Paul wrote that grace abounded. That is, it grew or increased. He was speaking as if someone was saying that sinning caused God to be more gracious. This is not true.
### How was someone baptized into Christ Jesus and into his death?
People who were “baptized”(βαπτίζω/g0907) by water were united with Christ. When they are baptized into his death, they are also joined with Jesus’ death in some way.
Paul wrote that a Christian is buried with Jesus. This is a metaphor. He wanted people to know that they did not need to live in the same way the used to live before believing in Jesus.
Paul wrote about being united with Jesus. Here, he was speaking about people were identified with Jesus. That is, people would know they believe in Jesus and followed him
Paul wrote about the body of sin. He was writing about someone being controlled by their sin. That is, they sinned because they wanted to sin.
See: Romans 8:10; Ephesians 4:22
### How was something destroyed?
Paul wrote about something being “destroyed”(καταργέω/g2673). It lost its power (see: Romans 3:3; Galatians 3:17). Α person was no longer controlled by their desire to sin.
Paul wrote that Christians will live together with Jesus. Some scholars think Paul was writing about Christians being resurrected to be with Jesus (see: 1 Thessalonians 4:17). Other scholars think Christians already live together with Jesus. This is a metaphor. They are now joined together with Jesus and have the Holy Spirit living in them (see: Galatians 2:20).
See: John 14:19; Colossians 3:3-4; 2 Timothy 2:11-12
See: Romans 12:4a; 1 Corinthians 12:12a; James 3:6; Matthew 5:29-30
### What was a tool?
A tool was something that was used to help someone do something. Paul did not want sin to use Christians.This is a metaphor. If Christians allowed sin to use them, then sin could use a person to do evil things.
Someone who obeyed from the heart obeyed God’s command to believe the gospel.
See: Acts 6:7; Romans 1:5; 2 Thessalonians 1:8
See: Heart (metaphor); Gospel
### What was a pattern of teaching?
Paul wrote about a pattern of teaching. He was writing about certain things Christians taught. The Roman Christians knew these things.
See: 2 Timothy 1:13
### How was someone made free from sin?
Paul continued the metaphor of slavery. The term “made free”(ἐλευθερόω/g1659) was the normal term for freeing a slave from his master. Now Christians were freed from their old master, sin, and have become slaves of God. They do not need to sin and can now live in a way that honors God.
See: John 8:32; 1 Corinthians 7:21-23; Galatians 5:1; 1 Peter 2:16
Paul wrote that people were free from righteousness. Non-Christians are free from righteousness. That is, non-Christians do not live in a way that honors God. They cannot do things that honor God.
### What was the fruit people had before they believe in Jesus?
In the Bible, people often spoke about doing good things as if they were fruit. Here, Paul was writing about evil things people did as if they were fruit.
See: Matthew 3:8; 7:15-20; Galatians 5:22; Ephesians 5:9; Philippians 1:11
Wages were the money people earned because they worked (see: Luke 3:14). Paul wrote about people earning something because they sinned. That is, a person deserves to be punished because they sinned.
See: Matthew 25:46; 2 Corinthians 5:10; James 1:17
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