Bible Treasury, Volume 3, 2nd Edition, January 1861.
(1st. Edition, January [03 1861 207])
"As by one act of offence [it was] unto all men for condemnation, (i.e., it was unto all men to condemnation,) even so by one accomplished righteousness [it was] unto all men for justification of life." So it runs literally. The meaning may be thus explained. Supposing you had only the one act of Adam by itself, it would have plunged all men into condemnation. On the other hand, the work of Christ in itself would have brought complete deliverance unto all men. But that is only the tendency towards or unto all men, not the actual effect upon them. Here, in this chapter, we have, in verse 18, the tendency; and in verse 19, the effect. "As by one man's disobedience [the] many were made sinners; so by the obedience of one shall [the] many be made righteous." "The many" who had to do with the one man that disobeyed were all men, because all were children of Adam; so by the obedience of Christ shall "the many" — His class — be made righteous. In the first clause, therefore, "the many" means all men; in the second, it means all saints. You could understand in the first clause "all men" but not in the second. The respective families of Adam and of Christ are instanced. "Therefore as by one offence [it was] unto all to condemnation, so also [it is] unto all to justification of life." It is the aim a thing would reach if unimpeded. If all had submitted to it — Christ's death and, rising again — they would have been justified; that was the tendency. But in verse 19, we have the positive result. "By the obedience of one shall [the] many [those who have to do with Him] be made righteous." Headship, first of Adam, then of Christ, is the great truth brought out here. "Justification of life" is the actual condition of a Christian. The life he now possesses is the life of Christ risen. And as there cannot be a question against Christ risen, so there cannot be one against the Christian.