Adam brought sin and Christ brings new life
12 It was because of one man, Adam, that sin came into the world. Death was the result of Adam's sin. Because of that, death came to all people, because everyone failed to obey God. 13 Before God gave his Law to Moses, people did wrong things. Sin was already there in the world. But at that time, God did not say that people were guilty, because there was no law for them to obey. 14 But death still ruled all people, from the time when Adam lived until the time when Moses lived. Everyone died, even those who did not fail in the same way that Adam failed.
5:12Adam was the first person that God made. See Genesis 1:26-27. God told Adam that he must not eat any fruit from a certain tree. But Adam did not obey God. See Genesis 2:15-3:13. Adam shows us something about God's Messiah who would come at a future time. 15 But they are not the same. Adam was the man who did not obey what God said to him. Jesus Christ is the man who brought God's free gift to people. Adam was just one person but many people died because of his sin. But God has shown in a greater way that he is very kind to people. Very many people have received God's gift because of one man, Jesus Christ. So Christ has been very kind to many people!
5:14Messiah is a Hebrew word for a king that God has chosen to rule his people. In the Greek language the word is ‘Christ.’ God promised his people that the Messiah would come to rescue them, and to be their king.
16 Also, God's gift is different from the result of Adam's sin. Adam chose not to obey God once and punishment came as a result. But the result of God's gift is greater. People have done many wrong things, not only one wrong thing. But God accepts them as right with him. That shows how kind God is! 17 One man, Adam, did not obey God, and death began to rule everyone as a result. But what the one man, Jesus Christ, did is much greater! Because of him, people can become right with God. They receive that great gift from God because he is very good and very kind. Because of what Jesus Christ has done, those people will rule like kings in their lives.
