In verse 9 Paul affirms that the post-resurrection life of Christ is different from his former life: death has no more power over him. Paul expands the meaning of this statement in verse 10, in which he applies the significance of the death-resurrection motif to Christ, and in verse 11 to the present life of the believers. In translating the first half of verse 10, the translator must be careful not to leave the implication that Christ himself was guilty of sin before his death. Paul introduces this remark (that is, the death he died was death to sin) so that he can draw an analogy between the experience of Christ and that of the believers. What Paul is saying is that though Christ once lived in a world where sin held domination over men’s lives (though not over his own life), by death he was set free from this realm of existence. Paul also views Christ’s death from a positive aspect. Not only does death free him from the world where sin has power over men’s lives, but death is a means by which he enters into a world where he enjoys uninterrupted fellowship with God. That is the meaning of the life he now lives is life to God.
The clause death has no more power over him may be translated as “death does not command him,” “death can never in the future command him,” or “… control him.”
It is extremely difficult to translate the death he died was death to sin without implying that Christ himself had sinned. However, it is important to avoid such an implication, since it would be completely contrary to this context and to Paul’s teaching. It is sometimes possible to render this clause as “he died as far as sin is concerned,” “he died and sin had no power,” or even “there was no more power of sin against him.” By the use of “against him” one does not imply that sin had power “over him,” but simply that sin was a factor.
The phrase once and for all may be rendered as “this was true for all time,” “this is always true,” or even “he didn’t have to die again.”
The life he now lives is life to God may be rendered as “how he now lives is for God.” It is almost impossible to preserve the parallelism of death to sin and life to God.
In verse 11 Paul makes an application of all that has preceded. For the exegesis of this verse it is necessary to note several points. The phrase dead to sin must be taken with the meaning of “dead as far as the power of sin to control your lives is concerned.” Alive to God may be taken either to mean “you live your lives in order to please God” or “you live your lives in fellowship with God.” In union with Christ Jesus (so also New English Bible; literally “in Christ Jesus”) is a form of the favorite Pauline expression “in Christ.” This expression is closely related to the one used in verse 3 (there literally “into Christ Jesus”). Although the theological implications of this term are profound and theologians have spend much time discussing its meaning, the basic component of meaning is that of union (or fellowship) with Christ Jesus, and it is best to bring this meaning out in translation. In any case, for English readers, as for readers of many other languages, the literal expression “in Christ Jesus” says practically nothing.
In union with Christ Jesus may be understood as the means by which men are alive to God, that is to say, “through their union with Christ Jesus.” This phrase may, however, also express the circumstances which accompany a man’s being alive to God; or in union with Christ Jesus may be taken as explanatory of what alive to God means—for example, “alive to God, that is to say, being in union with Christ Jesus.”
Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Romans. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1973. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .