Romans 6

May it never be!
The exclamation, “May it never be!” represents the Greek construction μὴ γένοιτο (mē genoito), which is a strong way of expressing the desire that something never take place. Thus, other translations choose something like “God forbid!,” “By no means!,” or “Absolutely not!” to translate it. These all accurately convey the idea, but “May it never be!” is most literal to the Greek text because the verb used here comes from γίνομαι (ginomai) which is a state-of-being verb, negated and used in the optative mood, communicating a strong desire that the action of the verb not take place. This expression is used by Paul 14 times in his writings (Rom 3:4, 6; 31; here, 6:15; 7:7, 13; 9:14; 11:1, 11; 1 Cor 6:15; Gal 2:17; 3:21; 6:14).

man
The word “man” gives a literal translation of ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) here, referring to the believer’s previously unregenerate, preconverted existence. Paul’s use of “man” to describe this concept parallels his comparison between the “man” Adam to the better “Man” Christ from the previous chapter. As Paul describes here, the old man was in Adam, but was crucified with Christ so that the believer is no longer enslaved to sin but has new life in Christ.

justified
“Justified” translates δεδικαίωται (dedikaiōtai) from the verb δικαιόω (dikaioō). The verb is a legal term meaning someone has been given a favorable verdict or declared to be in accordance with the law. In this context it means the Christian, in Christ, is seen by God as being in accordance with His righteousness and free from the condemning penalty of sin. This translation also distinguishes the term from “freed” (ἐλευθερόω; eleutheroō) in verse 18.

May it never be!
Refer to the discussion on verse 2 above.

go on presenting
While some translations simply have the verb “present” here, the phrase “go on presenting” more accurately carries accross the sense of the present tense used here (cf. v. 13 above). Translating the present tense consistently both in verse 13 and here shows how Paul’s argument ties tightly together around the concept of continually presenting oneself as a slave to a master. Believers should no longer go on presenting themselves to obey sin as a master, but rather righteousness since they are now free to serve Christ.

leading to death…leading to righteousness
The phrase “leading to” in this verse translates the preposition εἰς (eis). This preposition is often used to describe purpose, not causation. Obedience to Christ leads to righteousness, just as disobedience leads to death.

given over
“Given over” translates παρεδόθητε (paredothēte) from παραδίδωμι (paradidōmi). This verb at its most basic literal meaning is to “give over” or “hand over.” It is used in a variety of contexts with different emphases, and thus cannot be translated the same way everywhere. Its specific meaning in each case is dependent upon its surrounding context, and the burden of translation is to give the specific meaning intended by the author. Here, however, “give over” fits the context well. The verb occurred also in Romans 1:24, 26, and 28, which brings out a contrast: There God gave a people over to their depravity, while here He has given His own over to a holy pattern of teaching. This emphasizes His sovereignty and saving work.

leading to…leading to
Refer to the discussion on verse 16 above.

having
The translation “having” is more literal than something like “deriving” or “reaping” because the Greek word here is the common and general word ἔχω (echō), which simply means to “have” or “hold.” By using this verb, Paul communicates what is already in one’s possession, so to speak, rather than the action of gaining benefit. Believers truly had no benefit from their lusts and sins before salvation in Christ. As Paul’s argument goes, they even more certainly will not have benefit from them now that they are in Christ.

end
“End” literally renders the Greek word τέλος (telos) here, describing the result or outcome of the shameful acts of sin participated in during one’s life prior to coming to Christ. Since those things end in death, believers should feel no attraction to them at all.

have
Refer to the discussion on verse 21 above.

leading to
Refer to the discussion on verse 16 above.

end
Refer to the discussion on verse 21 above.

gracious gift
The word translated “gracious gift” here is χάρισμα (charisma), which is different from the more common Greek word for gift, δῶρον (dōron). To distinguish χάρισμα (charisma), many translations use “free gift.” However, this is redundant because a gift is already free by nature. Thus, this translation renders it as “gracious gift.” Additionally, this helps to emphasize the connection to Greek root words for grace. Particularly in contexts which already tie gifts to grace, this helps demonstrate the theology of the text to the reader which is present lexically in the text. In contexts that do not have to do with the grace of God, other translations are used for the same word (e.g., Rom 1:11). Here, the translation as “gracious gift” preserves the distinction between terms and properly emphasizes the grace of God in giving eternal life through Christ to sinners who rightly deserve death as their wages for sin.