Throughout Romans, Paul writes about the dead, death, and being put to death. A few examples, resurrection from the dead (1:4), being dead to sin (6:2), and raised from the dead (4:24). But he uses different words: ἀποθνῄσκω [G599-apothnēskō], θάνατος [G2288-thanatos], and νεκρός [G3498-nekros].
Three are found in one verse:
We know that Christ, being raised from the dead (νεκρῶν), will never die (ἀποθνῄσκει) again; death (θάνατος) no longer has dominion over him. (6:9) [ESV]
When writing about being dead to sin, dead to the law, and sin being dead without the law, Paul also uses all three:
By no means! How can we who died (ἀπεθάνομεν) to sin still live in it? (6:2)
Likewise, my brothers, you also have died (ἐθανατώθητε)1 to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead (νεκρῶν), in order that we may bear fruit for God. (7:4)
But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead (νεκρά). (7:8)
All mean “dead” so what exactly is Paul trying to get across by using different words?
1. ἐθανατώθητε is the verb of θάνατος