Romans 5:12,18-19 // What's The Deal With Adam's Sin?

Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: ...Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. 19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. (Romans 5:12,18-19)
So as by one woman sin entered the world… er, no! …by one man sin entered the world. But didn't Eve sin first? Maybe, maybe not. The Bible says that sin entered the world by Adam's sin not Eve's.

And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. (1 Timothy 2:14) The woman was deceived and because of it broke (transgressed) the law. The man knew exactly what he was doing but broke the law anyway. Who sinned? The man.

I don't fully understand where the line is with sin, I certainly don't think I can draw a neat line between right and wrong. But God seems to distinguish greatly between sins that are ignorant and sins that are informed. Eve did A first because she was not fully informed of the facts. Adam did A second despite being fully informed of the facts. Adam sinned and if Eve sinned at all it was somehow less significant, therefore Adam's sin is counted as first. This is Paul's reasoning not mine. I had different reasoning about this before I read these passages.

So let's continue. The problem of sin is in the world because of the first man, our forefather (ancestor). Because of sin we also have the problem of death and all the things that go with it. Because each one of us has followed in our forefather's footsteps into sin we also follow him into death. (Not because we are born "mortal"?! Something to think about there, not sure I understand it right.)

What follows in Romans is a long parenthetical statement that I will handle tomorrow to avoid breaking up the thought Paul has here.

People sometimes wonder how it can be fair that we all suffer for what Adam did, but what about the fairness of us all benefiting from what Jesus did? Adam was our forefather, and the consequences of his sin naturally devolve on us. Christ was Adam's maker, his spiritual father, and the blessings of his righteousness (lack of sin) can be given to us if we make him our spiritual father rather than copying Adam.

If you want to be like Jesus, spend time thinking about him.