We died? How so?

John Farley
Pastor-Teacher
Sunday,
July 27, 2014

 

Christian
properties
in Mosul
have been
marked with the Arabic letter “N” and seized

One good organization is the Voice of the Martyrs
 

The Voice of the Martyrs is Christian organization dedicated to assisting the persecuted church worldwide.

VOM was founded in 1967 by Pastor Richard Wurmbrand, who was imprisoned 14 years in Communist Romania for his faith in Christ.

VOM’s Mission Statement
“Serving the persecuted church through practical and spiritual assistance while leading Christians in the free world into fellowship with them.”

Help the persecuted church!
Voice of the Martyrs:

www.persecution.com
www.icommittopray.com

We died?
How so?

Verses 1 and 2 raise the question and give a GENERAL ANSWER.

Verses 3 to 11 give a MORE DETAILED ANSWER.

Verses 12 to 14 make a GENERAL APPEAL to us in light of the answer provided in verses 2-11.

Romans 6:2 is one of the greatest statements of this epistle, and indeed of the entire New Testament.

How shall we
who died to sin
live any longer therein?

It is so important that Paul goes on REPEATING this one statement again and again and again.

The Greek verb for “died” is
the aorist active indicative

apothnesko

to die off (literally or figuratively):
to have no part in

to become wholly alienated from a thing, and freed from all connection with it

The aorist tense does not describe an ongoing state but a past act or fact.

The aorist tense means “this happened”.

We died to sin.
This happened once in our past history as believers.

Verse 2: We died to sin - aorist tense
Verse 6: Our old man was crucified with Him - aorist tense
 

Verse 7: The one who died [aorist] has been declared righteous [perfect] apart from sin.

Verse 8: Now if we have died - aorist - with Christ,

Verse 10: The death that He died [aorist], He died [aorist] unto sin, once for all.

Notice also that we are not commanded to die to sin.

“died” is apothnesko.
 
This verb is in the indicative mood.

The mood of a verb gives the statement’s relationship to reality.

Is it a fact,
a possibility,
a wish, or
a command?

Seen as a :	Mood
Fact	Indicative
Probable	Subjunctive
Possible	Optative
Command	Imperative

The indicative mood is the mood of certainty.

Verse 2 is a fundamental fact, and one of the keys to all of Paul’s teaching.

Verse 2: We died to sin - aorist indicative
Verse 6: Our old man was crucified with Him - aorist indicative
 

Verse 7: The one who died [aorist indicative] has been declared righteous [perfect] apart from sin.

Verse 8: Now if we have died - aorist indicative - with Christ,
 

Verse 10: The death that He died [aorist indicative], He died [aorist indicative] unto sin, once for all.

This is something that happened when we ceased to be “in Adam” and we began to be “in Christ”.

We were BAPTIZED by the Spirit into Christ. We were placed into and identified with Christ in His death, burial, resurrection, session, and Body.

We were placed into and identified with Christ in His death, burial, resurrection, session, and Body.

WE” is a special point of emphasis in verse 2.

ROM 6:2
let it not be! we who died to the sin — how shall we still live in it?
YLT

If you simply realize WHO YOU ARE, the question from verse 1 becomes completely RIDICULOUS!