In Romans 5:12-21, Paul develops compares the figures of Adam and Christ to put emphasis on two things: how death and sin came into the world, and how the problem is overcome by Jesus. Adam was the first man to sin (along with his wife, Eve) which we read about in Genesis, at the beginning of time. They ate the fruit from the forbidden tree, therefore breaking the perfect relationship with God. Just as Paul writes in Romans 5:12, “therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, so death spread to all men because all sinned—“. Due to Adams’ bad decision, sin entered into the world. Paul compares Adam and Christ because they have vastly different stories, both impacting all of humanity. Adam brought all the sin and death into the world, whereas Christ walked the earth and lived in human flesh in order to save the world FROM the sin. It is the most extreme contrast, both figures being on opposite ends of the spectrum. Paul uses the comparison to show what a gift it truly is to be free from sin in Christ.

Paul uses the phrase ‘free gift’ multiple times within these verses to highlight a point – that salvation is not because of anything humans did, but through the divine grace of Christ. In chapter six verse eighteen, he says “and having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.” He is saying that sin no longer creates slaves out of people due to no condemnation through Jesus. The word “slave” is used to stress the significance of the bondage of sin that Paul talks about. Freedom is eternal life, and sin is death. In Romans, there is not another way to experience freedom besides breaking the chains of slavery through redemption in Jesus, leading to sanctification. Baptism plays a key role in this chapter – (verse three and four), “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized in his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” Those two verses touch on the prominence of baptism on the subject of eternal life. Paul is saying in order to live for Christ, we must be purified and cleansed fully after death to our own selves. Paul finalizes chapter six in verse twenty three stating, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” He wraps up that chapter as a reminder that slavery is done when life in Christ begins.