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For this cause was Christ "given aside" by Judas:--
"The Son of man is betrayed (paradidomi) into the hands of sinners" (Matt. 26: 45).
For this cause was Christ "given aside" by the Father:--
"He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up (paradidomi) for us all"
(Rom. 8: 32).
God's answer to Adam's sin, transgression and fall is the gift and the "giving aside" of
His Son. Consequently, we find this stressed in Rom. 5: 15-17. There, in contrast with
"sin", is the free gift:--
"And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift" (dorema) (Rom. 5: 16).
In contrast with the "fall" is the overflowing grace gift:--
"But not as the fall, so is the free gift (charisma), for if by the fall of one many died,
much more the grace of God (charis), and the gift (dorea) in grace (charis), which is by
one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded unto many" (Rom. 5: 15).
"The free gift (charisma) is of many fallings unto justification" (Rom. 5: 16).
"Those who received the abundance of grace (charis), and the gift (dorea) of
righteousness, shall reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ" (Rom. 5: 17).
Words are heaped together here to emphasize the freeness and the graciousness of the
gift of Christ and His righteousness to fallen man. It reaches its climax in Rom. 5: 20:
"Where sin abounded, grace did superabound (huper eperisseusen)." This free gift of
Christ not only undoes all that Adam did, but goes far beyond. Adam brought in death;
Christ brings in life. Adam brought condemnation; Christ brings in justification of life.
Adam puts death on the throne; Christ puts His people on the throne. Adam's one fall is
counteracted by Christ's one righteous act; Adam's disobedience by Christ's obedience.
And just as surely as by the disobedience of Adam we were all "constituted sinners", so
by the obedience of Christ are we all "constituted righteous".
There is no "legal fiction" about our sinnership and its condemnation, neither is there
as to our righteousness in Christ. Where once we "fell", in Adam, we "stand", in Christ
(Rom. 5: 2), and in grace. Here we learn that not only did Christ deal with Adam's one
act, but with all the subsequent sins and fallings of His people. What grace, what love,
what a Saviour! Surely this hard and difficult task of analysis and word study, if
conducted in the true spirit, cannot but lead us to His feet, crying "Worthy is the Lamb
that was slain!"
In conclusion, let us observe the statement in Rom. 5: 20 concerning the place of the
law, so that all will be clear for the study of Rom. 6: when next we take up this series.
Here we have one more compound of para: "The law came in alongside, in order that the
fall might abound." The law was never given to save, or to give life; it came to reveal
the utter impossibility of the flesh to do anything except sink deeper into the mire. "What
the law could not do" (Rom. 8: 3).