Romans 5:6

‘For while we were yet weak, in due season Christ died for the ungodly.'

Having briefly demonstrated the fruits of justification, Paul now comes back to its grounds. Romans 5:2 have illustrated the believers' strength through the Holy Spirit, now we are reminded of the state that they were in before that strength came as a consequence of their being accounted as righteous. They had been ‘weak', they had been ‘without strength', they had been unable to help themselves. And it was while they were in that state of weakness that, at the right time as chosen by God, Christ died for the ungodly. He did not die for those who were struggling after righteousness, or those who were looking to their own merits. He died for the ungodly (compare Romans 4:5), those who recognised their own godless state (Romans 1:18), and recognised that they could do nothing for themselves. Any hope for such people had to come from God's grace alone. And it had to come through the death of Christ.

This last fact is now accentuated in the text by the order of the Greek words, for Romans 5:6 all end with the idea of death. Thus we could translate:

· ‘In due season for the ungodly Christ died (apethanen)' (Romans 5:6).

· ‘For the good man some would even dare to die (apothanein) (Romans 5:7).

· ‘While we were yet sinners for us Christ died (apethanen)' (Romans 5:8).

The emphasis is thus being placed in these three verses on the death of Christ for us.

‘In due season.' Compare ‘the fullness of the time' (Galatians 4:4); and see Eph 1:10; 1 Timothy 2:6; Titus 1:3. The death of Christ took place at the appropriate time, which occurred once God had prepared for what He was coming to do through the prophets and had made ready those who would receive Him

‘Christ.' This is only the second use of this title on its own (compare Romans 1:16), although we have a similar emphasis in the use of ‘Christ Jesus' in Romans 3:24. The stress is on Jesus Christ as Messiah, and yet as more than Messiah (Romans 1:2; Matthew 22:42). It was His own Son, the One Whom God had appointed and sent, Who died for the ungodly.