Bible Strands
Romans 5:6
For at just the right time, while we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Paul, writing to the Roman church, moves from the Spirit's poured-out love (v. 5) to its concrete demonstration in Christ's death. The "for" (gar) ties this verse back as the proof of what v. 5 claims.
The words — ἔτι (eti, "still") appears twice in the Greek, bracketing the clause to stress that the death came at the moment of maximum human weakness, not after any improvement. ἀσθενῶν (asthenōn, "without strength") is a present participle, marking an ongoing condition rather than a one-time failure.
The thread — Ephesians 2:1 and Colossians 2:13 describe the same state as being "dead in trespasses"; Romans 5:8 restates the point with "still sinners."
Why it lands — The verse forecloses any attempt to earn the death by being better first. It asks the reader to receive a gift that was given precisely when they had nothing to offer.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
Cross-references
- Ephesians 2:1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,
- Romans 5:8 But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
- Colossians 2:13 When you were dead in your trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our trespasses,
- Titus 3:3 For at one time we too were foolish, disobedient, misled, and enslaved to all sorts of desires and pleasures—living in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.
- Romans 5:10 For if, when we were enemies of God, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life!
- Romans 4:25 He was delivered over to death for our trespasses and was raised to life for our justification.
- Titus 2:12 It instructs us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live sensible, upright, and godly lives in the present age,
- 1 Thessalonians 5:9 For God has not appointed us to suffer wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.
- Romans 4:5 However, to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness.
- Galatians 4:4 But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,