What's the big deal about those Greek verbs?

“What’s the big deal about those Greek verbs?”

ROM 6:1
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase?

Grace and sin draw human beings in COMPLETELY OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS!

As believers in Christ we CANNOT continue headlong at full speed in the direction of sin and death.

Believers, born of God, do not keep on habitually sinning. They do not continuously practice sin.

On that cross, Christ’s death to sin was your death to sin. The old relationship that you had to sin - that’s over.

Your servitude to sin is over.

Not only has God forgiven you of all your sins.

You are also freed from sin as your master.

Prepositions last week, verbs tonight.

Getting the verb right can mean the difference between deep inner peace and constant inner turmoil.

ROM 6:2
God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
KJV

ROM 6:2
May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?
NASU

We that are dead to sin

versus

We who died to sin

One is describing a present condition in progress, while the other is stating a past action as a complete whole.

Now this takes on a real significance when we are talking about our relationship to sin!

ROM 6:6
Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him,
KJV

ROM 6:6
knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him,
NASU

ROM 6:8
Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
KJV

ROM 6:8
Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,
NASU

The Greek verb for “died” is
the aorist active indicative

the aorist active indicative of

apothnesko

to die off (literally or figuratively):

to have no part in

to become wholly alienated from a thing, and freed from all connection with it

The aorist tense means “this happened”.

Verse 2: We died to sin - aorist tense
Verse 6: Our old man was crucified with Him - aorist tense