Romans 5:12 (KJV)

Passage

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:

Nearby Context

Romans 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

Romans 5:11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

Romans 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:

Romans 5:13 (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

Romans 5:14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "world", "wherefore", "entered", "death", "passed", "upon", and "sinned". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "world" and "wherefore", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 11's "And not only so but we also..." into verse 13's "For until the law sin was in...", so "world" and "wherefore" belong inside that flow. In Romans context, the local focus is righteousness by faith, union with Christ, life in the Spirit, and God's covenant faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "world" and "wherefore" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.