Romans 5:6

For when. Paul proceeds to give further evidence that the Christian’s hope, based on God’s love, cannot fail. He describes the surpassing greatness of that love as revealed by the fact that Christ died for us while we were still in our helpless and ungodly state.

Without strength. Or, “weak,” “helpless.” Paul is speaking of the helpless condition explained in the previous chapters. In the Greek the word used here is frequently applied to those who are physically sick and feeble (see Matthew 25:39; Luke 10:9; Acts 5:15). It is translated “impotent,” a not unsuitable description of the condition of a sinner before his acceptance of the saving grace and power of God. Paul’s reference to the impotence and helplessness of the unregenerate sinner stands in contrast to his picture of the justified believer, now rejoicing as he grows stronger in hope, in endurance, in character, and in the assurance of God’s love.

In due time. Or, “at the right time,” “at the fitting time.” This is essentially the same as “the fulness of the time” (Galatians 4:4; cf. Mark 1:15). For thousands of years the experiment of obtaining righteousness by works had been allowed to run its course. But the most zealous legalists among the Jews and the most enlightened intellectuals among the Greeks and Romans had failed to devise any scheme that could cure the world’s maladies and save man from sin and death. On the contrary, sin and degradation had brought men to the lowest depth when Jesus came to this earth. In some instances men and women had given themselves wholly over to the control of Satan, and the very stamp of demons was impressed on their countenances. Thus it was clearly demonstrated to the universe that, apart from God, humanity could never be restored. Unless some new element of life and power should be imparted by the Creator, there was no hope of man’s being saved (see DA 36, 37). It was at this decisive moment that Jesus came to die for the ungodly.

This was also the fitting time, in that it was the time foretold by the prophet Daniel for the Messiah to die (Daniel 9:24-27; cf. John 13:1; 17:1).

It was also the right time, in that conditions in the world had prepared the hearts of many to receive with gladness the good news of the gospel. All over the world were men and women who had grown weary of the endless and empty ritual of legalistic religion and were longing for release from sin and its power. Moreover, in the providence of God the world was then united under one government, one language was widely spoken, and the Jewish people had been dispersed among the nations, thus making possible the rapid spread of the news of salvation.

Thus Christ came, and died, when the world needed Him most, at the time predicted, and at the time when His sacrifice could best fulfill its purpose of revealing the righteousness and love of God for the salvation of fallen man. See on Galatians 4:4.

For the ungodly. Literally, “for ungodly [men].” For the meaning of the term “ungodly” see on chapter 4:5. Paul is not suggesting that Christ died for “the ungodly” as a class distinguished from “the godly,” but for all as being ungodly. This is shown by the nonuse of the article in the Greek. Christ died for us ungodly men. If we claim that we do not belong to the ungodly, we exclude ourselves from the benefits of Christ’s atonement, as did the Jews (see Luke 5:31; 1 John 1:10).