Romans 14:9

9 For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.

Romans 14:9 in Other Translations

KJV
9 For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.
ESV
9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.
NLT
9 Christ died and rose again for this very purpose—to be Lord both of the living and of the dead.
MSG
9 That's why Jesus lived and died and then lived again: so that he could be our Master across the entire range of life and death, and free us from the petty tyrannies of each other.
CSB
9 Christ died and came to life for this: that He might rule over both the dead and the living.

Romans 14:9 Meaning and Commentary

Romans 14:9

For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived,
&c.] This last word "revived" is omitted by the Vulgate Latin, but very naturally placed by the Syriac, between Christ's dying and rising. The Alexandrian copy reads, "died and lived": and the Ethiopic version, "died and revived": the end of all which was,

that he might be the Lord both of the dead and living;
that is, of believers, whether dead or alive; for though he is Lord of all, as God and Creator, yet his appearing to be Lord by his dying, rising, and living again, can only have respect to them, for whom dying he has abolished death, and destroyed Satan; whom he has redeemed from sin, and delivered from this present evil world; and so having freed them from those other lords which had the dominion over them, shows himself to be their one and only Lord: and by rising again from the dead, ascending to heaven, and sitting at the right hand of God, all creatures and things being subject to him, he is made or declared both Lord and Christ; and living again, and continuing to live for ever, he appears to have the keys of hell and death; and will open the graves, and raise from thence, and judge both quick and dead, those that will be found alive at his coming, and such as he will cause to rise from the dead then; till which time, the apostle suggests, the decision of these differences about meats and days was to be left; and in the mean time the saints were to cultivate peace and love among themselves.

Romans 14:9 In-Context

7 For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone.
8 If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.
9 For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.
10 You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister ? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.
11 It is written: “ ‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.’ ”

Cross References 2

  • 1. Revelation 1:18; Revelation 2:8
  • 2. S Acts 10:42; 2 Corinthians 5:15
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