Teks -- Romans 5:12 (NET)

The Amplification of Justification

5:12 So then, just as sin entered the world through one man and death through sin, and so death spread to all people because all sinned–

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per frasa)

Robertson: Rom 5:12 - Therefore

Therefore ( dia touto ).

"For this reason."What reason? Probably the argument made in Rom 5:1-11, assuming our justification and urging exultant joy in Christ because of the present reconciliation by Christ’ s death and the certainty of future final salvation by his life.

Robertson: Rom 5:12 - As through one man

As through one man ( hōsper di' henos anthrōpou ).

Paul begins a comparison between the effects of Adam’ s sin and the effects of the redemptive work of Christ, but he does not give the second member of the comparison. Instead of that he discusses some problems about sin and death and starts over again in Rom 5:15. The general point is plain that the effects of Adam’ s sin are transmitted to his descendants, though he does not say how it was done whether by the natural or the federal headship of Adam. It is important to note that Paul does not say that the whole race receives the full benefit of Christ’ s atoning death, but only those who do. Christ is the head of all believers as Adam is the head of the race. In this sense Adam "is a figure of him that was to come."

Robertson: Rom 5:12 - Sin entered into the world

Sin entered into the world ( hē hamartia eis ton kosmon eisēlthen ).

Personification of sin and represented as coming from the outside into the world of humanity. Paul does not discuss the origin of evil beyond this fact. There are some today who deny the fact of sin at all and who call it merely "an error of mortal mind"(a notion) while others regard it as merely an animal inheritance devoid of ethical quality.

Robertson: Rom 5:12 - And so death passed unto all men

And so death passed unto all men ( kai houtōs eis pantas anthrōpous diēlthen ).

Note use of dierchomai rather than eiserchomai , just before, second aorist active indicative in both instances. By "death"in Gen 2:17; Gen 3:19 physical death is meant, but in Rom 5:17, Rom 5:21 eternal death is Paul’ s idea and that lurks constantly behind physical death with Paul.

Robertson: Rom 5:12 - For that all sinned

For that all sinned ( Ephesians' hōi pantes hēmarton ).

Constative (summary) aorist active indicative of hamartanō , gathering up in this one tense the history of the race (committed sin). The transmission from Adam became facts of experience. In the old Greek Ephesians' hōi usually meant "on condition that,"but "because"in N.T. (Robertson, Grammar , p. 963).

Vincent: Rom 5:12 - Wherefore as

Wherefore as

As (ὥσπερ ) begins the first member of a comparison. The second member is not expressed, but is checked by the illustration introduced in Rom 5:13, Rom 5:14, and the apostle, in his flow of thought, drops the construction with which he started, and brings in the main tenor of what is wanting by " Adam who is the type," etc. (Rom 5:14).

Vincent: Rom 5:12 - Entered into

Entered into

As a principle till then external to the world.

Vincent: Rom 5:12 - Passed upon

Passed upon ( διῆλθεν ἐφ ')

Lit., came throughout upon . The preposition διά denotes spreading , propagation , as εἰς into denoted entrance .

Vincent: Rom 5:12 - For that

For that ( ἐφ ' ᾧ )

On the ground of the fact that.

Wesley: Rom 5:12 - Therefore

This refers to all the preceding discourse; from which the apostle infers what follows. He does not therefore properly make a digression, but returns to speak again of sin and of righteousness.

Wesley: Rom 5:12 - As by one man

Adam; who is mentioned, and not Eve, as being the representative of mankind.

Wesley: Rom 5:12 - Sin entered into the world

Actual sin, and its consequence, a sinful nature.

Wesley: Rom 5:12 - And death

With all its attendants. It entered into the world when it entered into being; for till then it did not exist.

Wesley: Rom 5:12 - By sin

Therefore it could not enter before sin.

Wesley: Rom 5:12 - Even so

Namely, by one man.

Wesley: Rom 5:12 - In that

So the word is used also, 2Co 5:4.

Wesley: Rom 5:12 - All sinned

In Adam. These words assign the reason why death came upon all men; infants themselves not excepted, in that all sinned.

JFB: Rom 5:12 - Wherefore

That is, Things being so; referring back to the whole preceding argument.

JFB: Rom 5:12 - as by one man

Adam.

JFB: Rom 5:12 - sin

Considered here in its guilt, criminality, penal desert.

JFB: Rom 5:12 - entered into the world, and death by sin

As the penalty of sin.

JFB: Rom 5:12 - and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned

Rather, "all sinned," that is, in that one man's first sin. Thus death reaches every individual of the human family, as the penalty due to himself. (So, in substance, BENGEL, HODGE, PHILIPPI). Here we should have expected the apostle to finish his sentence, in some such way as this: "Even so, by one man righteousness has entered into the world, and life by righteousness." But, instead of this, we have a digression, extending to five verses, to illustrate the important statement of Rom 5:12; and it is only at Rom 5:18 that the comparison is resumed and finished.

Clarke: Rom 5:12 - Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world

Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world - From this verse, to the conclusion of the chapter, the apostle produces a strong argument to prove that, as all mankind stood in need of the grace of God in Christ to redeem them from their sins, so this grace has been afforded equally to all, both Jews and Gentiles

Dr. Taylor has given the following analysis of the apostle’ s mode of argumentation. The argument stands thus: - "The consequences of Christ’ s obedience extend as far as the consequences of Adam’ s disobedience. The consequences of Adam’ s disobedience extend to all mankind; and therefore, so do the consequences of Christ’ s obedience. Now, if the Jews will not allow the Gentiles any interest in Abraham, as not being naturally descended from him, yet they must own that the Gentiles are the descendants of Adam, as well as themselves; and being all equally involved in the consequences of his sin, from which"(as far as the death of the body is concerned) "they shall all equally be released at the resurrection, through the free gift of God, therefore they could not deny the Gentiles a share in all the other blessings included in the same gift.

This argument, besides proving the main point, goes to show

1.    That the grace of God in the Gospel abounds beyond, or very far exceeds, the mere reversing of the sufferings brought upon mankind by Adam’ s one offense; as it bestows a vast surplusage of blessings which have no relation to that offense, but to the many offenses which mankind have committed, and to the exuberance of the Divine grace

2.    To show how justly the Divine grace is founded on the obedience of Christ, in correspondence to the dispensation Adam was under, and to the consequences of his disobedience: if this disobedience involved all mankind in death, it is proper that the obedience of Christ should be the cause not only of reversing that death to all mankind, but also of other blessings which God should see fit (through him) to bestow on the world

3.    It serves to explain, and set in a clear view, the difference between the law and grace. It was the law which, for Adam’ s one transgression, subjected him and his posterity, as included in him when he transgressed, to death, without hopes of a revival. It is grace which restores all men to life at the resurrection; and, over and above that, has provided a gracious dispensation for the pardon of their sins; for reducing them to obedience; for guarding them against temptations; supplying them with strength and comfort; and for advancing them to eternal life. This would give the attentive Jew a just notion of the law which himself was under, and under which he was desirous of bringing the Gentiles

The order in which the apostle handles this argument is this: -

1.    He affirms that death passed upon all men by Adam’ s one transgression, Rom 5:12

2.    He proves this, Rom 5:13, Rom 5:14

3.    He affirms there is a correspondence between Adam and Christ; or between the παραπτωμα, offense, and the χαρισμα, free gift, Rom 5:14

4.    This correspondence, so far as the two opposite parts answer to each other, is justly expressed, Rom 5:18, Rom 5:19; and there we have the main or fundamental position of the apostle’ s argument, in relation to the point which he has been arguing from the beginning of the epistle, namely, the extensiveness of the grace of the Gospel, that it actually reaches to All Men, and is not confined to the Jews

5.    But, before he laid down this position, it was necessary that he should show that the correspondence between Adam and Christ, or between the offense and the gift, is not to be confined strictly to the bounds specified in the position, as if the gift reached no farther than the consequences of the offense; when in reality it extends vastly beyond them, Rom 5:15-17

6.    Having settled these points, as previously necessary to clear his fundamental position, and fit to his argument, he then lays down that position in a diversified manner of speech, Rom 5:18, Rom 5:19, just as in 1Co 15:20, 1Co 15:21, and leaves us to conclude, from the premises laid down, Rom 5:15-17, that the gift and the grace in its utmost extent, is as free to all mankind who are willing to accept of it, as this particular instance, the resurrection from the dead. They shall all be raised from the dead hereafter; they may all be quickened by the Spirit here

7.    Having thus shown the extensiveness of the Divine grace, in opposition to the dire effects of the law under which Adam was; that the Jews might not overlook what he intended they should particularly observe, he puts them in mind that the law given to Adam, transgress and die, was introduced into the Jewish constitution by the ministry of Moses; and for this end, that the offense, with the penalty of death annexed to it, might abound, Rom 5:20. But, to illustrate the Divine grace by setting it in contrast to the law, he immediately adds: where sin, subjecting to death, hath abounded, grace hath much more abounded; that is, in blessings bestowed; it has stretched far beyond both Adam’ s transgression, and the transgressions under the law of Moses, Rom 5:20, Rom 5:21, and see the note on Rom 5:20

Upon this argument the learned doctor makes the following general remarks: -

"I. As to the order of time: the apostle carries his arguments backwards from the time when Christ came into the world (Rom 1:17; to Romans 4.) to the time when the covenant was made with Abraham, (Romans 4.), to the time when the judgment to condemnation, pronounced upon Adam, came upon all men, Rom 5:12, to the end. And thus he gives us a view of the principal dispensations from the beginning of the world

"II. In this last case, as well as in the two former, he uses law or forensic terms; judgment to condemnation, justification, justify, made sinners, made righteous. And therefore, as he considers both Jews and Gentiles at the coming of Christ, and Abraham when the covenant was made with him, so he considers Adam, and all men, as standing in the court before the tribunal of God. And this was the clearest and concisest way of representing his arguments."Notes, p. 283

Clarke: Rom 5:12 - Sin entered into the world

Sin entered into the world - There was neither sin nor death before the offense of Adam; after that there were both. Adam’ s transgression was therefore the cause of both

Clarke: Rom 5:12 - And death by sin

And death by sin - Natural evil is evidently the effect of moral evil; if man had never sinned, he had never suffered. Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return, was never spoken till after Adam had eaten the forbidden fruit

Clarke: Rom 5:12 - Death passed upon all men

Death passed upon all men - Hence we see that all human beings partook in the consequences of Adam’ s sin. He propagated his like; and, with the rudiments of his own nature, propagated those of his moral likeness

Clarke: Rom 5:12 - For that all have sinned

For that all have sinned - All are born with a sinful nature; and the seeds of this evil soon vegetate, and bring forth corresponding fruits. There has never been one instance of an immaculate human soul since the fall of Adam. Every man sins, and sins too after the similitude of Adam’ s transgression. Adam endeavored to be independent of God; all his offspring act in the same way: hence prayer is little used, because prayer is the language of dependence; and this is inconsistent with every emotion of original sin. When these degenerate children of degenerate parents are detected in their sins, they act just as their parents did; each excuses himself, and lays the blame on another. What hast thou done? - The woman whom Thou gavest me, to be with me; She gave me, and I did eat. What hast Thou done? The Serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. Thus, it is extremely difficult to find a person who ingenuously acknowledges his own transgressions

See the notes on Gen 3:6, etc., where the doctrine of original sin is particularly considered.

Calvin: Rom 5:12 - Wherefore as

12.Wherefore as, etc. He now begins to enlarge on the same doctrine, by comparing with it what is of an opposite character. For since Christ came to redeem us from the calamity into which Adam had fallen, and had precipitated all his posterity with him, we cannot see with so much clearness what we have in Christ, as by having what we have lost in Adam set before us, though all things on both sides are not similar: hence Paul subjoins an exception, which we shall notice in its place; and we shall also point out any other difference that may occur. The incompleteness of the sentence sometimes renders it obscure, as when the second clause, which answers to the former, is not expressed. But we shall endeavor to make both plain when we come to those parts. ¹⁶³

===Sin entered into the world, === etc. Observe the order which he keeps here; for he says, that sin preceded, and that from sin death followed. There are indeed some who contend, that we are so lost through Adam’s sin, as though we perished through no fault of our own, but only, because he had sinned for us. But Paul distinctly affirms, that sin extends to all who suffer its punishment: and this he afterwards more fully declares, when subsequently he assigns a reason why all the posterity of Adam are subject to the dominion of death; and it is even this — because we have all, he says, sinned. But to sin in this case, is to become corrupt and vicious; for the natural depravity which we bring, from our mother’s womb, though it brings not forth immediately its own fruits, is yet sin before God, and deserves his vengeance: and this is that sin which they call original. For as Adam at his creation had received for us as well as for himself the gifts of God’s favor, so by falling away from the Lord, he in himself corrupted, vitiated, depraved, and ruined our nature; for having been divested of God’s likeness, he could not have generated seed but what was like himself. Hence we have all sinned; for we are all imbued with natural corruption, and so are become sinful and wicked. Frivolous then was the gloss, by which formerly the Pelagians endeavored to elude the words of Paul, and held, that sin descended by imitation from Adam to the whole human race; for Christ would in this case become only the exemplar and not the cause of righteousness. Besides, we may easily conclude, that he speaks not here of actual sin; for if everyone for himself contracted guilt, why did Paul form a comparison between Adam and Christ? It then follows that our innate and hereditary depravity is what is here referred to. ¹⁶⁴

Defender: Rom 5:12 - by one man

There is no warrant in the New Testament for the heretical notion that "Adam" is simply a generic term representing the human race. He was "one man," in fact "the first man" (1Co 15:45). There were no pre-Adamite men, as some have alleged, and certainly no population of evolving hominids becoming Adam. In fact, Christ Himself made it clear that Adam and Eve were "from the beginning of the creation" (Mar 10:6, quoting Gen 1:27). Adam was a real person, directly created and made by God, and so was Eve. The entire argument of Rom 5:12-21 becomes irrelevant if the Genesis record of the creation and fall of Adam did not happen just as recorded in Genesis 1-3, and this would mean there is no reality in the saving work of Christ either. Destroying or distorting the Genesis record undermines and eventually destroys the gospel of salvation. Such a devastating undermining of the Christian faith is surely not warranted by the fragmentary and self-contradictory fossil evidences that have been alleged to support the notion of human evolution.

Defender: Rom 5:12 - death by sin

Thus there was no death before sin entered the world. The finished creation was "very good" (Gen 1:31), with an abundance of food and all other provisions for man and animals. There was certainly no struggle for existence, or survival of the fittest, for every creature was created fit for its own environment. When Adam sinned, God brought the curse of decay and death not only upon Adam but also upon all His dominion (Gen 3:17-20; 1Co 15:21, 1Co 15:22; Rom 8:20-22)."

TSK: Rom 5:12 - as by // and death // for that // all

as by : Rom 5:19; Gen 3:6

and death : Rom 6:23; Gen 2:17, Gen 3:19, Gen 3:22-24; Eze 18:4; 1Co 15:21; Jam 1:15; Rev 20:14, Rev 20:15

for that : or, in whom

all : Rom 3:23; Jam 3:2; 1Jo 1:8-10

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per Ayat)

Poole: Rom 5:12 - as by one man sin entered into the world // By one man // Objection // Answer // Sin // Entered into the world // And death by sin // Death // And so death passed upon all men // For that all have sinned

From this verse to the end of the chapter, the apostle makes a large comparison between the first and Second Adam, which he joins to what he had said by the causal particle wherefore: q.d. Seeing things are as I have already said, it is evident, that what was lost by Adam is restored by Christ. This verse seems to be lame and imperfect; the reddition is wanting in the comparison; for unto this,

as by one man sin entered into the world there should be added, so by Christ, &c. But the reddition, or second part of the comparison, is suspended, by reason of a long parenthesis intervening to Rom 5:18,19 , where the apostle sets down both parts of the comparison.

By one man: viz. Adam.

Objection. Eve first sinned, 1Ti 2:14 .

Answer. He is not showing the order how sin first entered into the world, but how it was propagated to mankind. Therefore he mentions the man, because he is the head of the woman, and the covenant was made with him: or, man may be used collectively, both for man and woman; as when God said: Let us make man, & c.

Sin it is to be understood of our first parents’ actual sin, in eating the forbidden fruit; this alone was it that affected their posterity, and made them sinners, Rom 5:19 .

Entered into the world understand the inhabitants of the world; the thing containing, by a usual metonomy, is put for the thing contained.

And death by sin as the due reward thereof.

Death here may be taken in its full latitude, for temporal, spiritual, and eternal death.

And so death passed upon all men seized upon all, of all sorts, infants as well as others.

For that all have sinned others read it thus, in which all have sinned, i.e. in which one man; and so it is a full proof that Adam was a public person, and that in him all his posterity sinned and fell. He was our representative, and we were all in him, as a town or county in a parliament man; and although we chose him not, yet God chose for us.

The words ef’ w are rendered in which, in other places, and the preposition epi is put for en ; see Mar 2:4 Heb 9:10 : and if our translation be retained, it is much to the same sense; for if such die as never committed any actual sin themselves, (as infants do), then it will follow that they sinned in this one man, in whose loins they were: as Levi is said to have paid tithes in Abraham’ s loins, Heb 7:9 .

PBC: Rom 5:12

How did death enter the world? Does it enter the world anew as each new generation of mankind falls from childhood innocence into sin? No, it entered the world by one man, Adam. How do we know sin resides in the world? Death represents the universal consequence of sin. Think of this. If a child is born in absolute innocence, it would be immune from death. Paul’s reasoning is intense and tightly drawn to a particular view. Since all inherit that sinful disposition, all are subject to death. Under normal circumstances, sin is the violation of a stated body of law. Yet no such law existed from Adam to Moses. Despite the absence of law during that time, death reigned, just as it reigned after God gave the law to Moses. Why? Because man inherits his sinful nature, as David described, he is subject to death from the beginning.

Haydock: Rom 5:12 - As by one man...in whom

As by one man...in whom [2] all have sinned. That is, in which man all sinned, (not in which death all sinned) as it must be the construction by the Greek text: so that these words are a clear proof of original sin against the Pelagian heretics, as St. Augustine often brings them. Nor does St. John Chrysostom deny original sin, though in this place he expounds it that all by Adam's sin were made guilty of death and punishments. But how could they deserve these, had they not sinned in Adam? (Witham)

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[BIBLIOGRAPHY]

In quo omnes peccaverunt, Greek: eph o pantes emarton. If it agreed with sin, in the Greek it must have been Greek: eph es.

Gill: Rom 5:12 - Wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world // and death by sin // and so death passed upon all men // for that // all have sinned

Wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world,.... The design of these words, and of the following, is to show how men came to be in the condition before described, as "ungodly", Rom 5:6, "sinners", Rom 5:8, and "enemies", Rom 5:10; and to express the love of Christ in the redemption of them; and the largeness of God's grace to all sorts of men: the connection of them is with Rom 5:11, by which it appears that the saints have not only an expiation of sin by the blood of Christ, but a perfect righteousness, by which they are justified in the sight of God; and the manner how they came at it, or this becomes theirs, together with the necessity of their having such an one, are here declared: by the "one man" is meant Adam the first man, and parent of mankind, who is mentioned by name in Rom 5:14; sin which came by him designs a single sin, and not many, even the first sin of Adam, which goes by different names, as "sin" here, "transgression", Rom 5:14, the "offence" or "fall", Rom 5:15, "disobedience", Rom 5:19, and whatever was the first step or motive to it, which led to it, whether pride, unbelief, or concupiscence, it was finished by eating the forbidden fruit; and is called sin emphatically, because it contained all sin in it, was attended with aggravating circumstances, and followed with dismal consequences. Hence may be learnt the origin of moral evil among men, which comes not from God, but man; of this it is said, that it "entered into the world"; not the world above, there sin entered by the devil; but the world below, and it first entered into paradise, and then passed through the whole world; it entered into men by the snares of Satan, and by him it enters into all the inhabitants of the world; into all men that descend from him by ordinary generation, and that so powerfully that there is no stopping of it. It has entered by him, not by imitation, for it has entered into such as never sinned after the similitude of his transgression, infants, or otherwise death could not have entered into them, and into such who never heard of it, as the Heathens; besides, sin entered as death did, which was not by imitation but imputation, for all men are reckoned dead in Adam, being accounted sinners in him; add to this, that in the same way Christ's righteousness comes upon us, which is by imputation, Adam's sin enters into us, or becomes ours; upon which death follows,

and death by sin; that is, death has entered into the world of men by sin, by the first sin of the first man; not only corporeal death, but a spiritual or moral one, man, in consequence of this, becoming "dead in sin", deprived of righteousness, and averse, and impotent to all that is good; and also an eternal death, to which he is liable; for "the wages of sin is death", Rom 6:23; even eternal death: all mankind are in a legal sense dead, the sentence of condemnation and death immediately passed on Adam as soon as he had sinned, and upon all his posterity;

and so death passed upon all men; the reason of which was,

for that, or because "in him"

all have sinned: all men were naturally and seminally in him; as he was the common parent of mankind, he had all human nature in him, and was also the covenant head, and representative of all his posterity; so that they were in him both naturally and federally, and so "sinned in him"; and fell with him by his first transgression into condemnation and death. The ancient Jews, and some of the modern ones, have said many things agreeably to the apostle's doctrine of original sin; they own the imputation of the guilt of Adam's sin to his posterity to condemnation and death;

"through the sin of the first man (say they ^g) אתה מת, "thou art dead"; for he brought death into the world:''

nothing is more frequently said by them than that Adam and Eve, through the evil counsel of the serpent, גרימו מותא לון ולכל עלמא, "were the cause of death to themselves and to all the world" ^h; and that through the eating of the fruit of the tree, כל דיירי ארעא אתחייבו מותא, "all the inhabitants of the earth became guilty of death" ⁱ: and that this was not merely a corporeal death, they gather from the doubling of the word in the threatening, "in dying thou shalt die", Gen 2:17 (margin);

"this doubled death, say they ^k, without doubt is the punishment of their body by itself, ולנפש בפני עצמה, and also of the "soul by itself".''

They speak of some righteous persons who died, not for any sin of their own, but purely on the account of Adam's sin; as Benjamin the son of Jacob, Amram the father of Moses, and Jesse the father of David, and Chileab the son of David ^l, to these may be added Joshua the son of Nun, and Zelophehad and Levi: the corruption and pollution of human nature through the sin of Adam is clearly expressed by them;

"when Adam sinned, (say they ^m,) he "drew upon him a defiled power, וסאיב ליה ולכל בני עלמא, "and defiled himself and all the people of the "world".''

Again ⁿ,

"this vitiosity which comes from the sin and infection of our first parents, has invaded both faculties of the rational soul, the understanding by which we apprehend, and the will by which we desire.''

This corruption of nature they call יצר הרע, "the evil imagination", which, they say ^o, is planted in a man's heart at the time of his birth; and others say ^p that it is in him before he is born: hence Philo the Jew says ^q, that συμφυες το αμαρτανον εστι, "to sin is connatural", to every man that is born, even though a good man; and talks ^r of συγγεγηνηνον κουκον, "evil that is born with us", and of ^s συγγενεις κηρες, "spots that are of necessity born with" every mortal man. And so his countrymen ^t often speak of it as natural and inseparable to men; yea, they represent Adam as the root and head of mankind, in whom the whole world and all human nature sinned: descanting on those words, "as one that lieth upon the top of a mast", Pro 23:34;

"this (say they ^u) is the first man who was לכל בני אדם ראש, "an head to all the children of men": for by means of wine death was inflicted on him, and he was the cause of bringing the sorrows of death into the world.''

And in another place, speaking of Adam, they say ^w, that

"he was עיקר בריאה של עולם, "the root of the creation", or "of the men of the world"; and death was inflicted upon him and on his seed, because he sinned one sin in eating of the tree.''

And it is observed,

"that הא הידיעה, the "He" demonstrative is not prefixed in Scripture to proper names, which yet is to the word "Adam"; the reason is, (say they ^x,) because in Adam all his posterity are pointed at, and the whole human species designed.''

Again, they observe ^y, that

"the end of man is to die, of which this is the reason, because מין האדם, "mankind" has sinned; that is, the nature of which he is composed, or in other words, Adam and Eve have sinned.''

Once more ^z.

"when he (Adam) sinned, כל העולם כלו חטא, "all the whole world sinned", and his sin we bear;''

and ^a that

"the whole congregation of Israel have need of atonement for the sin of the first Adam, for he was חשוב ככל העדה, reckoned as the whole congregation;''

which exactly tallies with the apostle's assertion in this text.

(When this commentary was written, it was generally accepted that all the fossils in the rocks were laid down by Noah's world wide flood and that the universe was about 6000 years old. Since that time, science has postualated that life evolved over billions of years and that the fossils are a result of this evolutionary process. If you accept the Bible as your authority you cannot accept the theory of evolution in any form. Firstly, the biblical chronology restricts the age of the universe to about 6000 years. Secondly, in order to get fossils, animals must die. This verse tells us that sin, not evolution, is the cause of death. Death and suffering did not exist until after Adam sinned. Hence before Adam sinned, no animal died and it would be impossible for any fossils to form. Before the fall, all animals ate plants, not other animals Gen 1:30. Paul tells us in Rom 8:20 that Adam's sin subjected all of creation to the curse, not just mankind. See Gill on Rom 6:23. See Gill (Editor's note) on "Ex 20:11". Editor)