grace also might reign through righteousness

pm · #1 (**permalink**) 06-23-2009, 06:06 AM

Reading in Romans

Quote:

Rom 5:20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

In the phrase "grace also might reign through righteousness", do you think the righteousness mentioned here is the righteousness of God, or the righteousness imputed to us (as children of God) from God?

Also, "grace reigning through righteousness", any thoughts on how this works?

As always, Praise, Honor, Glory and Magnificence to the God we serve.

dr_parsley · #2 (**permalink**) 06-23-2009, 06:31 AM

Hello,

It seems to me the results of sin and grace are contrasted as death and life rather than as death and righteousness. The life is brought about through the righteousness that we have, which is by the means of grace. I don't know the Greek, but it seems as if Paul struggles here to express all the things that go in to the mix to bring about this life which we have - it's through Jesus Christ, it's through righteousness and it's by grace.

As such, to answer your questions, it's our righteousness (in Christ) that is meant, and I don't think it's helpful to crop the text to the words to "grace reigning through righteousness" and looking for a meaning in that alone. Grace reigns through life (and through righteousness, and through Jesus Christ) as sin reigned through death.