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
1
Τί οὖν ἐροῦμεν;independent — the diatribe formula — the objection to 5:20 opens
ἐπιμένωμεν τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ,independent — deliberative subjunctive — the objector's proposal
ἵνα ἡ χάρις πλεονάσῃ;purpose — the perverse logic — grace abounding (5:20) as license
2
μὴ γένοιτο·independent — the recoil
οἵτινες ἀπεθάνομεν τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ,relative — fronted relative — 'the very ones who died'; leans on the question below
πῶς ἔτι ζήσομεν ἐν αὐτῇ;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
3
ἢ ἀγνοεῖτεindependent — the appeal to shared knowledge
ὅτι ὅσοι ἐβαπτίσθημεν εἰς Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν εἰς τὸν θάνατον αὐτοῦ ἐβαπτίσθημεν;content — content — baptism into Christ is baptism into his death
4
συνετάφημεν οὖν αὐτῷ διὰ τοῦ βαπτίσματος εἰς τὸν θάνατον,independent — the first σύν-compound — co-burial, the inference drawn
ἵνα ὥσπερ ἠγέρθη Χριστὸς ἐκ νεκρῶν διὰ τῆς δόξης τοῦ πατρός,comparative — ἵνα opens here, but the ὥσπερ comparison leans forward on περιπατήσωμεν below
οὕτως καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐν καινότητι ζωῆς περιπατήσωμεν.purpose — the ἵνα clause's verb — burial aimed at new walking
5
εἰ γὰρ σύμφυτοι γεγόναμεν τῷ ὁμοιώματι τοῦ θανάτου αὐτοῦ,conditional — protasis — leans on the apodosis below; τῷ ὁμοιώματι read with σύμφυτοι
ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως ἐσόμεθα·independent — apodosis — ἀλλὰ καί emphatic; elliptical, supplying σύμφυτοι τῷ ὁμοιώματι
vv. 6–7 — the old man crucified; death discharges
6
τοῦτο γινώσκοντεςparticipial — causal — the confidence grounded in what we know
ὅτι ὁ παλαιὸς ἡμῶν ἄνθρωπος συνεσταυρώθη,content — the second σύν-compound — the old self co-crucified
ἵνα καταργηθῇ τὸ σῶμα τῆς ἁμαρτίας,purpose — the crucifixion's design — the body as sin's instrument disabled
τοῦ μηκέτι δουλεύειν ἡμᾶς τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ·purpose — τοῦ + infinitive — the further end: slavery ended
7
ὁ γὰρ ἀποθανὼν δεδικαίωται ἀπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας.cause — the maxim — death discharges sin's claim (forensic δεδικαίωται)
vv. 8–10 — alive with Christ, who dies no more
8
εἰ δὲ ἀπεθάνομεν σὺν Χριστῷ,conditional — protasis — leans on πιστεύομεν below
πιστεύομενindependent — apodosis — the creed-like verb
ὅτι καὶ συζήσομεν αὐτῷ·content — the third σύν-compound — co-living, future
9
εἰδότεςparticipial — causal — the belief's warrant
ὅτι Χριστὸς ἐγερθεὶς ἐκ νεκρῶν οὐκέτι ἀποθνῄσκει,content — content — the resurrection irreversible
θάνατος αὐτοῦ οὐκέτι κυριεύει·content — asyndetic second content clause — death dethroned
10
ὃ γὰρ ἀπέθανεν, τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ ἀπέθανεν ἐφάπαξ·cause — ὃ accusative of respect — the ἐφάπαξ death
ὃ δὲ ζῇ, ζῇ τῷ θεῷ.cause — the antithesis pair completed — life Godward
v. 11 — the reckoning: apply it
11
οὕτως καὶ ὑμεῖς λογίζεσθεindependent — the application — the chapter's first imperative
ἑαυτοὺς εἶναι νεκροὺς μὲν τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ ζῶντας δὲ τῷ θεῷ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ.content — accusative + infinitive — Christ's μέν/δέ (v. 10) now yours
The presentation imperatives 6:12–14
12
Μὴ οὖν βασιλευέτω ἡ ἁμαρτία ἐν τῷ θνητῷ ὑμῶν σώματιindependent — the prohibition — sin the deposed king
εἰς τὸ ὑπακούειν ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις αὐτοῦ,purpose — εἰς τό + infinitive — the reign's issue; αὐτοῦ = the body's desires
13
μηδὲ παριστάνετε τὰ μέλη ὑμῶν ὅπλα ἀδικίας τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ,independent — present prohibition — stop the ongoing surrender of your members
ἀλλὰ παραστήσατε ἑαυτοὺς τῷ θεῷ ὡσεὶ ἐκ νεκρῶν ζῶνταςindependent — aorist imperative — the decisive counter-presentation
καὶ τὰ μέλη ὑμῶν ὅπλα δικαιοσύνης τῷ θεῷ.phrase modifier — second object — παραστήσατε carried over; the members re-armed
14
ἁμαρτία γὰρ ὑμῶν οὐ κυριεύσει,cause — the promise grounding the command — future indicative, not imperative
οὐ γάρ ἐστε ὑπὸ νόμον ἀλλὰ ὑπὸ χάριν.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
15
Τί οὖν;independent — the diatribe returns — verbless
ἁμαρτήσωμενindependent — deliberative subjunctive — the objection to v. 14
ὅτι οὐκ ἐσμὲν ὑπὸ νόμον ἀλλὰ ὑπὸ χάριν;cause — ὅτι-causal — v. 14b turned into a pretext
μὴ γένοιτο.independent — the recoil
16
οὐκ οἴδατεindependent — the appeal to shared knowledge, again
ὅτι ᾧ παριστάνετε ἑαυτοὺς δούλους εἰς ὑπακοήν, δοῦλοί ἐστε ᾧ ὑπακούετε,content — content — the fronted ᾧ-relative kept inside: presentation makes ownership
ἤτοι ἁμαρτίας εἰς θάνατον ἢ ὑπακοῆς εἰς δικαιοσύνην;phrase modifier — the disjunction — only two masters, two destinations
vv. 17–19 — the transfer: from sin's slavery to righteousness'
17
χάρις δὲ τῷ θεῷindependent — verbless thanksgiving — the transfer already happened
ὅτι ἦτε δοῦλοι τῆς ἁμαρτίαςcontent — the ὅτι's concessive first limb — 'though you were'
ὑπηκούσατε δὲ ἐκ καρδίας εἰς ὃν παρεδόθητε τύπον διδαχῆς,content — the real object of thanks; τύπον incorporated into the relative — you handed over to it
18
ἐλευθερωθέντες δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίαςparticipial — the participle leans forward on its finite verb below
ἐδουλώθητε τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ·content — the thanksgiving's climax — freedom as a change of masters
19
ἀνθρώπινον λέγω διὰ τὴν ἀσθένειαν τῆς σαρκὸς ὑμῶν·independent — the aside — the slave metaphor excused
ὥσπερ γὰρ παρεστήσατε τὰ μέλη ὑμῶν δοῦλα τῇ ἀκαθαρσίᾳ καὶ τῇ ἀνομίᾳ εἰς τὴν ἀνομίαν,comparative — forward-leaning comparative — over the imperative below
οὕτως νῦν παραστήσατε τὰ μέλη ὑμῶν δοῦλα τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ εἰς ἁγιασμόν.independent — the imperative — the old presentation matched and reversed
vv. 20–23 — the two harvests: death, or eternal life
20
ὅτε γὰρ δοῦλοι ἦτε τῆς ἁμαρτίας,relative — ὅτε-temporal — leans on the main clause below
ἐλεύθεροι ἦτε τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ.cause — the ironic 'freedom' — righteousness had no claim on you; grounds the imperative
21
τίνα οὖν καρπὸν εἴχετε τότεindependent — the pointed question — the old slavery's harvest
ἐφ' οἷς νῦν ἐπαισχύνεσθε;relative — suppressed antecedent — the relative kept inside the question
τὸ γὰρ τέλος ἐκείνων θάνατος.cause — the verbless answer — that fruit ripens into death
22
νυνὶ δέ,independent — the turn of the ages — suspended over the participle pair
ἐλευθερωθέντες ἀπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίαςparticipial — the transfer restated — leans forward on ἔχετε
δουλωθέντες δὲ τῷ θεῷ,participial — now to God himself, not only righteousness — leans forward on ἔχετε
ἔχετε τὸν καρπὸν ὑμῶν εἰς ἁγιασμόν,independent — the main verb — v. 21's fruitless question answered
τὸ δὲ τέλος ζωὴν αἰώνιον.phrase modifier — elliptical second object of ἔχετε — the τέλος reversed from v. 21
23
τὰ γὰρ ὀψώνια τῆς ἁμαρτίας θάνατος,cause — the wages — ὀψώνια, a soldier's earned pay
τὸ δὲ χάρισμα τοῦ θεοῦ ζωὴ αἰώνιος ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ κυρίῳ ἡμῶν.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.