2.3 KiB
I speak like a man
Paul may have expected his readers to wonder why he was speaking of slavery and freedom. Here he is saying that he is using these ideas from their everyday experience to help them understand that people are controlled either by sin or by righteousness. AT: "I am speaking about this in human terms" or "I am using examples from everyday life"
because of the weakness of your flesh
Often Paul uses the word "flesh" as the opposite of "spirit." AT: "because you do not fully understand spiritual things" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy)
presented the parts of your body as slaves to uncleanness and to evil
Here, "body parts" refers to the whole person. AT: "offered yourselves as slaves to everything that is evil and not pleasing to God" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche)
present the parts of your body as slaves to righteousness for sanctification
Here "body parts" refers to the whole person. AT: "offer yourselves as slaves to what is right before God so that he might set you apart and give you the power to serve him" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche)
you were free from righteousness
Here "free from righteousness" is a metaphor for not having to do what is righteous. The people were living as though they thought that they did not have to do what was right. AT: "it was as though you were free from righteousness" or "you behaved as though you did not have to do what was right" or (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor and rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-irony)
At that time, what fruit then did you have of the things of which you are now ashamed?
"Fruit" here is a metaphor for "result" or "outcome." Paul is using a question to emphasize that sinning results in nothing good. AT: "Nothing good came from those things that now cause you shame" or "You gained nothing by doing those things that now cause you shame" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion)