Romans 6
Romans 6 | |
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![]() Fragment c to h containing parts of the Epistle to the Romans in Papyrus 40, written about AD 250. | |
Book | Epistle to the Romans |
Category | Pauline epistles |
Christian Bible part | New Testament |
Order in the Christian part | 6 |
Romans 6 is the sixth chapter of the Epistle to the Romans in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It is authored by Paul the Apostle, but written by an amanuensis, Tertius of Iconium, while Paul was in Corinth, in winter of AD 57-58.[1] Paul wrote to the Roman Christians in order to give them a substantial resume of his theology.[2] In chapter 6, it is shown that the Christian, in baptism, dies to sin.[3]
Text
- The original text is written in Koine Greek.
- Some most ancient manuscripts containing this chapter are:
- Papyrus 40 (ca. AD 250; extant: verses 4-5, 16)
- Codex Vaticanus (AD 325-350)
- Codex Sinaiticus (AD 330-360)
- Codex Alexandrinus (ca. AD 400-440)
- Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus (ca. AD 450; complete)
- Papyrus 94 (5th/6th century; extant: verses 10-13, 19-22)
- This chapter is divided into 23 verses.
Structure
The New King James Version organises this chapter as follows:
- Romans 6:1–14 = Dead to Sin, Alive to God
- Romans 6:15–23 = From Slaves of Sin to Slaves of God
Cross references
The Bearing of Justification by Grace upon a Holy Life
From the beginning of this chapter, Paul addresses the 'plausible objection' [4] that Christians should "continue in sin, that grace may abound" (Romans 6:1). In Romans 3:8, Paul had referred to slanderous reports to the effect that believers taught "Let us do evil that good may come". Similar indications can be found in Galatians 5:13, 1 Peter 2:16 and Jude 4.
Paul replies that believers should "certainly not (Greek: μη γενοιτο, mē genoito) continue in sin, that grace may abound" (Romans 6:2). The phrase μη γενοιτο is regularly used by Paul - it is used 10 times in this epistle as well as in his other writings.[5] The Pulpit Commentary describes the phrase as "Paul's usual way of rejecting an idea indignantly".[6] The phrase has been translated in various forms:
- God forbid (Wycliffe Bible, King James Version and 1599 Geneva Bible)
- By no means (New International Version)
- Of course not (New Living Translation)
- Absolutely not (Holman Christian Standard Bible)
- That's unthinkable (God's Word Translation)
- Far be the thought (Darby Bible Translation)
- Let the thought be abhorred (Matthew Henry's Commentary) [7]
- I should hope not! (The Message)
Verse 4
- Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.[8]
Verse 23
See also
- Baptism
- Other related Bible parts: Matthew 28
References
- ^ Halley, Henry H. Halley's Bible Handbook: an Abbreviated Bible Commentary. 23rd edition. Zondervan Publishing House. 1962.
- ^ Holman Illustrated Bible Handbook. Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee. 2012.
- ^ Expositor's Greek Testament on Romans 6, accessed 12 September 2016
- ^ Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary on Romans 6, accessed 12 September 2016
- ^ Englishman's Concordance: γένοιτό (genoito), accessed 14 September 2016
- ^ Pulpit Commentary on Romans 6, accessed 14 September 2016
- ^ Matthew Henry's Commentary on Romans 6, accessed 14 September 2016
- ^ Romans 6:4
- ^ Romans 6:23