Important textual evidence may be cited (cf. p. 10) for the omission of this phrase. The meaning is not affected by the omission.

Or, “in Jesus Christ.” The believer’s conformity to the likeness of Christ’s death to sin and His life to God are attained, not merely “through” but “in” Christ Jesus. This experience has been made available to the Christian “through” Christ, but only the believer who is “in” Christ can participate in it.

 The believer’s new life belongs wholly to God and must be devoted entirely to His service. As Christ “liveth unto God” (v. 10), so also the Christian lives “unto God” a life that begins on earth in holiness and will continue in heaven in glory and honor and immortality.

 This suggests a continued state of death. As Christ died once for all to sin (see on v. 10), so the believer, once for all united to Christ, must consider himself dead to the dominion of sin forever.

 For the purpose of explaining the Christian experience, Paul speaks of a believer as if he consisted of two selves. The old self is now dead, for it has been crucified with Christ (v. 6). The new self is alive, born again of the Holy Spirit (v. 4). Thus Paul can speak of a man as being at the same time dead in relation to sin and alive in relation to God. In addition to this, Paul seems to set a man’s consciousness apart from the old and new selves, so that the believer is able to decide consciously with reference to keeping the old self dead and the new self alive.