Romans 5 — Clausal Layout (English)

independentparticipialrelativepurposecausecomparativecontentconditionaldashed = verbless / suspended

Flush-left = a main (independent) clause. Each dependent line begins directly beneath the word it attaches to in the line above — the anchor word is dotted-underlined, and lights up when you hover its dependent clause; each tag also names the attachment. A dashed border marks verbless, elliptical, or suspended lines. Where a long sentence's staircase runs wider than the page, the diagram scrolls sideways. (In print, or without JavaScript, lines fall back to stepped indent columns.)

Peace and hope — the fruits of justification 5:1–5

vv. 1–2 — peace, access, and the boast of hope

Therefore, having been justified by faith,participial — fronted causal participle — leans on ἔχομεν below; the verdict of chs. 1–4 assumed done

we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,independent — the first fruit — ἔχομεν indicative (with NA28), not the hortatory ἔχωμεν

through whom also we have obtained access by faith into this gracerelative — on Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ — access gained and still held (perfect)

in which we stand,relative — on τὴν χάριν — a settled standing (perfect again)

and we boast in hope of the glory of God.independent — coordinate finite — still inside the δι' οὗ chain: the legitimate boast (contrast 3:27)

vv. 3–5 — the boast even in afflictions: the sorites to hope

And not only that — we also boast in our afflictions,independent — the ascending formula (again at v. 11) — the boast reaches into tribulation

knowingparticipial — causal — the ground of the boast: a settled knowledge

that affliction produces endurance,content — step 1 of the sorites — affliction → endurance

and endurance, proven character,content — step 2 — the verb carried over by anaphora: endurance → proof

and proven character, hope.content — step 3 — the chain crests where it began at v. 2: hope

and hope does not put us to shame,independent — coordinate finite — the capstone of the stair: a hope that cannot disappoint (Ps 22:5 LXX)

because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.cause — ὅτι — God's love for us (subjective genitive), flooded in by the Spirit: the ground of the whole ladder

God's love proved — Christ's death for the ungodly 5:6–11

vv. 6–8 — while we were still weak: the cross as the proof

For Christ — still —independent — γάρ grounds v. 5's love — the subject suspended over the genitive absolute (the first ἔτι displaced forward)

while we were still weak,participial — genitive absolute — the condition we were in; adverbial to ἀπέθανεν below

at the right time died for the ungodly.independent — the suspended clause completed — the death at God's appointed moment, for the ἀσεβεῖς (cf. 4:5)

For one will scarcely die for a righteous person —cause — the human foil — μόλις: barely even for the upright

though for the good person perhaps someone would even dare to die —cause — the concession — τάχα: the bare possibility, for the benefactor (ὁ ἀγαθός) rather than the merely just

But God demonstrates his own love for usindependent — the contrast with all human love — ἑαυτοῦ emphatic: love originating wholly in God

in that, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.content — the demonstration's content — the timing is the wonder: still sinners

vv. 9–11 — much more: saved from wrath, exulting in God

Much more then, having now been justified by his blood,participial — fronted causal participle — leans on σωθησόμεθα below: the harder thing already done

we shall be saved through him from the wrath.independent — a fortiori 1 — the first σωθησόμεθα apodosis: rescue from the coming wrath (1:18; 2:5)

For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son,conditional — protasis — leans on the apodosis below: enemies, yet reconciled (the descent weak → ungodly → sinners → enemies complete)

much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by his life;independent — a fortiori 2 — the second σωθησόμεθα: kept by the risen life

And not only that — but also boasting in God through our Lord Jesus Christ,independent — v. 3's formula crowned — a participle where a finite verb is expected (anacoluthic): the boast now in God himself

through whom we have now received the reconciliation.relative — on Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ — the δι' οὗ of v. 2 returns and closes the ring

Adam and Christ 5:12–21

vv. 12–14 — the comparison begun and broken; the parenthesis opens: death reigned before the law

Therefore — just as through one man sin entered the world,comparative — ANACOLUTHON — the ὥσπερ protasis-comparison is never completed; its οὕτως καί comes only at vv. 18–19

and through sin, death,comparative — elliptical — death entered by the same door (εἰσῆλθεν carried over)

and so death spread to all people —comparative — still inside the ὥσπερ frame — this καὶ οὕτως is not the answering apodosis: the spread universalized (διῆλθεν)

because all sinned —cause — ἐφ' ᾧ read as causal ('because'), not 'in whom' (contra the Vulgate's in quo): all sinned, in solidarity with Adam's one sin

for until the law sin was in the world,cause — the parenthesis opens (vv. 13–17) — sin present before Sinai

but sin is not charged where there is no law;cause — the complication — no ledger without law (genitive absolute μὴ ὄντος νόμου)

yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of Adam's transgression,independent — the counter-evidence — death king even over non-imitators: so all were somehow in the one sin

who is a type of the one to come.relative — on Ἀδάμ — the hinge of the chapter: Adam the τύπος of the Coming One

vv. 15–17 — but first, the correction: the gift is not like the trespass

But not as the trespass, so also the gift.independent — verbless correction of the τύπος — before the comparison runs, its terms must be unbalanced

For if by the trespass of the one the many died,conditional — protasis — leans on the πολλῷ μᾶλλον apodosis below

much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one man Jesus Christ abound to the many.independent — a fortiori 3 — not equivalence but overflow (ἐπερίσσευσεν)

And not as through the one who sinned is the gift.independent — the second verbless unlikeness — one man's sin vs. the gift

for the judgment: from one, to condemnation;cause — μέν — the verbless ledger line: one trespass, one verdict

but the gift: from many trespasses, to justification.cause — δέ — the counter-line: many trespasses answered by one acquittal (δικαίωμα)

For if, by the trespass of the one, death reigned through that one man,conditional — protasis — leans on the apodosis below; death the usurper king (v. 14 echoed)

much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.independent — a fortiori 4 — the reversal: not death reigning over them, but they reigning in life

vv. 18–19 — the comparison executed at last: ὡς … οὕτως καί, twice

So then, as through one trespass — for all people, to condemnation,comparative — the ὡς limb, verbless — forward-leaning like a protasis: v. 12's suspended comparison resumed

so also through one righteous act — for all people, to justification of life.independent — the οὕτως καί apodosis, verbless — the debt of v. 12 finally paid

For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners,comparative — the ὥσπερ limb — forward-leaning; v. 12's own conjunction taken up and this time answered

so also through the obedience of the one the many will be made righteous.independent — the οὕτως καί apodosis — Christ's obedience constitutes the many righteous (κατασταθήσονται)

vv. 20–21 — the coda: the law's side entrance, and grace enthroned

Now the law came in alongside,independent — the law's cameo — παρεισῆλθεν, a side entrance into the Adam–Christ story

so that the trespass might increase;purpose — the law's design — magnifying the trespass, not curing it

but where sin increased,relative — locative οὗ — leans forward on the main clause below, like a protasis

grace super-abounded,independent — the ὑπερ-verb — grace over-overflowed sin's increase

so that, just as sin reigned in death,comparative — the ὥσπερ limb inside the ἵνα — leaning forward on the οὕτως below

so also grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.purpose — the purpose's main limb — grace enthroned; the chapter's last words are Christ's name

Analysis. Romans 5 is two panels, and the shape tells both stories. In vv. 1–11 the margin carries the fruits of justification — εἰρήνην ἔχομεν (the indicative, with NA28, not the hortatory ἔχωμεν), the twin σωθησόμεθα apodoses, the two οὐ μόνον δέ boasts — while the ladders hang beneath: the δι' οὗ chain of v. 2, and the sorites of vv. 3–5 stepping down affliction → endurance → proven character → hope, each line hanging from the very word it grows out of, until the ὅτι of the Spirit's outpoured love catches the whole stair. Fronted causal participles (Δικαιωθέντες v. 1, δικαιωθέντες νῦν v. 9) lean forward on their main verbs exactly like the olive εἰ γὰρ protases of the a-fortiori arguments (vv. 10, 15, 17). The second panel is governed by the famous anacoluthon of v. 12: the ὥσπερ comparison enters, dashed and suspended — its apodosis never comes. Instead the parenthesis of vv. 13–17 descends beneath it: sin in the world before the law, death reigning from Adam to Moses, Adam ὅς ἐστιν τύπος τοῦ μέλλοντος — and from that hinge word τύπος hang the two verbless corrections (Ἀλλ' οὐχ ὡς…, καὶ οὐχ ὡς…) with their πολλῷ μᾶλλον arguments, insisting that the gift outweighs the trespass before the comparison may be drawn. Only at Ἄρα οὖν (vv. 18–19) does the sentence start again at the margin and pay the debt: twice a forward-leaning ὡς/ὥσπερ limb over its οὕτως καί apodosis; and the coda (vv. 20–21) gives the law its side entrance (παρεισῆλθεν) so that the final ἵνα may enthrone grace, through righteousness, to eternal life. Cruxes decided here: ἐφ' ᾧ (v. 12) is read as causal — 'because all sinned' (in solidarity with Adam's one sin), not Augustine's 'in whom'; καυχώμεθα in v. 2 continues the δι' οὗ chain, and the participle καυχώμενοι in v. 11 stands anacoluthically for a finite verb; ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ (v. 7) is the warm benefactor over against the merely upright δίκαιος.