independentparticipialrelativepurposecausecomparativecontentconditionaldashed = verbless / suspended
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Peace and hope — the fruits of justification 5:1–5
vv. 1–2 — peace, access, and the boast of hope
1
Δικαιωθέντες οὖν ἐκ πίστεωςparticipial — fronted causal participle — leans on ἔχομεν below; the verdict of chs. 1–4 assumed done
εἰρήνην ἔχομεν πρὸς τὸν θεὸν διὰ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ,independent — the first fruit — ἔχομεν indicative (with NA28), not the hortatory ἔχωμεν
2
δι' οὗ καὶ τὴν προσαγωγὴν ἐσχήκαμεν τῇ πίστει εἰς τὴν χάριν ταύτηνrelative — on Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ — access gained and still held (perfect)
ἐν ᾗ ἑστήκαμεν,relative — on τὴν χάριν — a settled standing (perfect again)
καὶ καυχώμεθα ἐπ' ἐλπίδι τῆς δόξης τοῦ θεοῦ.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
3
οὐ μόνον δέ, ἀλλὰ καὶ καυχώμεθα ἐν ταῖς θλίψεσιν,independent — the ascending formula (again at v. 11) — the boast reaches into tribulation
εἰδότεςparticipial — causal — the ground of the boast: a settled knowledge
ὅτι ἡ θλῖψις ὑπομονὴν κατεργάζεται,content — step 1 of the sorites — affliction → endurance
4
ἡ δὲ ὑπομονὴ δοκιμήν,content — step 2 — the verb carried over by anaphora: endurance → proof
ἡ δὲ δοκιμὴ ἐλπίδα.content — step 3 — the chain crests where it began at v. 2: hope
5
ἡ δὲ ἐλπὶς οὐ καταισχύνει,independent — coordinate finite — the capstone of the stair: a hope that cannot disappoint (Ps 22:5 LXX)
ὅτι ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ ἐκκέχυται ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ἡμῶν διὰ πνεύματος ἁγίου τοῦ δοθέντος ἡμῖν.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
6
ἔτι γὰρ Χριστὸςindependent — γάρ grounds v. 5's love — the subject suspended over the genitive absolute (the first ἔτι displaced forward)
ὄντων ἡμῶν ἀσθενῶν ἔτιparticipial — genitive absolute — the condition we were in; adverbial to ἀπέθανεν below
κατὰ καιρὸν ὑπὲρ ἀσεβῶν ἀπέθανεν.independent — the suspended clause completed — the death at God's appointed moment, for the ἀσεβεῖς (cf. 4:5)
7
μόλις γὰρ ὑπὲρ δικαίου τις ἀποθανεῖται·cause — the human foil — μόλις: barely even for the upright
ὑπὲρ γὰρ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ τάχα τις καὶ τολμᾷ ἀποθανεῖν·cause — the concession — τάχα: the bare possibility, for the benefactor (ὁ ἀγαθός) rather than the merely just
8
συνίστησιν δὲ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἀγάπην εἰς ἡμᾶς ὁ θεὸςindependent — the contrast with all human love — ἑαυτοῦ emphatic: love originating wholly in God
ὅτι ἔτι ἁμαρτωλῶν ὄντων ἡμῶν Χριστὸς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἀπέθανεν.content — the demonstration's content — the timing is the wonder: still sinners
vv. 9–11 — much more: saved from wrath, exulting in God
9
πολλῷ οὖν μᾶλλον δικαιωθέντες νῦν ἐν τῷ αἵματι αὐτοῦparticipial — fronted causal participle — leans on σωθησόμεθα below: the harder thing already done
σωθησόμεθα δι' αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τῆς ὀργῆς.independent — a fortiori 1 — the first σωθησόμεθα apodosis: rescue from the coming wrath (1:18; 2:5)
10
εἰ γὰρ ἐχθροὶ ὄντες κατηλλάγημεν τῷ θεῷ διὰ τοῦ θανάτου τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ,conditional — protasis — leans on the apodosis below: enemies, yet reconciled (the descent weak → ungodly → sinners → enemies complete)
πολλῷ μᾶλλον καταλλαγέντες σωθησόμεθα ἐν τῇ ζωῇ αὐτοῦ·independent — a fortiori 2 — the second σωθησόμεθα: kept by the risen life
11
οὐ μόνον δέ, ἀλλὰ καὶ καυχώμενοι ἐν τῷ θεῷ διὰ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ,independent — v. 3's formula crowned — a participle where a finite verb is expected (anacoluthic): the boast now in God himself
δι' οὗ νῦν τὴν καταλλαγὴν ἐλάβομεν.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
12
Διὰ τοῦτο ὥσπερ δι' ἑνὸς ἀνθρώπου ἡ ἁμαρτία εἰς τὸν κόσμον εἰσῆλθενcomparative — ANACOLUTHON — the ὥσπερ protasis-comparison is never completed; its οὕτως καί comes only at vv. 18–19
καὶ διὰ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ὁ θάνατος,comparative — elliptical — death entered by the same door (εἰσῆλθεν carried over)
καὶ οὕτως εἰς πάντας ἀνθρώπους ὁ θάνατος διῆλθεν,comparative — still inside the ὥσπερ frame — this καὶ οὕτως is not the answering apodosis: the spread universalized (διῆλθεν)
ἐφ' ᾧ πάντες ἥμαρτον—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
13
ἄχρι γὰρ νόμου ἁμαρτία ἦν ἐν κόσμῳ,cause — the parenthesis opens (vv. 13–17) — sin present before Sinai
ἁμαρτία δὲ οὐκ ἐλλογεῖται μὴ ὄντος νόμου,cause — the complication — no ledger without law (genitive absolute μὴ ὄντος νόμου)
14
ἀλλὰ ἐβασίλευσεν ὁ θάνατος ἀπὸ Ἀδὰμ μέχρι Μωϋσέως καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς μὴ ἁμαρτήσαντας ἐπὶ τῷ ὁμοιώματι τῆς παραβάσεως Ἀδάμ,independent — the counter-evidence — death king even over non-imitators: so all were somehow in the one sin
ὅς ἐστιν τύπος τοῦ μέλλοντος.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
15
Ἀλλ' οὐχ ὡς τὸ παράπτωμα, οὕτως καὶ τὸ χάρισμα·independent — verbless correction of the τύπος — before the comparison runs, its terms must be unbalanced
εἰ γὰρ τῷ τοῦ ἑνὸς παραπτώματι οἱ πολλοὶ ἀπέθανον,conditional — protasis — leans on the πολλῷ μᾶλλον apodosis below
πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἡ χάρις τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ἡ δωρεὰ ἐν χάριτι τῇ τοῦ ἑνὸς ἀνθρώπου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ εἰς τοὺς πολλοὺς ἐπερίσσευσεν.independent — a fortiori 3 — not equivalence but overflow (ἐπερίσσευσεν)
16
καὶ οὐχ ὡς δι' ἑνὸς ἁμαρτήσαντος τὸ δώρημα·independent — the second verbless unlikeness — one man's sin vs. the gift
τὸ μὲν γὰρ κρίμα ἐξ ἑνὸς εἰς κατάκριμα,cause — μέν — the verbless ledger line: one trespass, one verdict
τὸ δὲ χάρισμα ἐκ πολλῶν παραπτωμάτων εἰς δικαίωμα.cause — δέ — the counter-line: many trespasses answered by one acquittal (δικαίωμα)
17
εἰ γὰρ τῷ τοῦ ἑνὸς παραπτώματι ὁ θάνατος ἐβασίλευσεν διὰ τοῦ ἑνός,conditional — protasis — leans on the apodosis below; death the usurper king (v. 14 echoed)
πολλῷ μᾶλλον οἱ τὴν περισσείαν τῆς χάριτος καὶ τῆς δωρεᾶς τῆς δικαιοσύνης λαμβάνοντες ἐν ζωῇ βασιλεύσουσιν διὰ τοῦ ἑνὸς Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.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
18
Ἄρα οὖν ὡς δι' ἑνὸς παραπτώματος εἰς πάντας ἀνθρώπους εἰς κατάκριμα,comparative — the ὡς limb, verbless — forward-leaning like a protasis: v. 12's suspended comparison resumed
οὕτως καὶ δι' ἑνὸς δικαιώματος εἰς πάντας ἀνθρώπους εἰς δικαίωσιν ζωῆς·independent — the οὕτως καί apodosis, verbless — the debt of v. 12 finally paid
19
ὥσπερ γὰρ διὰ τῆς παρακοῆς τοῦ ἑνὸς ἀνθρώπου ἁμαρτωλοὶ κατεστάθησαν οἱ πολλοί,comparative — the ὥσπερ limb — forward-leaning; v. 12's own conjunction taken up and this time answered
οὕτως καὶ διὰ τῆς ὑπακοῆς τοῦ ἑνὸς δίκαιοι κατασταθήσονται οἱ πολλοί.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
20
νόμος δὲ παρεισῆλθενindependent — the law's cameo — παρεισῆλθεν, a side entrance into the Adam–Christ story
ἵνα πλεονάσῃ τὸ παράπτωμα·purpose — the law's design — magnifying the trespass, not curing it
οὗ δὲ ἐπλεόνασεν ἡ ἁμαρτία,relative — locative οὗ — leans forward on the main clause below, like a protasis
ὑπερεπερίσσευσεν ἡ χάρις,independent — the ὑπερ-verb — grace over-overflowed sin's increase
21
ἵνα ὥσπερ ἐβασίλευσεν ἡ ἁμαρτία ἐν τῷ θανάτῳ,comparative — the ὥσπερ limb inside the ἵνα — leaning forward on the οὕτως below
οὕτως καὶ ἡ χάρις βασιλεύσῃ διὰ δικαιοσύνης εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν.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.