the righteousness of God must be outside of the law; yet that righteousness is witnessed by the law. Verse 21. But a law witnesses or testifies to nothing outside of itself. Rom. 2:13 says, the doers of the law shall be justified, which proves that the power to justify is in the law, if there were found any doers of it. This is in harmony with 3:21, which shows that the law condemns all unrighteousness, by taking cognizance of the righteousness of God.

Now we invite any reader to point out to us where there is "another law" spoken of here. And so it continues throughout the argument in succeeding chapters. We could give much evidence to show that it was the same law that was declared on Mount Sinai, but that is not the object of this article. But we must notice verse 13 of Rom. 5. "For until the law sin was in the world; but sin is not imputed when there is no law." The expression, "Until the law," cannot mean, until the existence of the law, as is often inferred, for this would contradict other texts, and even this verse itself; for the law did exist, inasmuch as sin both existed and was imputed to those who committed the sin. The evident meaning is, until the giving of the law, in the time of Moses, which was, indeed, but a renewing of the law.

What, then, is the idea of the apostle in verse 14, where he says they did not sin after the similitude of Adam's transgression? The solution of this apparent difficulty, which has proved so great a difficulty to many minds, is found in the immediate context and in the argument which follows. The verse reads: "Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them who had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come." How was it that Adam was the figure of him that was to come? Was it in sinning? No; for he that was to come was not a sinner. How was Adam in his sin, a figure of him that was to come, more than they who sinned after him? Notice what the apostle says in succeeding verses. "Through the offense of one many be dead." "The judgment was by one to condemnation." "By one man's offense death reigned." "By the offense of one judgment came upon all." "By one man's disobedience many were made sinners." This is the idea on Adam's side. But there is another idea running through all these verses. The gift by grace is by one man, Jesus Christ. "By the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life." "By the obedience of one shall many be made righteous."

Here is seen a series of antitheses running through the whole argument, based on the representative character of Adam and of Christ—the first and the second Adam. It is as certainly true that we fell, that death passed upon us all, in Adam's transgression, as that we rise, have righteousness restored to us, in Christ. And as Christ is the only one given through whom righteousness can be obtained, so Adam was the only man whose sin involved his posterity. In this—his representative character—and in this only, he "is the figure of him that was to come," And in this respect, and in this only, no other has ever sinned after the similitude of his transgression. This is the very heart of the apostle's argument, so evident that we can only wonder that authors have so largely overlooked it.

We noticed an error into which Prof. Stuart fell in regard to the law, though he successfully combats the greater error that the people before Moses had no law. Of the similitude between the two Adams he is, however, clear and explicit, as the following from his Commentary shows:—

"The actual and principal point of similitude between Adam and Christ is, that each individual respectively, was the cause or occasion, in consequence of what he did, of greatly affecting the whole human race; although in an opposite way. Adam introduced sin and misery into the world; and in consequence of this all men are, even without their own concurrence, subjected to many evils here; they are born entirely destitute of a disposition to holiness; and this condition and their circumstances render it certain that they will sin, and will always sin IN ALL THEIR ACTS OF A MORAL NATURE, until their hearts are renewed by the Spirit of God; and of course, all men are born in a state in which they are greatly exposed to the second death, or death in the highest sense of the term, and in which this death will certainly come upon them, unless there be an interposition of mercy through Christ. On the other hand; Christ introduced righteousness or justification, and all the blessings spiritual and temporal which are connected with a probationary state under a dispensation of grace and with the pardoning mercy of God. A multitude of blessings, such as the day and means of grace, the common bounties of Providence, the forbearance of God to punish, the calls and warnings of mercy, the proffers of pardon, etc., are procured by Christ for all men without exception, and without any act of concurrence on their part; while the higher blessings of grace, actual pardon and everlasting life, are indeed proffered to all, but are actually bestowed only upon those who repent and believe. The extent of the influence of Adam, is therefore a proper type of that of Christ. Each of these individuals, by what he did, affected our whole race without any concurrence of theirs, to a certain degree; the one has placed them in a condition, in which they actually suffer many evils, and in which, by their own voluntary acts, they are peculiarly exposed to the most awful of all evils; the other has actually bestowed many and important blessings on all without exception, and proffers to all the opportunity to secure the greatest of all blessings. Here then is antithetic typos of the like extent, in both cases."

We think nothing more is necessary on this subject. All who read the fifth chapter of the letter to the Romans with care, having in view the idea of representation which is there so clearly set forth, must see the conclusion here aimed at. And he who does not hold in view that idea of representation while reading this chapter reads it to a very little purpose. To such an one the force of the argument is lost. It is a rich and glorious subject, because it vindicates the government of God, both in the maintenance of his law, and in the provisions of his grace in behalf of a fallen, sinful, and sinning race.