Why I Am Not A Calvinist – Romans 5:12
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— (Romans 5:12; NRSV)
Somehow this is a passage used as a prooftext for Calvin’s doctrine of total hereditary depravity. Romans 5:12 argues against total hereditary depravity. Unfortunately, many choose not see the plain teaching of the text.
The apostle Paul points out that sin was introduced to the world because of Adam’s sin. This simply means that before Adam there was not any sin. No one had broken God’s law. But Adam and Eve chose to sin. Therefore, the world was without sin. But sin came into the world because Adam sinned. Death is the end result of sin. Now, carefully watch the argument:
“So death spread to all” – Why did death spread to all people? Carefully look at what Paul says. Paul does not say that death spread to all people because Adam sinned. Paul does not say that death spread to all people because sin is inherited from our parents. Paul does not say that death spread to all people because Adam’s sin has been transferred to all people.
Carefully read it:
So death spread to all because all have sinned. (Romans 5:12; NRSV)
Why do most people not want to read this part of the verse? Death spreads to all people, not because Adam’s sin is inherited by his descendants, but because every person has sinned themselves. We are depraved. We are sinful. We are full of wickedness. We are enemies of Christ. But we are sinful, depraved people because we have sinned ourselves, not because Adam’s sin has tainted us. To use Romans 5:12 to teach total hereditary depravity is to only read half of the sentence. Death has spread to us because we all sin. No one is righteous. We are condemned by our own actions and choices, not Adam’s.
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Your Thoughts
6 Comments so far6 Responses to “Why I Am Not A Calvinist – Romans 5:12”
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Chris
February 9, 2009 at 3:05 pm
How does this account for those that die before they have a chance to sin (those that die in the womb or during birth)? Or those that die before they truly know right from wrong?
2nd question… v15 states ” 15But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man…” (ESV). If I understand this correctly (and perhaps I don’t) then it was indeed Adam’s initial sin that brings death to all of us.
Chris
February 9, 2009 at 3:49 pm
And again in v18
18Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. (NIV). (Sorry, my previous quote was from the NIV, not the ESV.)
Ben
February 9, 2009 at 4:53 pm
If sin is not “inherited”…I wonder what did fetus David do in Psalms 51:5 that caused him to sin…
Joe
February 10, 2009 at 2:12 am
I’ll let Brent address the other issues(if he wishes), but I think it is important to keep things in context and if one passage contradicts another, we have a problem somewhere.
Rusty
March 7, 2009 at 10:59 am
I tend to agree with Joe on this one, just because the text here states that “all sinned”, does not mean that we are not totaly deprived, according to Ephesians 2:1-2 “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.” Clearly you are dead in sin and it is only through the regeneration of the Holy Spirit that you can be brought from death to life (see verse 5 in Ehpesians 2). This is why Jesus said you must be born again, see John 3 when Jesus explains being born again to Nicodemus. Proper exegesis of Holy Scripture is essential, the Bible does not contradict itself and is the Revelation of God to man.
Joe
March 7, 2009 at 1:40 pm
In a similar way, clear passages should always help us understand more difficult passages.
I’m also reminded of Ezekiel who said, “The person who sins is the one who will die” and again Paul’s words in Romans 3:23 which says “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Even Ephesians 2:1-2 shows that they were dead in their sins because they were living a life of sin.