Romans 14:9 - Exposition

For to this end Christ both died and lived (so certainly, rather than, as in the Textus Receptus, died, and rose, and revived. His living means here his entering on the heavenly life after the human death), that he might be Lord both of the dead and living . "Nam mortem pro salute nostra obeundo dominium sibi acquisivit quod nec morte solveretur; resurgendo autem totam vitam nostram in peculium accepit; morte igitur et resurrectione sua promeritus est ut tam in morte quam in vita gloriae nominis ejus serviamus" (Calvin). For the idea of this whole passage ( Romans 14:7-9 ), cf. 1 Corinthians 6:20 ; 1 Corinthians 7:23 ; 2 Corinthians 5:15 .

The apostle now returns to his immediate subject, warning (as in 2 Corinthians 5:3 ) the one party against judging and the other against despising, on the ground of all alike having to abide hereafter the Divine judgment (cf. Matthew 7:1 , seq.; 1 Corinthians 4:3 , 1 Corinthians 4:5 ). The distinction in 2 Corinthians 5:10 between the two parties, marked in the original by the initial σὺ δὲ and the following ἢ καὶ σὺ , is somewhat lost in our Authorized Version.