Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

Romans 5:6

εἴ γε. “Si quidem, 2 Corinthians 5:3 (v. l.); Ephesians 3:2; Ephesians 4:21; Colossians 1:23 (classical),” Blass, p. 261. = if, as you will not dispute.

The connexion seems to be this: Christ’s death for us when we were still outside the operation of the Spirit is such an overwhelming proof of GOD’S love, that it must surely justify all the confidence we can put in it, now that by the indwelling of the Spirit it is a vital power within us. The connexion of these sentences is obscure: it is perhaps best to take εἴ γε … ἀπέθανεν as protasis, μόλις γὰρ … ἀπέθανεν (8) as parenthesis; πολλῷ οὖν (9) picks up the apodosis: then Romans 5:10 in a very characteristic way repeats the main thought in a parallel pair of antithetic clauses. The whole 6–10 incl. is an expansion of Romans 5:5 b.

ἀσθενῶν, having ‘no power of ourselves to help ourselves.’ The word is specially chosen to mark the contrast with the new power which is in the Christian: not used quite in this way elsewhere.

ἔτι, with ὄντων, cf. Romans 5:8, A.V., R.V. But ἔτι almost invariably precedes the word it qualifies, except with negatives (e.g. Revelation 8:13) or rarely when it has special emphasis. So better here with κατὰ καιρὸν, ‘while there was yet opportunity,’ before the case was hopeless. The rhythm of the sentence points the same way.

ἀσεβῶν marks not the weakness, but the relation to GOD.

Continues after advertising

BibliaPlus

Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

Romans 5:6

Old Testament

New Testament