Romans 6 4

Romans 6:4 kjv

Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Romans 6:4 nkjv

Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Romans 6:4 niv

We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

Romans 6:4 esv

We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

Romans 6:4 nlt

For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.

Romans 6 verses

Romans 6 4 Meaning

Romans 6:4 articulates the profound spiritual reality that believers, through their identification with Christ in baptism, are united with Him in His death and burial. This symbolic burial signifies the complete cessation of their old, sinful life. The ultimate purpose of this spiritual burial and death is for them to experience a new resurrection life, mirroring Christ's resurrection from the dead, which was accomplished by the magnificent power and divine nature ("glory") of God the Father. Consequently, this new life is meant to be walked out practically in a qualitatively new pattern of existence.

Romans 6 4 Context

Romans chapter 6 opens with Paul directly addressing a potential antinomian misunderstanding of his teaching on grace. Having established in chapters 3-5 that salvation is by grace through faith, and that where sin increased, grace abounded all the more (Rom 5:20), Paul anticipates the logical question: "Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase?" (Rom 6:1). His emphatic rejection, "By no means!" (Rom 6:2), sets the stage for the theological explanation that follows. Verses 2-3 highlight that believers have "died to sin" through their baptism into Christ, specifically into His death. Therefore, verse 4 functions as the logical continuation and purpose (implied by "therefore" and the subsequent "in order that") of this baptismal identification, extending it from Christ's death to His burial and, crucially, to His resurrection as the paradigm for the believer's new life. Historically, this passage speaks to both Jewish Christians struggling with adherence to the Law and Gentile Christians who might revert to former pagan licentiousness, firmly grounding their new identity and ethical conduct in their spiritual union with Christ. The imagery of death, burial, and resurrection would have been particularly potent for an audience familiar with mystery cults and their initiations, offering a counter-narrative of a true, once-for-all spiritual transformation.

Romans 6 4 Word analysis

• Therefore (οὖν, oun): This conjunction signifies a logical conclusion or inference based on the preceding statements in Rom 6:1-3, emphasizing that the actions described in verse 4 are a direct consequence of being baptized into Christ's death.
• we were buried (συνεθάφθημεν, synethaphthemen): An aorist passive indicative verb, meaning a past, completed action that happened to us. The prefix "συν-" (syn-) means "with," highlighting a co-burial. It signifies a complete and final break from the old self, akin to a funeral where the deceased is removed from sight, emphasizing the decisiveness of the believer's identification with Christ's death (Rom 6:3) and the putting away of the old life.
• with Him (σὺν αὐτῷ, syn autō): Reinforces the unbreakable union and co-participation of the believer in Christ's historical experience, specifically His burial. It emphasizes solidarity.
• through baptism (διὰ τοῦ βαπτίσματος, dia tou baptismatos): The preposition "διὰ" (dia) indicates the means or instrument by which this co-burial takes place. "Baptism" refers to the spiritual reality of identification with Christ's death and resurrection, of which water baptism is the outward sign and public declaration. It’s the ritualized symbol of the spiritual event.
• into death (εἰς τὸν θάνατον, eis ton thanaton): The preposition "εἰς" (eis) indicates the result or goal, stressing that the burial is unto or into the state of death. The old self, identified with sin, is completely given up, effectively "dead" to its former dominion.
• in order that (ἵνα, hina): This conjunction introduces a purpose clause, stating the divine intent behind the co-burial and co-death. It explains the 'why' for this spiritual reality.
• just as (ὥσπερ, hōsper): A comparative particle, introducing the parallel. It sets Christ's resurrection as the pattern or paradigm for the believer's new life.
• Christ was raised from the dead (Χριστὸς ἠγέρθη ἐκ νεκρῶν, Christos ēgerthe ek nekrōn): An aorist passive verb, indicating a completed past action. "Raised" emphasizes divine agency (God raised Him). "From the dead" (ἐκ νεκρῶν, ek nekrōn) stresses His emergence from the realm of the dead.
• by the glory of the Father (διὰ τῆς δόξης τοῦ Πατρός, dia tēs doxēs tou Patros): "διὰ" (dia) again signifies the agent or means. "Glory" (δόξα, doxa) here refers to the active manifestation of God's essential being, His power, majesty, and character. It was the full outworking of God’s nature that brought Christ forth from the grave.
• so also we (οὕτως καὶ ἡμεῖς, houtōs kai hēmeis): Completes the comparison, affirming that what happened to Christ is meant to be paralleled in the believer's experience. "οὕτως" (houtōs) means "thus, in this way."
• might walk (περιπατήσωμεν, peripatēsōmen): Aorist active subjunctive verb, indicating the intended purpose for believers. "Walk" (περιπατέω, peripatéō) is a common biblical idiom for one's daily conduct, lifestyle, or manner of living. It implies continuous, purposeful activity.
• in newness of life (ἐν καινότητι ζωῆς, en kainotēti zōēs): "Newness" (καινότης, kainotēs) denotes a fresh, qualitatively different kind of life, distinct from the old. It's not just a continuation of the old life in an improved form, but a radical transformation into a new sphere and quality of existence. "Life" (ζωῆς, zōēs) refers to spiritual, dynamic, abundant life bestowed by God.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death": This phrase captures the believer's past, decisive identification with Christ's full death experience – not just the moment of death, but the complete interment of the old self. The instrumentality of baptism, as an act of faith, connects the individual to this objective reality.
• "in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father": This highlights God's purpose for the believer, establishing Christ's resurrection as the divine pattern and standard. It emphasizes that this raising was not by Christ's own power but by the mighty manifestation of God the Father's full being, making it a powerful, supernatural event.
• "so also we might walk in newness of life": This final phrase brings the theological truth into the realm of practical, ethical living. The outcome of Christ's resurrection is that believers should now live out a distinctly transformed and qualitatively different life in their daily conduct, empowered by the same divine glory that raised Christ.

Romans 6 4 Bonus section

The "newness of life" (καινότης ζωῆς, kainotēs zōēs) described here is not simply "fresh" or "recent" (which would be another Greek word, νέος, neos), but qualitatively "new" or "different." This emphasizes a fundamental change in kind and nature, not just a chronological update. It speaks to a divine transformation of the believer's being and disposition, a shift from an old, fallen way of living to a fresh, vibrant, God-centered existence. This transformation is fueled by the same "glory of the Father" that raised Christ, underlining its divine origin and empowerment. The passage functions as a pivotal link in Romans, moving from the indicative (what is true of us in Christ) to the imperative (how we ought to live). Verse 4, along with the surrounding verses, grounds the Christian's ethical responsibilities in the deep theological reality of their union with Christ's death and resurrection. The divine "glory" here is not passive; it’s an active, operative force, often understood as the manifestation of God’s redemptive power and active presence.

Romans 6 4 Commentary

Romans 6:4 unveils the Christian's pivotal theological shift from a life under sin's dominion to a new existence empowered by God. It’s an explicit articulation of the "indicative" of the believer's union with Christ—what God has done for them. The imagery of burial profoundly stresses the finality of putting away the old life; it is decisive and complete. This spiritual reality, publicly acknowledged and depicted in water baptism, is the means through which believers participate in Christ's death. Yet, the verse doesn't stop at death; it propels into the purpose clause: resurrection. Just as Christ's resurrection, driven by the immeasurable power and full essence of the Father's "glory," demonstrated God's victory over death, so too are believers called to experience and express a life qualitatively "new." This "newness" signifies a life characterized by Christ's nature, empowered by His Spirit, and no longer yielding to sin. It demands a practical, observable walk, a transformed lifestyle that flows naturally from their transformed identity in Christ. This "newness of life" is the ongoing outworking of their resurrection reality, not merely a future hope, but a present mandate and a supernatural enabling for living righteously.Examples: A believer choosing forgiveness over vengeance (Eph 4:32); exercising self-control over indulgence (Gal 5:23); pursuing purity instead of succumbing to lust (1 Thess 4:3-5).