Romans 5:18,19 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Therefore, as by the offence of one— Therefore as through one offence all men fell under condemnation; even so through one righteousness all men are restored unto justification of life. Αρα ουν, therefore, always denotes the grand point the Apostle is aiming at, and which, after having given reasons, distinctions, or explications, he at last lays down as fully cleared or established. See ch. Romans 7:3; Romans 7:25 Romans 8:12 Romans 9:16; Romans 9:18 Romans 14:12; Romans 14:19. And so in this and the following verse he closes his argument, and finishes the comparison which he left incomplete in the 12th verse. It seems as if the comparison in these two verses should be understood onlyso far as the consequences of Christ's obedience are of the same extent with the consequences of Adam's disobedience. The very form of the sentence leads us to this opinion; and this exact comparison is the just and true ground of the Apostle's argument, taken from Adam's offence, for the conviction of the Jew. The stress of the argument evidently lies upon the phrase, all men;and to fix a conviction upon the Jew the restoration of all men to life,—which he owned, and which he must own was the effect of grace,—was the most proper topic to be insisted on. It may be objected, that justification of life, and being made righteous, seem too strong terms for expressing the general resurrection: but consider, first, the Apostle uses law or forensic terms in his two foregoing arguments, and therefore no wonder if he uses them in his third and last argument. Secondly, Justification of life is opposed to condemnation; and being made righteous, is opposed to being made sinners. Now if our common mortality is signified by condemnation, and made sinners, what impropriety is there, in supposing that the resurrection which stands opposed to that mortality is signified by justification of life, and being made righteous? Thirdly, Justification—being justified or made righteous, are terms applicable to any instance of deliverance from suffering. See Judges 5:11.Psalms 4:1; Psalms 22:31; Psalms 31:1. Fourthly, In the two fore-going arguments faith is insisted on as, on our part, the condition of justification; but here St. Paul mentions no condition at all. He does not say, justification of life by faith,—many shall be made righteous by faith;—and consequentlythus directs our thoughts to some unconditional discharge. But, after all, as the sense of Romans 5:15-17 is intended and understood in Romans 5:18-19 and as the drift of the Apostle's conclusion is to shew that the gift, in its utmost extent, is free to all mankind; if any one shall judge that justification of life, and shall be made righteous, do directly denote not only the resurrection, but the free gift in its full latitude, as free to all mankind who receive and improve the grace of God; and that the many shall be made righteous, is to be understood as the grace of God, and the gift hath abounded unto many, Romans 5:15 there is certainly no need to contend; for the difference is not very material, the Apostle's argument being the same either way. See Doddridge and Calmet.