Link Gen 3:11 & Rom 5:12 on sin's entry.
Connect Genesis 3:11 with Romans 5:12 on sin entering the world.

Setting the Scene

• Eden was a real garden, Adam and Eve real people, and Genesis 3 records a literal historical event.

Romans 5 is Paul’s Spirit-inspired commentary on that event, explaining its universal impact.


The First Confrontation: Genesis 3:11

“Who told you that you were naked?” the LORD God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”

• God’s question reveals that a moral boundary has been crossed.

• The emphasis lies on obedience: one clear command was given, one command was broken.

• Notice the immediate effects: shame (“naked”), fear (they hide), and a ruptured relationship with the Creator.

• In a single moment, sin moves from possibility to reality, and the perfect order of creation is disrupted.


Paul’s Commentary: Romans 5:12

“Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, so also death was passed on to all men, because all sinned.”

• “Through one man” points directly back to Adam in Genesis 3.

• Sin “entered”​—it was not part of God’s original design but broke in like an intruder.

• Death is sin’s inseparable companion; spiritual separation happened instantly, physical death followed.

• The consequence is universal: “all men” now share both sin’s guilt and its penalty.


Connecting the Dots

Genesis 3:11 records the first acknowledgment of sin; Romans 5:12 traces its ripple effect through every generation.

• Adam functions as the head of the human race; his act of disobedience legally and spiritually affects every descendant.

• The moment Adam ate, sin gained a foothold; Paul says that foothold became a highway, carrying death to everyone.

• The two verses together form a historical-theological chain:

– Historical link: one literal act in Eden.

– Theological link: one comprehensive outcome—universal sinfulness and mortality.


Key Takeaways for Today

• Sin is not merely a mistake; it is willful rebellion against God’s clear command.

• Death’s presence in the world confirms Scripture’s diagnosis of humanity.

• Recognizing Adam’s role prepares the heart to appreciate Christ’s role as the “last Adam” who reverses the curse (Romans 5:17-19).

How can Genesis 3:11 guide us in recognizing and confessing our sins?
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