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The subject is so fundamental, that we cannot leave the examination of these words
without a fuller acquaintance with their context and association. We must now set each
occurrence before the reader.
Thanatos. This word indicates the state of death consequent upon the condemnation
pronounced upon sin, whether it be the initial sin of Adam as federal head of the race, or
of the individual sin of his children (Rom. 5: 12, 14).
"Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ, were baptized
into His death" (Rom. 6: 3).
"Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death" (Rom. 6: 4).
"Therefore if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death" (Rom. 6: 5).
"Death hath no more dominion over Him" (Rom. 6: 9).
Nekros. This word speaks of dead persons, those who have passed into the state of
death (Rom. 1: 4).
"Like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father" (Rom. 6: 4).
"Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more" (Rom. 6: 9).
"Likewise, reckon ye yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin" (Rom. 6: 11).
"Yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead" (Rom. 6: 13)
Apothnesko.
This word is an intensive form of thnesko and refers to the
consummation of the death sentence.
"How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein?" (Rom. 6: 2).
"For he that is dead is freed from sin" (Rom. 6: 7).
"Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him" (Rom. 6: 8).
"Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more" (Rom. 6: 9).
"For in that He died, He died unto sin once" (Rom. 6: 10).
Thnetos. This word is used to describe those who though still living are subject to
death, as distinct from nekros which speaks of those actually dead.
"Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body" (Rom. 6: 12).
We have yet further examination to make. First we must observe the order in which
these words are introduced into the argument, and we will endeavour to make an
unbroken explanation, passing from word to word as the argument develops. The
argument is first of all not death as the punishment of sin, neither is it the death of Christ
that opens this section of Rom. 6: It is the believer's death to sin that is introduced to
show how impossible it is to deduce from the reign of grace an excuse for "continuing in
sin". The reader is deprived of the insistence of the words te hamartia, by the
translations in Rom. 6: 1 "in sin" and in Rom. 6: 2 "to sin". There is no actual word
for "in" or "to" here, these are but two translations of the dative case. They are rightly
translated "in sin" and "to sin" because of the demands of the context. The preposition
"in" does not occur until we reach the words "live any longer therein".
It is therefore the believer's death to sin that is in view at the opening of this section.
But the question now presents itself, how can a believer "die to sin"? The answer follows