ROMANS 6

 In Romans 6:1-14 Paul is discussing the incongruity of continuing in sin that grace might abound.

 How can we who have died to sin once for all still live in it (v2)? The very idea is so preposterous that Paul does not need to answer the question.

 Baptism is a once for all identification with the death of Christ (v3).

 We have been buried with Him once for all, so that we can enjoy an ongoing walk of a fresh new kind guaranteed by His resurrection (v4).

 If we have an ongoing experience of growing into Him, in the likeness of His death, we will similarly enjoy His resurrection (v5). Knowing from experience that our old man was crucified once and for all, in order that the body of sin might be made powerless once and for all, that we should no longer be enslaved to sin (v6). For the one who has died has been and continues to be acquitted of sin (v7).

 If we have died once for all with Christ we believe that we will live with Him (v8), knowing (by reflection) that Christ has been raised from the dead once for all and He will never die again. Death no longer rules as lord and master over Him (v9).

 Christ died for sin, once and once only. Now He is alive for evermore. That life is lived to God (v10). In the same manner we are to reckon or consider ourselves in Christ Jesus as being dead to sin, but alive to God (v11).

 So we must not let sin continue to reign (v12); we must not go on presenting the members of our bodies as tools or weapons of unrighteousness to be used by sin (v13). Instead we should present ourselves once for all to God, and our members to be used as tools for righteousness (v13). For sin will not rule over us (ultimately? or now?) because we are under grace not under law (v14).
 


The analysis below shows the reasons behind the points given more readably above:

 All who have been baptised [aorist] into Christ Jesus have been baptised [aorist] into His death. (v3)

 We have been buried [aorist - point action in the past] with Him through baptism into death so that we can walk in newness of life. Newness of life [not merely new life] - the continuing walk of a fresh new kind every day guaranteed by His resurrection. (v4)

 If we have been and are being grown together [sumfutoV] in the likeness of His death - if we have shared in His death and it is our on-going experience [note the perfect of ginomai - to be or become ie have become and are continuing to be] we shall also share in his resurrection. If we are experiencing His death now we will also experience his resurrection in the future. (v5)

 Our old man was crucified [aorist] with Him, that our body of sin might be made powerless [aorist], that we should no longer serve sin [as its slaves]. (v6)

 The one who has died [aorist participle] has been and is justified [perfect] from sin. (v7)

 If we have died [aorist] with Christ we believe we shall live [future] with him. (v8)

 Christ has been raised [aorist] from the dead and He will never die again. Death no longer rules as lord and master over Him. (v9)

 The death that He died, He died to sin, once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. (v10). Christ died once and once only. Now He is alive for evermore. That life is lived to God.

 In the same manner we are to reckon or consider ourselves as being dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. (v11)

 Do not let sin continue to reign [present] ... (v12)

 Do not keep on presenting [present] your members to sin, but once and for all present [aorist] yourselves to God. (v13)

 Sin will not rule [future] over you (v14)
 


Points for further consideration:

  • Connectives - flow of the argument - interdependency of sections
  • Future tenses -- which refer to the immediate future ?
-- which to the resurrection of the body ?

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