Romans 5:20 The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more,

◄ Romans 5:20 ►

Parallel Verses

New International Version
The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more,

English Standard Version
Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,

New American Standard Bible
The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,

King James Bible
Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The law came along to multiply the trespass. But where sin multiplied, grace multiplied even more

International Standard Version
Now the Law crept in so that the offense would increase. But where sin increased, grace increased even more,

American Standard Version
And the law came in besides, that the trespass might abound; but where sin abounded, grace did abound more exceedingly:

Douay-Rheims Bible
Now the law entered in, that sin might abound. And where sin abounded, grace did more abound.

Darby Bible Translation
But law came in, in order that the offence might abound; but where sin abounded grace has overabounded,

Young's Literal Translation
And law came in, that the offence might abound, and where the sin did abound, the grace did overabound,

Cross References

Romans 3:20
Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

Romans 6:1
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

Romans 7:7
What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. No, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, You shall not covet.

2 Corinthians 3:7
But if the ministration of death, written and engraved in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:

Galatians 3:19
Why then serves the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.

1 Timothy 1:14
And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

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Commentaries

Matthew Henry's Commentary

5:20,21 By Christ and his righteousness, we have more and greater privileges than we lost by the offence of Adam. The moral law showed that many thoughts, tempers, words, and actions, were sinful, thus transgressions were multiplied. Not making sin to abound the more, but discovering the sinfulness of it, even as the letting in a clearer light into a room, discovers the dust and filth which were there before, but were not seen. The sin of Adam, and the effect of corruption in us, are the abounding of that offence which appeared on the entrance of the law. And the terrors of the law make gospel comforts the more sweet. Thus God the Holy Spirit has, by the blessed apostle, delivered to us a most important truth, full of consolation, suited to our need as sinners. Whatever one may have above another, every man is a sinner against God, stands condemned by the law, and needs pardon. A righteousness that is to justify cannot be made up of a mixture of sin and holiness. There can be no title to an eternal reward without a pure and spotless righteousness: let us look for it, even to the righteousness of Christ.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

20, 21. Moreover the law—"The law, however." The Jew might say, If the whole purposes of God towards men center in Adam and Christ, where does "the law" come in, and what was the use of it? Answer: It

entered—But the word expresses an important idea besides "entering." It signifies, "entered incidentally," or "parenthetically." (In Ga 2:4 the same word is rendered, "came in privily.") The meaning is, that the promulgation of the law at Sinai was no primary or essential feature of the divine plan, but it was "added" (Ga 3:19) for a subordinate purpose—the more fully to reveal the evil occasioned by Adam, and the need and glory of the remedy by Christ.

that the offence might abound—or, "be multiplied." But what offense? Throughout all this section "the offense" (four times repeated besides here) has one definite meaning, namely, "the one first offense of Adam"; and this, in our judgment, is its meaning here also: "All our multitudinous breaches of the law are nothing but that one first offense, lodged mysteriously in the bosom of every child of Adam as an offending principal, and multiplying itself into myriads of particular offenses in the life of each." What was one act of disobedience in the head has been converted into a vital and virulent principle of disobedience in all the members of the human family, whose every act of wilful rebellion proclaims itself the child of the original transgression.

But where sin abounded—or, "was multiplied."

grace did much more abound—rather, "did exceedingly abound," or "superabound." The comparison here is between the multiplication of one offense into countless transgressions, and such an overflow of grace as more than meets that appalling case.