Romans 6:3An Understandable Version (2005 edition)Or, do you not know that all of us who were immersed into Christ Jesus were immersed into His death? See the chapter |
For we were all immersed by means of the one Holy Spirit into one body [i.e., the church], whether [we were] Jews or Greeks [i.e., Gentiles], whether slaves or free people, and were all given the one [and the same] Holy Spirit to drink. [Note: This probably refers to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, given to all immersed believers. See John 7:37-39; Acts 2:38].
Otherwise [i.e., if there were no resurrection], what do people accomplish by being immersed for those who have [already] died? If dead people are not raised up at all, why then are people immersed on their behalf? [Note: The foregoing rendition is the most commonly held one of over 30 interpretations given to this very difficult verse. Other possibilities are: a) “immersed in view of (being raised from) the dead,” b) “immersed in view of being dead (to sin),” c) “immersed in view of (having to suffer) death,” d) “immersed in view of (someday joining) the dead”].
Or, do you not know that evil people will not possess God’s kingdom? Do not be misled: neither will sexually immoral people, nor idolaters, nor those who are sexually unfaithful to their mates, nor homosexual perverts. [Note: The Greek uses two words here, denoting both the passive and active partners in male homosexual acts].