Romans 5:6 kjv
For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
Romans 5:6 nkjv
For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
Romans 5:6 niv
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.
Romans 5:6 esv
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
Romans 5:6 nlt
When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.
Romans 5 6 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Romans 5:6 | While we were still weak, Christ died for the ungodly. | Main verse |
| Romans 5:8 | but God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. | Parallel concept: sinners |
| John 3:16 | For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. | God's love as motivation |
| Galatians 4:4 | But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, | Timing of Christ's advent |
| 1 Corinthians 15:3 | that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, | Death for sins |
| 1 Peter 3:18 | For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit. | Righteous for unrighteous |
| Titus 3:5 | he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, | Salvation not by works |
| Ephesians 2:1 | And you were dead in the trespasses and sins | Spiritual deadness |
| Colossians 1:21 | And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind because of evil deeds, | Hostile mind toward God |
| Hebrews 7:26 | For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. | Christ's sinlessness |
| Isaiah 53:6 | All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—each of us—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. | Humanity's straying |
| Romans 1:29-31 | filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. | Description of ungodliness |
| Acts 2:23 | this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of godless men. | God's plan, human action |
| 2 Corinthians 5:21 | For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. | Exchange on the cross |
| John 15:13 | Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. | Demonstration of love |
| Romans 4:5 | But to the one who does not work, but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness. | Justification of the ungodly |
| Ephesians 5:2 | and walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. | Christ's sacrifice |
| 1 John 4:9-10 | By this the love of God was manifested in us: God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be propitiation for our sins. | Manifestation of love |
| Revelation 13:8 | and the inhabitants of heaven would worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain. | Lamb slain from foundation |
| Philippians 2:7-8 | rather, he emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, by being made in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. | Humility and obedience |
| Matthew 20:28 | just as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. | Giving life as a ransom |
Romans 5 verses
Romans 5 6 Meaning
While we were still weak, Christ died for the ungodly. This verse establishes the timing and the object of Christ's death: it happened at the appointed time when humanity was spiritually powerless and without devotion to God. This act demonstrated God's profound love.
Romans 5 6 Context
Romans 5 focuses on the blessings that flow from our justification by faith in Jesus Christ. Paul is explaining how Adam's sin brought condemnation to all humanity, but how Christ's righteous act brings life and reconciliation to those who believe. Verse 6 is part of the contrast Paul draws between Adam and Christ, showing that even while humanity was in a state of weakness and ungodliness, Christ's death occurred, powerfully demonstrating God's love and paving the way for reconciliation. This chapter aims to assure believers of the security and abundance of God's grace through Christ.
Romans 5 6 Word Analysis
- Ὅτε (hóte): "When." This temporal adverb links the statement to a specific time, highlighting the situation of humanity.
- ἦμεν (ēmen): "We were." This is the imperfect indicative of εἰμί (eimi), "to be." The imperfect tense emphasizes a continuous state or condition in the past.
- ἀσθενεῖς (astheneîs): "Weak." In this context, it refers to spiritual powerlessness and inability to please God or save oneself. It's the opposite of strength in righteousness. The plural form agrees with "we."
- In a broader biblical sense, weakness often describes the state of being susceptible to sin and death, lacking the inherent strength to overcome it. The Fall of Man in Genesis illustrates this pervasive weakness.
- ἔτι (éti): "Still" or "yet." This intensifies the preceding state of weakness, meaning "while we were still in this condition."
- Χριστός (Christós): "Christ." The Anointed One, Jesus.
- ὑπὲρ (hypér): "For" or "on behalf of." This preposition signifies substitution or representation. Christ died for us.
- The concept of "for" in sacrifice often implies substitutionary atonement.
- ἀσεβῶν (asebôn): "Ungodly" or "impious." This refers to those who lack reverence for God, who do not acknowledge or worship Him. It encompasses not just atheism but a lifestyle opposed to God's will. The genitive plural agrees with "Christ."
- The Hebrew concept of rasha (wicked, ungodly) in the Old Testament conveys a similar meaning of active rebellion against God's ways. Ungodliness is fundamentally a relational issue, a defiance of the Creator.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "While we were still weak, Christ died for the ungodly."
- This phrase captures a profound paradox of the gospel: divine intervention occurred precisely when humanity was at its lowest and most undeserving point.
- The "weakness" implies an inability to initiate or achieve salvation, underscoring human helplessness apart from God's grace.
- The "ungodly" emphasizes the complete absence of merit and the hostility or indifference towards God that characterized humanity.
Romans 5 6 Bonus Section
The Greek word translated as "ungodly" (ἀσεβῶν - asebōn) describes someone who actively opposes God or shows irreverence towards Him. This is more than passive godlessness; it implies a life lived in defiance of divine authority. The contrast here with Christ, the ultimate embodiment of godliness and obedience, is stark. The immutability of God's love is such that it predates and overcomes human ungodliness. This aligns with the Old Testament concept of God’s covenant faithfulness even when His people failed. The fact that Christ died "for the ungodly" means that the basis of our reconciliation is purely God's sovereign will and immense love, not our transformation beforehand. It positions Christ as the savior of the lost and the powerless, a central theme in the Gospels.
Romans 5 6 Commentary
This verse is a foundational statement in Christian theology, articulating the substitutionary and redemptive nature of Christ's death. It highlights the initiative of God's love, demonstrating that salvation is a unilateral act of grace bestowed upon the undeserving. It underscores that God's plan of redemption was set in motion not in response to human merit, but during humanity's period of absolute spiritual incapacity and rebellion. This salvific act is the ultimate proof of God's immense love.
Practical Application: This truth should lead to deep gratitude, humility, and assurance of salvation, freeing believers from relying on their own efforts for acceptance by God. It also motivates believers to extend compassion and the message of the gospel to others, recognizing that all are inherently in a state of "weakness" and "ungodliness" until they are reconciled through Christ.