Romans 14:9 Meaning: Christ's Lordship Over the Dead and Living

The Greek verb anestē (rose up) and ezēsen (lived again) carry the weight of the verse. Some early manuscripts leave out ‘rose’ and simply read ‘died and lived.’ The point is the same: Christ passed through death into a new, unending life. He did not merely survive death. He conquered it and now exists in a state death cannot touch. The word for ‘Lord’ here is kurieusē, a verb that means ‘to rule over’ or ‘to exercise authority as master.’ It is the same word used in verse 4 when Paul asks, ‘Who are you who judge another’s servant?’ Vincent notes that Paul is justifying the title ‘Lord’ applied to Christ in earlier verses. This lordship is not distant or vague. It was accomplished by Christ willingly going to death and being raised. And the two groups over whom he rules, the dead (nekrōn) and the living (zōntōn), cover every human being who belongs to him, whether breathing now or gone ahead.

Calvin described Christ’s death and resurrection as how he ‘obtained authority over us which cannot be destroyed by death.’ For Calvin, the dominion is eternal because Christ’s resurrected life is eternal. Adam Clarke, writing from a Wesleyan tradition, emphasizes that ‘separate, as well as embodied spirits, are under his authority’, Christ rules even the souls of the departed. The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges notes that Christ ‘dwelt in both worlds’ and thus became Master of both. All traditions agree that this lordship is purchased, not assumed. But they differ on whether it includes all people or only believers. The immediate context (verses 10, 12) speaks of every knee bowing and every tongue confessing, which many take to indicate a universal accountability before Christ, the judge of all.

Some read this verse as a purely theological statement, Christ is Lord over the dead and living, end of story. In fact, Paul is making a pastoral argument. He is telling quarreling Christians: you do not get to judge one another because you both answer to the same Lord, the one who died and rose for you. The lordship of Christ is the ground for mutual acceptance, not a topic for debate. It is meant to stop arguments, not start them.

This week you will probably encounter a fellow Christian who does something differently than you do, how they worship, what they eat, when they rest. Your first thought may be to correct them or dismiss them. Before you speak, remember Romans 14:9. Christ died for that person. He rose to be their Lord, not yours to manage. Let your conviction about his lordship loosen your grip on being right. You can hold your own practice with confidence and still release the other person into Christ’s care. He is Lord of the dead and the living. He can handle them.