Romans 6

1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

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 May it never be! We who died to sin, how could we 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 don’t you know that all of us who were immersed into Messiah Yeshua were immersed 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 buried therefore with him through immersion into death, that just as Messiah was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might 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 become united with him in the likeness of his death, we will also be part of 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 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be in bondage 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 he 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 But if we died with Messiah, 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 knowing that Messiah, being raised from the dead, dies no more. 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 For the death that he died, he died to sin one time; but the life that 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 Thus consider yourselves also to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Messiah Yeshua our Lord.

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 don’t let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.

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 Also, do not present your members to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.

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 will not have dominion over you, for 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? May it never be!

[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 Don’t you know that when you present yourselves as servants and obey someone, you are the servants of whomever you obey, whether of sin to death, or of obedience 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, whereas you were bondservants of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were delivered.

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 Being made free from sin, you became bondservants of 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 speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh; for as you presented your members as servants to uncleanness and to wickedness upon wickedness, even so now present your members as servants to righteousness for sanctification.

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 servants of sin, you were free from 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 then did you have at that time in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end 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, being made free from sin and having become servants of God, you have your fruit of sanctification and the result of 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 free gift of God is eternal life in Messiah Yeshua 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)