Romans 6:5-6 | |
5. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: | 5. Nam si insititii facti sumus similitudini mortis ejus, nimirum et resurrectionis participes erimus: |
6. Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. | 6. Illud scientes, quod vetus noster homo simul cum ipso crucifixus est. ut aboleretur corpus peccati, ut non ultra serviamus peccato. |
5.
6.
He points out the end for which this destruction is effected, when he says,
1 The word
For if we have been united (or, connected) by a similarity to his death, we shall certainly be also united by a similarity to his resurrection.
The genitive case here may be regarded as that of the object, as the love of God means sometimes love to God. Evidently the truth intended to be conveyed is, that as the Christian's death to sin bears likeness to Christ's death, so his rising to a spiritual life is certain to bear a similar likeness to Christ's resurrection. Then in the following verses this is more fully explained.
"The Apostle," says Beza, "uses the future tense, 'we shall be,' because we are not as yet wholly dead, or wholly risen, but are daily emerging." But the future here, as Stuart remarks, may be considered as expressing what is to follow the death previously mentioned, or as designating an obligation, as in Matthew 4:10; Luke 3:10, 12, 14; or a certainty as to the result. -- Ed.
2 It is thought by Pareus and others, that "body" is here assigned to "sin," in allusion to the crucifixion that is mentioned, as a body in that case is fixed to the cross, and that it means the whole congeries, or, as Calvin calls it, the whole mass of sins, such as pride, passion, lust, etc. But the reason for using the word "body," is more probably this, because he called innate sin, man -- "the old man;" and what properly belongs to man is a body. The "body of sin" is a Hebraism, and signifies a sinful hody. It has no special reference to the material body, as Origen thought. The "man" here is to be taken in a spiritual sense, as one who has a mind, reason, and affections: therefore the body which belongs to him must be of the same character: it is the whole of what appertains to "the old man," as he is Corrupt and sinful, the whole of what is earthly, wicked, and depraved in him. It is the sinful body of the old man. -- Ed.