Romans 6 — Clausal Layout (English)

independentparticipialrelativepurposecausecomparativecontentconditionalphrase modifierdashed = verbless / suspended

Flush-left = a main (independent) clause. Each dependent line begins directly beneath the word it attaches to in the line above — the anchor word is dotted-underlined, and lights up when you hover its dependent clause; each tag also names the attachment. A dashed border marks verbless, elliptical, or suspended lines. Where a long sentence's staircase runs wider than the page, the diagram scrolls sideways. (In print, or without JavaScript, lines fall back to stepped indent columns.)

The diatribe — shall we remain in sin? 6:1–2

What then shall we say?independent — the diatribe formula — the objection to 5:20 opens

Shall we continue in sin,independent — deliberative subjunctive — the objector's proposal

that grace may increase?purpose — the perverse logic — grace abounding (5:20) as license

By no means!independent — the recoil

We who died to sin —relative — fronted relative — 'the very ones who died'; leans on the question below

how shall we still live in it?independent — the rebuttal question — death and continued living cannot mix

Buried and raised with Christ 6:3–11

vv. 3–5 — baptized into his death, united in his resurrection

Or do you not knowindependent — the appeal to shared knowledge

that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?content — content — baptism into Christ is baptism into his death

We were buried therefore with him through baptism into death,independent — the first σύν-compound — co-burial, the inference drawn

so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father,comparative — ἵνα opens here, but the ὥσπερ comparison leans forward on περιπατήσωμεν below

so we too might walk in newness of life.purpose — the ἵνα clause's verb — burial aimed at new walking

For if we have been united with him in the likeness of his death,conditional — protasis — leans on the apodosis below; τῷ ὁμοιώματι read with σύμφυτοι

we shall certainly also be united with him in his resurrection;independent — apodosis — ἀλλὰ καί emphatic; elliptical, supplying σύμφυτοι τῷ ὁμοιώματι

vv. 6–7 — the old man crucified; death discharges

knowing this,participial — causal — the confidence grounded in what we know

that our old man was crucified with him,content — the second σύν-compound — the old self co-crucified

so that the body of sin might be rendered powerless,purpose — the crucifixion's design — the body as sin's instrument disabled

that we should no longer be enslaved to sin;purpose — τοῦ + infinitive — the further end: slavery ended

for the one who has died has been justified from sin.cause — the maxim — death discharges sin's claim (forensic δεδικαίωται)

vv. 8–10 — alive with Christ, who dies no more

Now if we died with Christ,conditional — protasis — leans on πιστεύομεν below

we believeindependent — apodosis — the creed-like verb

that we will also live with him,content — the third σύν-compound — co-living, future

knowingparticipial — causal — the belief's warrant

that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more;content — content — the resurrection irreversible

death no longer has dominion over him.content — asyndetic second content clause — death dethroned

For the death he died, he died to sin once for all;cause — ὃ accusative of respect — the ἐφάπαξ death

but the life he lives, he lives to God.cause — the antithesis pair completed — life Godward

v. 11 — the reckoning: apply it

So you also — reckonindependent — the application — the chapter's first imperative

yourselves to be dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.content — accusative + infinitive — Christ's μέν/δέ (v. 10) now yours

The presentation imperatives 6:12–14

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal bodyindependent — the prohibition — sin the deposed king

to make you obey its desires.purpose — εἰς τό + infinitive — the reign's issue; αὐτοῦ = the body's desires

Do not go on presenting your members to sin as weapons of unrighteousness,independent — present prohibition — stop the ongoing surrender of your members

but present yourselves to God as alive from the dead,independent — aorist imperative — the decisive counter-presentation

and your members to God as weapons of righteousness.phrase modifier — second object — παραστήσατε carried over; the members re-armed

For sin will not have dominion over you,cause — the promise grounding the command — future indicative, not imperative

for you are not under law but under grace.cause — the deeper ground — the regime change

The second diatribe — slaves of sin or of righteousness 6:15–23

vv. 15–16 — shall we sin? slavery follows obedience

What then?independent — the diatribe returns — verbless

Shall we sin,independent — deliberative subjunctive — the objection to v. 14

because we are not under law but under grace?cause — ὅτι-causal — v. 14b turned into a pretext

By no means!independent — the recoil

Do you not knowindependent — the appeal to shared knowledge, again

that to whomever you present yourselves as obedient servants, you are slaves of the one you obey —content — content — the fronted ᾧ-relative kept inside: presentation makes ownership

whether of sin, leading to death, or of obedience, leading to righteousness?phrase modifier — the disjunction — only two masters, two destinations

vv. 17–19 — the transfer: from sin's slavery to righteousness'

But thanks be to God:independent — verbless thanksgiving — the transfer already happened

that you were slaves of sin —content — the ὅτι's concessive first limb — 'though you were'

but you obeyed from the heart the pattern of teaching to which you were handed over,content — the real object of thanks; τύπον incorporated into the relative — you handed over to it

and, having been freed from sin,participial — the participle leans forward on its finite verb below

you were enslaved to righteousness.content — the thanksgiving's climax — freedom as a change of masters

I am speaking in human terms, because of the weakness of your flesh.independent — the aside — the slave metaphor excused

For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, leading to more lawlessness,comparative — forward-leaning comparative — over the imperative below

so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, leading to sanctification.independent — the imperative — the old presentation matched and reversed

vv. 20–23 — the two harvests: death, or eternal life

For when you were slaves of sin,relative — ὅτε-temporal — leans on the main clause below

you were free with respect to righteousness.cause — the ironic 'freedom' — righteousness had no claim on you; grounds the imperative

So what fruit were you getting thenindependent — the pointed question — the old slavery's harvest

from the things of which you are now ashamed?relative — suppressed antecedent — the relative kept inside the question

For the end of those things is death.cause — the verbless answer — that fruit ripens into death

But now,independent — the turn of the ages — suspended over the participle pair

having been freed from sinparticipial — the transfer restated — leans forward on ἔχετε

and having been enslaved to God,participial — now to God himself, not only righteousness — leans forward on ἔχετε

you have your fruit, leading to sanctification,independent — the main verb — v. 21's fruitless question answered

and the end — eternal life.phrase modifier — elliptical second object of ἔχετε — the τέλος reversed from v. 21

For the wages of sin is death,cause — the wages — ὀψώνια, a soldier's earned pay

but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.cause — the gift — χάρισμα, never a wage; the chapter's verbless seal

Analysis. Romans 6 opens and closes on the diatribe, and the layout shows the two hinges as matching flush-left purple bursts: Τί οὖν ἐροῦμεν; ἐπιμένωμεν; (vv. 1–2) and Τί οὖν; ἁμαρτήσωμεν; (v. 15), each recoiling into μὴ γένοιτο. Between them the argument breathes in two long dependent chains. In vv. 3–11 the union argument hangs from verbs of knowing — ἀγνοεῖτε, γινώσκοντες, εἰδότες — each carrying blue content lines, and the whole passage is stitched by lines that lean forward on what follows: the olive protases of vv. 5 and 8 above their apodoses, and the pink ὥσπερ comparison of v. 4 suspended inside its own ἵνα clause, one column deeper than the οὕτως purpose line it waits for. The same forward lean returns in the second half: the ὥσπερ of v. 19 hangs over its imperative οὕτως νῦν παραστήσατε, the ὅτε-temporal of v. 20 over its ironic main clause, and the paired participles ἐλευθερωθέντες/δουλωθέντες (vv. 18, 22) over the finite verbs they precede — so the eye keeps being pitched down-and-left onto the point. The imperatives sit on the margin (λογίζεσθε, Μὴ βασιλευέτω, μηδὲ παριστάνετε / ἀλλὰ παραστήσατε, παραστήσατε), and the chapter ends in two dashed verbless red lines — wages against gift. Interpretive choices the layout takes a side on: in v. 5 τῷ ὁμοιώματι is read with σύμφυτοι ('united with him in the likeness of his death') and the apodosis as elliptical, supplying σύμφυτοι τῷ ὁμοιώματι before τῆς ἀναστάσεως; ὃ in v. 10 is an accusative of respect ('the death he died… the life he lives'); αὐτοῦ in v. 12 refers to the body's desires; in v. 17 the τύπος διδαχῆς is the incorporated antecedent of the relative — you were handed over to the pattern, not it to you; and v. 21's question mark is kept after ἐπαισχύνεσθε, so the relative clause belongs inside the question rather than beginning the answer.