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Romans 6

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Dead to Sin, Alive to God 1–11

1
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? ​
2
God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? ​
3
Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? ​
4
Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. ​
5
For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
6
Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. ​
7
For he that is dead is freed from sin. ​
8
Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
9
Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
10
For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
11
Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. ​

Yielding Our Members to God 12–14

12
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. ​
13
Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. ​
14
For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. ​

Slavery to Righteousness 15–23

15
What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. ​
16
Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? ​
17
But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
18
Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
19
I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. ​
20
For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
21
What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
22
But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. ​
23
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. ​

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain

Study Notes for Romans 6

Verse 1

Shall we continue in sin — The objection grows from 5:20, 'where sin abounded, grace did much more abound'; 'abound' here is pleonazo, the verb of 'the offence might abound' in 5:20. The charge was already raised in 3:8, 'Let us do evil, that good may come?' The answer takes the rest of the chapter, beginning with 'God forbid' in v.2.

Verse 2

God forbid — The KJV's refusal of a false conclusion, used in Romans at 3:4, 3:6, 3:31, 6:2, 6:15, 7:7, 7:13, 9:14, 11:1 and 11:11. The reason offered is a fact, not a rule: 'we, that are dead to sin' (apothnesko, to die). It is the fact of Col 3:3: 'ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God'.

Verse 3

baptized into Jesus Christ — Baptizo is to immerse. 'Into' marks union: 'baptized into Christ have put on Christ' (Gal 3:27); 'by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body' (1 Cor 12:13). Here the union reaches 'his death', and v.5 follows it: 'planted together in the likeness of his death'.

Verse 4

buried with him — Synthapto occurs only here and in Col 2:12, 'Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him'. Burial seals the death of v.3. 'Newness of life' (kainotes) is found elsewhere only at 7:6, 'newness of spirit'. Christ was raised 'by the glory of the Father', and believers 'walk' (peripateo) in that life.

Verse 6

our old man is crucified with him — Systauroo, crucified together, is used of the thieves (Matt 27:44) and of Paul, 'I am crucified with Christ' (Gal 2:20). The 'old man' is the one put off in Eph 4:22 and Col 3:9. 'Destroyed' is katargeo, to render inoperative, as in 'make void' (3:31) and 'loosed' (7:2). 'Serve' is douleuo, to be a slave.

Verse 7

he that is dead is freed from sin — 'Freed' is dikaioo, the verb rendered 'justified' in 3:24 and 5:1; the Greek reads, literally, justified from sin. A death settles a claim. Acts 13:39 sets the same verb beside the law: 'justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses'.

Verse 11

reckon ye also yourselves — Logizomai, to count or credit, is the verb of chapter 4: 'it was counted unto him for righteousness' (4:3). What God counts true of the believer, the believer is to count true: dead to sin, alive to God. Paul states the same pair of his own life in Gal 2:20, 'I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live'.

Verse 12

Let not sin therefore reign — Basileuo, to reign as king, is the verb of 5:21: 'as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness'. The 'mortal body' (thnetos) is the body that 8:11 says God 'shall also quicken'. The command stands over the 'lusts' (epithymia) by which sin would be obeyed.

Verse 13

instruments of unrighteousness — Hoplon is a weapon or piece of armour: 'the armour of light' (13:12), 'the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left' (2 Cor 6:7). 'Yield' is paristemi, to place at another's disposal, the verb of 12:1, 'present your bodies a living sacrifice'. The members are weapons for one master or the other.

Verse 14

sin shall not have dominion — Kyrieuo, to be lord over, is the verb of v.9, 'death hath no more dominion over him', and of 14:9, where Christ is 'Lord both of the dead and living'. It is a promise, not an order. 'Under the law' is the position described in 7:1–6; see also Gal 5:18, 'if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law'.

Verse 15

shall we sin, because we are not under the law — The second form of the objection. Verse 1 asks about continuing in sin; hamartano here is the single act, committed because grace covers it. The same 'God forbid' answers it, and vv.16–23 give the reason. Peter forbids 'using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness' (1 Pet 2:16).

Verse 16

his servants ye are to whom ye obey — Doulos is a slave. Christ states the rule: 'Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin' (John 8:34). 'Obedience' is hypakoe, the word of 'obedience to the faith' at the opening of Romans (1:5) and 'obedience of faith' at its close (16:26). There are two masters, as in Josh 24:15, 'choose you this day whom ye will serve'.

Verse 19

after the manner of men — Anthropinos, human: Paul draws on slavery as an illustration 'because of the infirmity of your flesh' (astheneia, weakness). 'Uncleanness' (akatharsia) is the word of 1:24. 'Holiness' (hagiasmos) occurs in Romans only here and in v.22; compare 1 Thess 4:7, 'God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness'.

Verse 22

being made free from sin — Eleutheroo, to set free, and douloo, to make a slave, are the pair of v.18; the freed become servants 'to God'. 'Fruit unto holiness' answers the fruit of v.21, whose 'end… is death'; here the end (telos) is 'everlasting life'. The fruit of the Spirit is named in Gal 5:22.

Verse 23

the wages of sin — Opsonion, wages, is a soldier's pay (Luke 3:14, 'be content with your wages'; 1 Cor 9:7). Wages are earned; the gift (charisma) is not: 'the free gift is of many offences unto justification' (5:16). Death came in by sin (5:12); life is 'through Jesus Christ our Lord'.