Now, if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall live also together with Christ.
ει δε απεθανομεν συν χριστω πιστευομεν οτι και συζησομεν αυτω
8 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Thus, after requiring such lofty philosophy from us, the Apostle immediately points to the reward, saying: "If we died with Christ." Although communion with the Master, even before every other reward, is already in itself the greatest crown, still, besides it, the Apostle says, I offer you another reward. What is it? Eternal life. "We believe," he says, "that we shall also live with Him." From what is this evident? (Rom 6:9).
Here there seems to be a repetition of what was said, but in fact there is none. Above the Apostle said that we must always remain dead to sin. Now he speaks of the resurrection of new life according to God, which we must always possess.
So also we, who died with Christ in Baptism, believe that we shall also live with Christ, both here and there. Here we live with Him by our manner of life, and there by the best reward for our life.
Those who have crucified the flesh, that is, the world with its vices and desires, die to the world and die with Christ. They partake of eternal and saving life and deserve to become like Christ in His glory. Yet the flesh, that is, the body, is crucified in this way: its desires, which remain in it because of the first man's original sin, are trampled down. For in the body the devil is crucified, the very one who deceives us through the flesh. The body is sometimes understood as the world, sometimes as the body of man, and sometimes as the soul that seeks bodily vices.
Therefore we also, having been buried with Christ, must be dead to sin and await resurrection. Then the Apostle presents the example once more.
Having explained, as applied to us, the likeness of Christ's death, the Apostle then turns to the likeness of Christ's Resurrection. The crucified Christ rose from the dead to the glory of His Father. Yet "having been raised from the dead, He dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death He died, He died to sin once," that is, for human sin. "But the life He lives, He lives to God," that is, now eternally, to the glory of God (Rom 6:9-10).
So Christians also, as though rising when they come forth from the font of baptism, must begin to "walk in newness of life." They must see that "sin should not reign in their mortal body, that they should obey it in its lusts" (Rom 6:12).
To allow this reign would mean returning again to the realm of corruption and death. Yet death no longer has dominion over Christ's members. Therefore it must not have dominion over the members of Christians.
Thus the Apostle brings everything to this point. Justifying faith in Jesus Christ must not dispose one to self-will and sinful carelessness. On the contrary, it must dispose one to a holy and Christ-loving life. For as Christ "lives to God," that is, to the glory of His Father, so Christians must "present themselves to God as being alive from the dead, and their members to God as instruments of righteousness" (Rom 6:13).
Concerning the resurrection spoken of here and earlier in verse 5, one must note the following. Although by the course of the Apostle’s discourse he seems to be speaking about how we must live after baptism, namely by fleeing sin and being zealous for righteousness, one can also see here an indication of the future resurrection.
Its prefiguration is laid in regeneration, which is resurrection in the spirit. In the brightness of the future resurrection, the Apostle points to a motive for the brightness and purity of life here.
He speaks as if to say: We died with Christ in baptism, and we shall surely rise with Him. See, then, that you preserve yourself after baptism, so that you may rise in glory.
According to blessed Theophylact, “we shall be sharers of the resurrection, as those who have shown the resurrection that consists in good works.”
Rising together with Christ is of course only an encouragement, but it is founded on the fact that Christ, having died and risen, will no longer die. He will live forever with the Father, sharing His glory and ordering the gracious Kingdom with full authority in heaven and on earth.
We also have died to sin, and therefore there is no second baptism for us. Consequently, only one thing remains: to hold fast to sinlessness and dedicate our life to God. Then we shall undoubtedly rise together with Christ.
For this truly to take place, it is first of all necessary to remember two things. First, we are dead to sin. Second, we must live only for God, since we have been grown together with Him, and in Him is all the hope of our salvation through Jesus Christ.
What is said here is similar to what is said in Rom 6:5. There it seemed more in keeping with the course of the discourse to understand the resurrection as resurrection, or spiritual regeneration. Here also it seems not inappropriate to understand by life with Christ the Lord a new life in His Spirit and by His grace.
Yet there all our interpreters referred the Apostle’s speech to the future glorious resurrection. Here one of them, blessed Theophylact, sees an indication of spiritual resurrection, or being made alive to new life according to God.
He writes: “Above the Apostle said that we must always remain dead to sin. Now he reasons about resurrection to new life according to God, which we must always possess. If through baptism we died with Christ, then we believe that we shall always have present in us the resurrection which consists in new life. For Christ also, having risen from the dead, lives always and will die no more.”
Agreeing with this interpretation, we shall take the word “we believe” as “let us believe,” seeing in it an exhortation, counsel, and instruction (see Oecumenius). In the words “that we shall also live with Him,” we shall see either an obligation or an encouragement.
In the words of blessed Theophylact, the first is contained, that we must always possess new life. But the second also appears, that we believe we shall always have resurrection present in us.
If we have died with Christ, having received hatred of sin and love of righteousness, then let us believe, and let us hold the conviction, that henceforth we must live with Him who is risen. We must walk in newness of life, in brightness and purity corresponding to the brightness of the risen Lord.
Thus the obligation is expressed. The encouragement may be expressed thus: if we have died with Christ, let us believe that we shall be able hereafter to live with Him. We shall be able to live so as to please Him, walking blamelessly in His holy will.
We shall live so because we are united with Him, living by His power, which pours from Him into us.
That such a thought may be understood here is justified by the form of expression: “and we believe that we shall also live with Him.” Let us nourish the hope that, having shared in His death, we shall not be strangers to the power of His resurrection.
Nor shall we be strangers to the firmness and constancy of the spiritual life renewed by Him in us, because of our unceasing communion with Him, who is risen and dies no more.
The occasion for such encouragement may be seen in the preceding exhortation: to be always dead to sin and not serve it, after the old man in us was crucified in baptism by the power of Christ’s death.
Having recognized his obligation to this, everyone may be shaken by perplexity: How can I do this, when I feel the assaults of sin and when the whole body of the passions has not yet been destroyed in me?
Anticipating this, the Apostle speaks as if to say: Do not be troubled. You have in yourself the power of the risen Lord, and by it you will conquer everything. You will not yield to sin or die by it, but will remain alive, always walking with the Lord and by the power of the Lord in newness of life.
Strengthen this hope in yourself by the fact that Christ, having risen, no longer dies, and death can no longer have dominion over Him. As He cannot die, so you, united with Him, will not die by sin. As death cannot have dominion over Him, so sin will not have dominion over you, because Christ is with you.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 10 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS