ROMANS: The Greatest "kal va'chomer"

Right after Paul makes his statement about Christ dying for “good men,” he goes on to employ another rabbinical teaching tool Jesus himself employed more than once. The tool is called a kal va’chomer and refers to the principle of “lesser and greater.” A rabbi will sometimes use this tool to make his point through juxtaposition; the idea is to point out a principle that is universally true by showing it is true in the simplest of circumstances. The teacher then proclaims that if such a truth is true in that situation, how much more it will be true in other situations.

A great example of this in Jesus’s teaching would be the persistent widow of Luke 18. She bugs the corrupt judge long enough that he gives in to her demand. Jesus is not saying the the judge allegorically represents God; Jesus is employing a kal va’chomer. He’s saying if a corrupt judge would give in to her persistent requests, how much more would God, who loves and cares for His children? Another example might be Luke 11:11–13, as well as many other teachings of Jesus.

It’s the phrase “how much more” that is translated from the Hebrew kal va’chomer. While Romans is written in Greek, the rabbinical teaching tool would be so well known by his Jewish audience (to whom he’s speaking, made obvious by chapters 2–3 and the distinction in chapter 11), they would certainly realize what he’s trying to do. Watch Paul employ the tool throughout the fifth chapter of Romans:

Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. 

Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—

To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come. 

But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ! 

Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. 

The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Honestly, I would recommend reading that through a few times — a couple of times to identify and notice the employment of the kal va’chomer, and a couple other times to appreciate the point Paul is trying to make. I have often taught this passage to my students and referenced it as the greatest kal va’chomer of all time.

Paul’s point is that sin has NOTHING on grace.

You think sin is a big deal? Grace is a bigger deal.

You think Adam screwed up the world? How much more did Jesus put it back together?

You think death can spread through our mistakes? Life can spread through grace and forgiveness exponentially.

The trespass can’t hold a candle to the Gift.

The failure of Adam is knocked out by the sacrifice of Jesus the moment the bell rings. It’s not even a fair fight.

“How much more?” How much more?

You can point out sin all day long, but grace outdoes it. So the more sin you point out, the bigger grace gets. Because grace is greater than sin.

This might make some of us nervous, because we might think this leads to a “no accountability, free-for-all” faith. But that’s where Paul sets his sights next.