Guilt is not inherited. Whether or not that is a Pelagian view not an issue with me. It is not apparent what difference you see between what you listed as the Pelagian view and the Moderate Evangelical view. I don't know if I would say that there is an inclination to sin. What I would offer is that man was created with free will and when presented with God's law he always is presented with some that he chooses to disobey. I am not sure that I would equate that with an "inclination to sin", although it seems pretty close to that.
A very simplified view on how I believe Rom. 5.
SIN ENTERED HUMANITY THRU ADAM
1) "Wherefore as by one man " (dia touto hosper di’ henos anthropon) "Therefore just as through one man;" Adam the head of the human race, through which channel sin began to flow in the blood stream of humanity, Gen_2:17; Gen_3:3.
2) "Sin entered into the world," (he hamartia eis ton kosmon eiselthen) "The sin entered into the world, created universe;" When Adam by premeditation and intent aforethought disobeyed God, sin entered into the man-world or world of Man; Rom_5:19. This one man's sin made the many (masses) sinners.
3) "And death by sin," (kai dia tes hamartias ho thanatos) "And death (entered) through the sin," of one man. There could be no infant mortality; no infant would die if there were no sin in his being, Rom_5:17-19; 1Co_15:21-22; Rom_6:23. Death is the wages of sin.
4) "And so death passed upon all men," (kai houtos eis pantos anthropous ho thanatos dielthen) "So also the universal death principle passed into all men;" After Adam's sin every child conceived, begotten, or born into the human race inherited the germ of physical and spiritual death from conception, Psa_51:5; Psa_58:3; Jas_1:15; Rom_3:23.
5) "For that all have sinned," (eph’ ho pantes hemarton) "Inasmuch as all sinned;" all in human history had sinned, 1Ki_8:46; Ecc_7:20; All not only have sinned but all are also sinners by nature, with the contagious, incurable, sin-germ of death in the body, bringing on judicially appointed death, Jas_1:15; Heb_9:27.
--and Utley--
Rom_5:12 "Therefore" Romans has several strategically placed "therefores" (cf. Rom_5:1; Rom_8:1; Rom_12:1). The interpretive question is to what they relate. They could be a way of referring to Paul's whole argument. For sure this one relates to Genesis and, therefore, probably back to Rom_1:18-32.
"as through one man sin entered into the world"
All three verbs in Rom_5:12 are aorist tense. Adam's fall brought death (cf. 1Co_15:22). The Bible does not dwell on the origin of sin. Sin also occurred in the angelic realm (cf. Genesis 3 and Rev_12:7-9). How and when are uncertain (cf. Isa_14:12-27; Eze_28:12-19; Job_4:18; Mat_25:41; Luk_10:18; Joh_12:31; Rev_12:7-9).
Adam's sin involved two aspects (1) disobedience to a specific commandment (cf. Gen_2:16-17), and (2) self-oriented pride (cf. Gen_3:5-6). This continues the allusion to Genesis 3 begun in Rom_1:18-32.
It is the theology of sin that so clearly separates Paul from rabbinical thought. The rabbis did not focus on Genesis 3; they asserted instead, that there were two "intents" (yetzers) in every person. Their famous rabbinical saying "In every man's heart is a black and a white dog. The one you feed the most becomes the biggest." Paul saw sin as a major barrier between holy God and His creation. Paul was not a systematic theologian (cf. James Steward's A Man in Christ). He gave several origins of sin (1) Adam's fall, (2) satanic temptation, and (3) continuing human rebellion (i.e., Eph_2:2-3).
In the theological contrasts and parallels between Adam and Jesus two possible implications are present.
1. Adam was a real historical person.
2. Jesus was a real human being.
Both of these truths affirm the Bible in the face of false teaching. Notice the repeated use of "one man" or "the one." These two ways of referring to Adam and Jesus are used eleven times in this context.
"one man" This generic phrase (lit. henos anthrôpou) is used to represent Adam (Rom_5:12; Rom_5:16-19) or Jesus (Rom_5:15 [twice], 17 [twice], 18,19). They each represent a group or community (i.e., "many," cf. Rom_5:15 [twice], 19[twice]; "all," cf. Rom_5:12-13; Rom_5:18 [twice]).
"death through sin" Augustine first coined the term "original sin." It describes the
consequences of Adam/Eve's choices in Genesis 3. Their rebellion has affected all of creation. Humans are impacted by
1. a fallen world system
2. a personal tempter
3. a fallen nature
Original sin (Rom_5:12-14; Rom_5:16 a,17) forms a partnership with personal sin (Rom_5:12 d,16b) to make all humans sinful! Sin results in "death" (cf. Rom_1:32; Rom_6:13; Rom_6:16; Rom_6:21; Rom_6:23; Rom_7:5; Rom_7:9-11; Rom_7:13; Rom_7:24; Rom_8:13).
The Jerome Biblical Commentary (p. 308) mentions the rabbinical tradition that there were three periods of history.
1. Adam - Moses
2. Moses - Messiah
3. Messiah - eschaton
If Paul was thinking of these divisions then
1. Adam - Moses (original sin, no law but death)
2. Moses - Messiah (personal sin, violation of law)
3. Messiah - (freedom from the Law/law through grace)
"death spread to all men" The major thrust of this paragraph is the
universality of the consequences of sin (cf. Rom_5:16-19; 1Co_15:22; Gal_1:10), which is death.
1. spiritual death - Gen_2:17; Gen_3:1-24; Isa_59:2; Rom_7:10-11; Eph_2:1; Col_2:13; Jas_1:15
2. physical death - Gen_3:4-5; Gen_5:1-32
3. eternal death - Rev_2:11; Rev_20:6; Rev_20:14; Rev_21:8
"because all sinned" All humans sin in Adam corporately (i.e., inherited a sinful state and a sinful propensity.) Because of this each person chooses to sin personally and repeatedly.
The Bible is emphatic that all humans are sinners both corporately and individually (cf. 1Ki_8:46; 2Ch_6:36; Psa_14:1-2; Psa_130:3; Psa_143:2; Pro_20:9; Ecc_7:20; Isa_9:17; Isa_53:6; Rom_3:9-18; Rom_3:23; Rom_5:18; Rom_11:32; Gal_3:22; 1Jn_1:8-10).
Yet it must be said that the contextual emphasis (cf. Rom_5:15-19) is that one act caused death (Adam) and one act causes life (Jesus). However, God has so structured His relationship to humanity that human volition is a significant aspect of "lostness" and "justification." Humans are volitionally involved in their future destinies! They continue to choose sin or they choose Christ. They cannot affect these two choices, but they do volitionally show to which they belong!
The translation "because" is common, but its meaning is often disputed. Paul used eph' hô in 2Co_5:4; Php_3:12; and Php_4:10 in the sense of "because." Thus each and every human chooses to personally participate in sin and rebellion against God.
Some by rejecting special revelation, but all by rejecting natural revelation (cf. Rom_1:18 to Rom_3:20).
Rom_5:13-14 This same truth is taught in Rom_3:20; Rom_4:15 and Act_17:30. God is fair. Humans are only responsible for what is available to them. This verse is speaking exclusively of special revelation (OT, Jesus, NT), not natural revelation (Psa_19:1-6; Rom_1:18-23; Rom_2:11-16).
Notice that the NKJV sees the comparison of Rom_5:12 as separated by a long parenthesis (cf. Rom_5:13-17) from its conclusion in Rom_5:18-21.
Rom_5:14
NASB, NKJV,
NJB "death reigned"
NRSV "death exercised dominion"
TEV "death ruled"
Death reigned as a
King (cf. Rom_5:17; Rom_5:21). This
personification of death and sin as tyrants is sustained throughout this chapter and Romans 6. The universal experience of death confirms the universal sin of mankind. In Rom_5:17; Rom_5:21, grace is personified. Grace reigns! Humans have a choice (the two ways of the OT, i.e., death or life, cf. Deu_11:26; Deu_30:1; Deu_30:19), death or life. Who reigns in your life?
"even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offence of Adam" Adam violated a stated command of God (i.e., Gen_2:15-17), even Eve did not sin in this same way. She heard from Adam about the tree, not from God directly. Humans from Adam until Moses were affected by Adam's rebellion! They did not violate a specific command from God, but Rom_1:18-32, which is surely part of this theological context, expresses the truth that they did violate the light that they had from creation and are thereby responsible to God for rebellion/sin. Adam's sinful propensity spread to all of his children.
NASB, NKJV,
NRSV "who is a type of Him who was to come"
TEV "Adam was a figure of the one who was to come"
NJB "Adam prefigured the One to come"
This expresses in a very concrete way the Adam-Christ typology (cf. 1Co_15:21-22; 1Co_15:45-49; Php_2:6-8). Both of them are seen as the first in a series, the origin of a race (cf. 1Co_15:45-49). Adam is the only person from the OT specifically called a "type" by the NT (for "Israel" see 1Co_10:6).
Utley.
J.
