Romans 6
1 What then shall we say? Shall we continue in sin so that grace may increase?
Someone might [RHQ] say [in reply to what I have written] that [since God acted kindly toward us] in a way we did not deserve [because we sinned], perhaps we should continue to sin in order that he may continue to act even more kindly toward us [and keep on forgiving us]! [RHQ]
2 Certainly not! How can we who died to sin live in it any longer?
[I would reply], No, certainly not! We [ought to consider that] our sinful desires [MET] [cannot make us do what they want us to do], [just like we cannot make] a corpse do what we want it to do. So it is not right that we continue to sin! [RHQ]
3 Or aren’t you aware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?
When we were baptized {[asked someone to] baptize us} in order to show that we have a relationship with (OR, are united to) Jesus Christ, our [being baptized was to declare that it was as though] we died with Christ. ([I want] you to remember that!/Do you not know that?) [RHQ]
4 We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may walk in newness of life.
So, when we were baptized {someone baptized us}, [it was as though] we were buried with Christ. [We were baptized] in order to indicate that [we would not let our sinful desires make us do what they want us to do, just like people cannot make] a corpse [do what they want it to] do [MET]. We [were baptized] to [signify that we would] continually conduct our lives in a new way, just like Christ was caused to live again in a new way by the great [power] of [God his] Father.
5 For if we have been united with Him like this in His death, we will certainly also be united with Him in His resurrection.
Because of our close relationship with Christ, we have [separated ourselves from the former way in which we conducted our lives], just like he [was separated from his physical life when he] died [MET]. But God will also certainly [enable us to live in a new way, just like he] enabled Christ to live again.
6 We know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be rendered powerless, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.
We must keep remembering that when Christ died on the cross [MET], [it was as though] our sinful nature [died with him. It has] lost its power to make us do what it wants us to do [MET]. That happened in order that we would not do the sinful [things that our bodies] [MET], which desire to sin, want us to do, and in order that we would no longer have to sin [MET], as slaves [have to do what their masters want].
7 For anyone who has died has been freed from sin.
[We are, as it were, freed] {[free]} [from] sinful [desires] [MET] [controlling us, just like] those who have died are free [from anything controlling them].
8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him.
Since [it is as though] we died with Christ, we believe that we will continue to live with him.
9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, He cannot die again; death no longer has dominion over Him.
We know that since [God] enabled Christ to live again after he died, Christ will never die again. Nothing will ever be able to make him die again [PRS].
10 The death He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life He lives, He lives to God.
When he died, he died once for [people] who had sinned, and he will never die again; but in regard to his living [again now], he lives in order to [serve/honor] God.
11 So you too must count yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Similarly, you must consider that [it is as though] you have become [unable to do what your] sinful [desires] [MET] want, as a corpse [is not able to do what anyone wants it to do]. You must also consider that because of your relationship to Christ Jesus you are living [in a new way] in order to [serve/honor] God.
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its desires.
So, do not let the [desire to] sin [PRS] control your bodies [MET] with the result that you do the sinful things that you desire to do. [Remember that] your bodies will surely die, [but your spirits will never die].
13 Do not present the parts of your body to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and present the parts of your body to Him as instruments of righteousness.
Do not let any of your body parts do wicked things, as [you did] [MET] [when you were spiritually] dead. Instead, present yourselves to God as people who are alive [spiritually]. Present all your body parts to God, [to allow him] to use them to [do] righteous things.
14 For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.
Do not let a [desire to] sin control you [PRS]. The laws [that God gave Moses] did not enable you [to stop sinning]. But [now] God controls you and kindly helps you [not to sin].
15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law, but under grace? Certainly not!
[I suppose that certain people might think about what I have just said and they might] say [RHQ], “[You say that] the laws [God gave Moses] did not [enable us to stop sinning, but that God is now] treating us kindly in ways we do not deserve. ([That seems to mean that God permits] us to continue sinning./[Does that mean that God permits] us to continue sinning?) [RHQ]” My reply to that is no, we should certainly not continue [sinning]
16 Do you not know that when you offer yourselves as obedient slaves, you are slaves to the one you obey, whether you are slaves to sin leading to death, or to obedience leading to righteousness?
[Slaves] have to obey [what their masters command] [MET] [them to do]. (I want you to remember this./Do you not know this?) [RHQ] Similarly, if you present yourselves to someone [in order to] obey him, you will be the slaves [MET] of the person you obey. Similarly, [if you have yielded yourselves to do the] sinful things [you desire], you are slaves of your sinful desires [PRS], and you will be eternally separated from God. [If you have yielded yourselves] to obey [God], you are slaves of God and you need to [live] righteously.
17 But thanks be to God that, though you once were slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were committed.
You were once slaves [to] your sinful [desires]. But you began to sincerely obey the new teaching [MET] that you were taught {that [people] taught you}. I thank God for that.
18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
[I] also [thank God that] you have been freed {[that] he has freed you} from [being controlled by a desire to] sin, and that you have become [as though you were] slaves [MET] to [living] righteously [MET].
19 I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to escalating wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness.
I am illustrating what I say [by talking about slavery] because your human nature prevents you from understanding [spiritual truth] easily. [In the past] you willingly did the immoral and unlawful things that [your minds compelled] your bodies to do [MET], [just like] slaves [do what their masters compel them to do]. As a result, you did even more unlawful things. Now, [you need to] willingly allow [your minds to compel] your bodies to [act] righteously [MET], in order that you will behave in a holy/pure way.
20 For when you were slaves to sin, you were free of obligation to righteousness.
When you were [like] slaves [because your sinful desires compelled you to do] sinful things [MET], you were not [concerned about behaving] righteously [MET].
21 What fruit did you reap at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? The outcome of those things is death.
Nevertheless, [doing] those things resulted in your being separated from God, so you did not benefit at all from [doing] the [sinful] things that you are now ashamed of. [RHQ]
22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the fruit you reap leads to holiness, and the outcome is eternal life. (aiōnios g166)
But you have been freed {[God] has freed you} from [letting the desire to] sin control you. You have become [as though you are] [MET] the slaves of God. So now the result is that God has caused you to completely belong to him and, as a result, you will live eternally. (aiōnios g166)
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (aiōnios g166)
[What people receive for] sinning [is that they are] eternally separated from God. That is [like] wages that [people receive] [MET]. But what God gives us is a gift. What he gives us is that we live eternally because of [our relationship with] (OR, because [we are united to]) Christ Jesus our Lord. (aiōnios g166)
