Romans 6:1-23

Romans 6:1-3:

^6:1Therefore what will we say? Should we remain-on in the sin in order that grace may become more-and-more? ^.2May it not become! We the-people-who died to the sin, how may we yet live in it? ^.3Or do you not-know that as-many (of us) as were baptized into Christ Jesus, we were baptized into his death?

Paul continues: Following-on logically from what is written in chapter 5, what will we say (mindfully tell others)?

• Should we remain-on in the sin (persist, continue staying on within the effects of the sin; refer to Romans 5:12 and 21)
  • for the purpose and result that grace (what is freely bestowed without any merit on the recipient's part, unmerited favor)
    • would become more-and-more (more than it was previously, increase the amount)?

The answer:

• May it not become! May that not come to pass! May that not happen! The thought of such a thing being so repulsive to Paul is conveyed in his expression of may it not become or come into being that such a thing would occur at any time!

We are the people who died relative-to the sin…

• how would we still live (be alive, living) within the sphere of action of the sin?
  • The unwritten answer to this rhetorical question is that it is not possible; it is not available to live within something that we have died to! Paul is referring to the holy-person’s (Christian's) spiritual standing before God (not the "walk/behavior" category).

Or do you not-know (are you personally un-knowing, ignorant, unaware) that…

• as many/much of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus (directed to, with respect to Christ Jesus; all holy-people have been immersed, surrounded from outside into the inside of/with/in everything that he is today – the spiritual reality is that we have the spirit of Christ within us and so we have spiritually accomplished everything that Christ has himself accomplished),
  • we were baptized into his death (into everything that was involved and accomplished by his death)?
  • The unwritten answer to this rhetorical question should be, “We know it.”

[Reference: I Corinthians 12:12-14; Galatians 3:27; Ephesians 4:5; Colossians 2:20, 3:3; I Peter 4:1 and 2.]

Verse 4:

^.4Therefore we were buried-together with him by means of the baptism into death, in order that wholly-as Christ was raised-up out-from dead-people by means of the glory of the Father, thus also let us walk in newness of life.

Following-on logically…

• we were buried together with him (he was crucified, died, and was buried in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights, 72 hours – we were buried in conjunction with him)
  • by means of (through) the baptism into death (refer to verse 3 above),
• for the purpose and result that
• entirely as Christ was raised-up out-from dead-people (just as he was caused to rise up alive out from being among the rest of the dead-people; the words “out-from dead-people” are written because he is the only one who has been resurrected and given his new spiritual body, but everyone else who has died still remains dead in the grave)
  • by means of the glory of the Father (through the importance, splendor, renown of the Father emanating from Him in manifestation, evidence, as an exhibition, demonstration or illustration – referring to the only true God Who is his Father and Who is the Father of all holy-people),
• in this manner also emphatically let us walk (this is a polite command or a very strong suggestion advising us to walk; the verb ‘walk’ is literally to move the feet around, going on foot; but here it is figuratively referring to walking around or behaving during the everyday living of our lives; also in Greek there is a definite word for “we/us” plus the verb meaning “let us walk” giving emphasis – we ourselves should walk)
  • within the cause and sphere of action of newness of life (this word "newness" means that this life is recent, newly-made, and it is different from the old life previously in effect, new compared to what was there before, new because it replaces the former life – this "life" is the spiritual life of the resurrected Christ as discussed in Romans 1:4).

The newness of life for every holy-person (Christian) is the holy spirit-life that all of us have received (Romans 5:5). This holy spirit-life is the new and completing part of us. It is different to the soul/breath-life and different to the body which we already had before becoming holy-people. Now we have three parts: two life-forms (holy spirit life and soul life) and a body.

This newness of life is also recent and different compared to what Adam had all those years ago but decided that he did not want it anymore. This new holy spirit-life was first made available to us by God by means of the Lord Jesus Christ on the day of Pentecost (Acts chapter 2), and it is permanent because it is given unconditionally and graciously. It cannot die; it cannot leave. It is eternal (everlasting, lifelong, agelong) – it cannot be taken away once it has been received.

The resurrected Christ Jesus is now living spiritually and he is walking (behaving) in accordance with his newness of life. In the same manner also we holy-people are to live and walk (behave) in accordance with the same newness of life which is our holy spirit-life.

[Reference: Matthew 16:27, 28:5 and 6; John 21:14; Acts 3:15, 4:10, 13:29-31; Romans 1:4, 4:24 and 25, 5:5, 7:4 and 6, 8:11, 10:9 and 10; I Corinthians 15:20; II Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 1:1, 3:26-28, 6:15; Ephesians 1:17, 19 and 20, 2:4-10 and 15, 4:24; Colossians 1:27, 2:10-15, 3:1-4; I Thessalonians 1:10; II Timothy 2:8; Hebrews 11:19; I Peter 3:21.]

Verses 5-11:

^.5For if we became² planted-together with the likeness of his death but also we will be of the resurrection, ^.6knowing this that our old man was crucified-together with (him) in order that the body of the sin may be rendered-ineffective for us to no-longer serve-as-slaves to the sin, ^.7for the (one) having died was made-righteous² from the sin; ^.8for if we died together with Christ we believe that also we will live-together with him, ^.9having known² that Christ, having been raised-up out-from dead-people, no-longer dies – death no-longer is lord of him, ^.10for the (one who) died he died to the sin once but the (one who) lives he lives to God. ^.11Thus also you must calculate yourselves (to be) dead indeed to the sin but living to God in Christ Jesus.

In truth, if/since we (all of us) became and continue to be…

• planted in conjunction (figuratively: as plants already planted unitedly)
  • with the likeness of his death (the similarity, similitude of the resulting product and effect of Jesus’ death)
• but contrary to death,
• in addition we will be (will exist)
  • with the likeness of the resurrection (the standing-up of Jesus Christ alive from death; we already have holy spirit-life which is the token of what we will receive in the future – our spiritual bodies like the one Christ has already received),

…knowing (we are personally knowledgeable of) this that…

• our old man (the human-being that has existed for a long time, since the fall of Adam, the first man, which is the man consisting-of the fleshy-body and its soul/breath-life and including everything that emanates from this "old man" such as his way of thinking and doing and behaving without holy spirit-life)
  • was crucified in conjunction with him
• for the purpose and result that
• the body of the sin (referring to the fleshy body that carried-out the error, the action of missing the mark of what God said, swerving from God’s Word, and it now consists of the sin because this does not have the effects of God’s holy spirit-life in its makeup)
  • would be rendered ineffective (inactive, inoperative, useless)
    • for the purpose of us no-longer serving as slaves to the sin (so that we are not any longer serving in the position and capacity of being slaves, bound-people carrying-out service to the sin),
• for the one who previously died
  • was made-righteous (caused to become just) and is still righteous (justified)
    • away from the sin.

In truth [some Greek texts read “but”], if/since we died in conjunction with Christ …

• we believe (have faith, trust) that also
  • we will live (be alive) in conjunction with him (at a future time when he will come to gather us together with him and we will receive our spiritual bodies and remain with him alive, living with him),
• having known (perceived) and still knowing that Christ,
  • who has already been raised-up out-from dead-people (God his Father caused him to rise up alive and he is still alive out from the rest of the dead people who remain dead until their resurrection),
• no-longer dies (Christ is not dying any longer, he will never die again) –
  • death no-longer is lord of him (death does not any longer exercise its dominion and authority over him, it is not able to be master of him anymore),
• for the one who died (Jesus died)
  • he died
    • relative-to the sin once (on one occasion, at one time, not several times but once)
• but the one who lives (Jesus is alive, living)
  • he lives (he is presently and actively continuing to live, being alive)
    • relative-to God (the First, Superior or Ultimate One, the One Who has power, executes judgment, and emanates what He is, His power and light; God is the Lord Jesus Christ’s Father).

In this manner also…

• emphatically you must calculate yourselves (in Greek there is a definite word for “you” plus the verb meaning “you must calculate” plus the reflexive pronoun “yourselves” giving great emphasis – it is imperative that you holy-people in Rome reckon, count, compute yourselves)
  • indeed (on the one hand) to be dead
    • relative-to the sin
  • but (on the other hand) living (being alive)
    • relative-to God
  • in Christ Jesus (within the cause and sphere of action, character, and attributes of Christ Jesus).

All holy-people are limbs of the one spiritual body of Christ, similar to an eye or arm or leg being in the physical body. We are living to God in Christ Jesus and therefore in the spirit category we live within everything he is now. However, in the walk/behavior category, it is up to the freedom of will of each one of us to live in accordance with our holy spirit-life, to actively live to God during the time that we await Christ's coming to be present and we will be gathered together with him.

[Reference: Acts 2:24, 3:15, 4:10; Romans 1:3 and 4, 5:12 and 21, 7:6, 8:10, 11 and 34, 10:9; I Corinthians 12:12-27 and chapter 15; Galatians 2:19 and 20, 5:24; Ephesians 2:4-7, 4:22; Philippians 3:21; Colossians 1:27, 2:11 and 12, 3:9; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; II Timothy 2:8 and 11; Titus 3:7; Hebrews 7:27, 9:26-28, 10:10; I Peter 2:24, 3:18, 4:1 and 2; Revelation 1:18.]

Verses 12-14:

^.12Therefore the sin must not reign-as-king in your mortal body with-a-view to obey it, ^.13neither must you present your limbs (to be) arms of unrighteousness to the sin – but you must present yourselves to God as-though living out-from dead-people and your limbs (to be) arms of righteousness to God, ^.14for sin will not be lord of you, for you are not under law but under grace.

Following-on logically…

• the effects of the sin must not exercise its kingship
  • within the cause and sphere of action of your mortal body (your current physical fleshy body that is liable to death)
    • for the purpose of being obedient to it (hear what sin says, listen-attentively, then carry-out what you hear during the everyday living of your lives in the walk/behavior category [some Greek texts read “the intense-yearnings of it“ referring to the mortal body, instead of only reading “it” referring to the sin]),
• neither must you present your limbs (and you should not be causing the members of your body to stand beside, do not place them near)
  • as being arms of unrighteousness (weapons, tools, implements of war/battle pertaining-to and consisting-of unjustness, injustice)
    • to the sin (as though the sin were your master/lord) –
• but on the contrary, you must present yourselves (you should cause yourselves to stand beside; it is imperative that you place your beings, everything you yourselves are now, near)
  • to God
    • as-though living out-from dead-people (as if you were being alive now after your resurrection out from being among the rest of the dead-people – just the same as Christ Jesus; refer to verse 4 above)
• and you must present your limbs (the physical part of you, the members of your body such as your hands, legs, etc)
  • as being arms of righteousness (weapons, tools, implements of war/battle pertaining-to and consisting-of justness, justice, being and doing what is just/right)
    • to God,

…in truth, sin will not be lord of you (it will not exercise its dominion and authority over you, it is not legally able to be master of you anymore)…

• for you are not under law (you presently and actively are not in complete submission or subjection to the law of Moses)
• but contrary to law, you are under grace (in complete submission or subjection to bestowed unmerited favor).

[Reference: John 1:17; Romans 3:24, 5:2, 15, 17, 20 and 21, 8:11, 12:1, 13:12; I Corinthians 15:53 and 54; II Corinthians 4:11, 5:4, 6:7, 10:4; Galatians 5:18.]

Verses 15-18:

^.15Therefore what? Should we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it not become! ^.16You knew² that to whom you present yourselves slaves into obedience, you are slaves to whom you obey, whether-indeed of sin into death or of obedience into righteousness, don't you? – (yes.) ^.17But thanks to God because you used-to-be slaves of the sin but you obeyed from (your) heart into that type of teaching you were given-over, ^.18and having been freed from the sin you were enslaved to the righteousness.

What follows-on logically from the information written in verse 14?

• Should we commit sin (miss the mark of God’s Word to us, swerve from the truth of what God says to/for us regarding how to behave correctly)
  • because we are not under law
  • but on the contrary, we are under grace?

The answer:

• May it not become! May that not come to pass! May that not happen! The thought of such a thing being so repulsive to Paul is conveyed in his expression of may it not become or come into being that such a thing would occur at any time!

Paul continues by asking another question:

• You knew and continue to know (you see to the end of perceiving and knowing with your minds) that
  • to whom you present yourselves (are causing yourselves to stand beside, placing yourselves near) as being slaves (servants bound in service to that master/lord)
    • into obedience (with a view to, directed to, for the purpose of and resulting in hearing, listening attentively, and then the action carried-out in accordance with what that master instructs is obedience),
  • you are slaves to whom you obey (during the everyday living of your lives in the walk/behavior category),
    • whether-indeed (surely, emphatically either)
    • of sin into death (slaves whose actions consist of sin resulting in death)
  • or
  • of obedience into righteousness (slaves whose actions consist of obedience resulting in justness),
• don't you? The Greek construction of this question must receive an affirmative answer: "Yes, we know this – there are definitely two distinct choices to make regarding how we may walk (behave, conduct ourselves) during the everyday living of our lives."

In verse 17, Paul again reminds the holy-people in Rome to whom he is writing about their spiritual standing as sons/children of God, which does-not and cannot change because they have received holy spirit (even though the walk/behavior may fluctuate). Also, the word "thanks" in the Greek is the same word as the word "grace," and in verse 17 it is used for the expression made by the freedom of will of the recipient (all holy-people) expressing gratitude to the Giver (God) of the grace (the bestowed unmerited or undeserved favor) given-to and received-by holy-people (Christians).

But thanks to God…

• because you used-to-be slaves of the sin (you were continuing to exist during a past time which has now ended, historically you were servants bound to serve the sin – you did not have holy spirit-life at that time)
• but you obeyed from your heart (you heard, listened attentively and then you carried-out from the center of your beings, all of you obeyed out from the core of yourselves)
  • into that type of teaching (directed to, with respect to the specific pattern of authoritative instruction, doctrine, the contents of what was taught) which
    • you were given-over (it was handed along to you, delivered alongside or beside you),
• and after you were freed (set at liberty) away from the sin
  • you were enslaved to the righteousness (you were caused to become slaves, people who serve in the capacity of being slaves to the justness, the state of being and doing what is just/right from God’s viewpoint relative to the spirit category because you received the gift of holy spirit).

[Reference: John 8:32-36; Acts 2:42; Romans 1:1, 5:12-21, 7:25, 10:9 and 10, 16:17; I Corinthians 7:21-23; Galatians 5:1; II Timothy 4:2; Titus 1:9; Hebrews 2:3; I Peter 2:24; II Peter 1:16-21.]

Verses 19-23:

^.19I say (this) as-a-man because-of the weakness of your flesh; for wholly-as you presented your limbs (to be) slaves to the uncleanness, even to the lawlessness into the lawlessness, thus now you must present your limbs (to be) slaves to the righteousness into holiness, ^.20for when you used-to-be slaves of the sin you used-to-be freemen to the righteousness. ^.21Therefore, what fruit used you have then on which-things now you are ashamed-of? – for the completion of those-things (is) death. ^.22But now, having been freed from the sin but having been enslaved to God, you have your fruit into holiness, even the completion (which is) eternal life – ^.23for the rations of the sin (are) death, but the gracious-gift of God (is) eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Paul continues by using the illustration of a person's physical fleshy body, which everyone ought to be familiar with, to explain how a righteous-person (a person with holy spirit-life within) should behave during the everyday living of life.

He explains that he is laying-out this information as a man (in a manly way, human terms, by using human terminology) on account of the weakness of your flesh (the lack of strength, infirmity pertaining to the flesh, the limitation of the fleshy human-being's realm of knowledge and apprehension in order to be able to understand and comprehend that-which God wants to communicate to people)…

• for entirely as you presented your limbs (just-as you caused the members of your body to stand beside, you placed them near)
  • as being slaves (servants bound in service to that master/lord)
    • to the uncleanness (the state of not being free from mixture of that-which is against God, being mixed with something else, having impurity from God's viewpoint mixed with you; as though the uncleanness were your master/lord)
    • even to the lawlessness (emphatically to the degree of lacking God's law, the state of being without, in violation of, non-observance of the law of God, transgression of God’s law to/for you)
  • into the lawlessness (with a view to, directed to, resulting in lawlessness on your part, having the quality of lawlessness),
• in this manner now (at the present time) you must present your limbs
  • as being slaves
    • to the righteousness (the justness, the state of being and doing what is just/right from God’s viewpoint relative to the walk/behavior category)
  • into holiness (with a view to, directed to, resulting in sanctification on your part, having the quality of holiness; this word comes from the word hagios which means to be separated from that-which is common; "common" being the word sometimes used to denote that-which is not set-apart for God, and so is ceremonially-unlawful, unclean, or defiled),
• for when you used-to-be slaves of the sin (during that past time which has now ended, as detailed in verse 17 above)
  • you used-to-be freemen to the righteousness (at that same past time you were continuing to exist, historically you were people at liberty relative-to the justness – you were not subject to God’s righteousness because you did not have holy spirit-life).

Following-on logically…

• what fruit (produce) were you having at that past time
  • based-upon the things which at the present time you are ashamed of/at (cause yourselves to feel shame, to have the feeling or emotion of disgrace and guilt being sorry of/upon your own performance of those improper, ignominious or dishonorable things from God's point of view)? – (no good fruit is listed as an answer) –
  • in truth, the completion (the complete-thing, ending-issue, fulfillment) of those things is death.

But emphatically at the present time…

• which is after you have already been freed (set at liberty) away from the sin
  • but you were enslaved (made a slave in service) to God,

…you presently and actively have (hold)…

• your fruit (that-which is produced, your produce)
  • into holiness (with a view to, directed to, resulting in sanctification on your part, having the quality of holiness),
• even the completion (with emphasis you have the complete-thing, ending-issue, fulfillment) which is
  • eternal life –
• for the rations (the earned payments, the corresponding rations, as hired Roman soldiers were paid for their service partly with rations of meat or fruit, etc)
  • of the sin (belonging to and issuing from the sin)
    • are death (sin's rations are wrapped-up into one package which is: death),
• but the gracious-gift (the gift that is given with/by grace)
  • of God (belonging to and issuing from God)
    • is eternal life
    • in Christ Jesus our Lord (within the cause and sphere of action, character, and attributes of Christ Jesus who is our Master).

The Greek word aionios may be translated “eternal” or “agelong”. In the context here, the life being referred to will not end. It is eternal, agelong, lifelong, everlasting. It lasts throughout all durations of life, all ages from the time a person receives it. This life can only be received by God's giving of holy spirit by means of the Lord Jesus Christ. All holy-people (Christians) have received holy spirit-life within us, which is the spirit of Christ in us; it is the deposit, token, earnest of what we will receive at a future time. This holy spirit-life will remain for the duration of God's life which will not end. The full completeness for us will come to pass when our Lord Jesus Christ will come to gather all holy-people together with him giving us new spiritual bodies, the life of which will be holy spirit-life, like the body he has already received from God, his Father and our Father, when God raised him up alive from-among the dead-people.

A gracious-gift is something freely-given with/by the grace of God and/or of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the result, product, or effect of the action of graciously giving so that the recipient may utilize it appropriately. Every holy-person/Christian has already received the free-gift of holy spirit, and any added information, assignment, etc, given to any holy-person is given by grace (refer to I Corinthians 12:4). It is a gracious-gift to the recipient. It is unmerited or undeserved on the recipient’s part because it is not given as a wage or a corresponding-reward for something he/she had or had-not done.

The difference is quite clear:

[Reference: Genesis 2:17; Luke 3:14; John 8:34; Acts 2:1-4, and 22-36, 4:8-12, 13:48; Romans 1:17 and 24, 2:7, 3:21, 22, 25 and 26, 4:5, 5:12-21; I Corinthians 1:30, 9:7, and chapter 15; II Corinthians 11:8; Galatians 4:13, 6:8; Ephesians 2:5-10; Colossians 1:27 and 28; I Thessalonians 4:3-8 and 13-18; II Thessalonians 2:3, 7 and 13; I Timothy 1:16; Titus 1:2, 3:7; I Peter 1:2 and 13-16; Revelation 20:6, 12-15, 21:6, 8 and 27, and chapter 22. Note: verbs with a superscript 2 (²) immediately following them indicate the "perfect" tense - details are provided in the "Relevant Notes" link of this study.]