Romans 6:19

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.

I speak {G3004} after the manner of men {G442} because {G1223} of the infirmity {G769} of your {G5216} flesh {G4561}: for {G1063} as {G5618} ye have yielded {G3936} your {G5216} members {G3196} servants {G1401} to uncleanness {G167} and {G2532} to iniquity {G458} unto {G1519} iniquity {G458}; even so {G3779} now {G3568} yield {G3936} your {G5216} members {G3196} servants {G1401} to righteousness {G1343} unto {G1519} holiness {G38}.

(I am using popular language because your human nature is so weak.) For just as you used to offer your various parts as slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led to more lawlessness; so now offer your various parts as slaves to righteousness, which leads to being made holy, set apart for God.

I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to escalating wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness.

I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye presented your members as servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity, even so now present your members as servants to righteousness unto sanctification.

In Romans 6:19, the Apostle Paul continues his powerful exposition on the believer's freedom from the dominion of sin and the call to a new life in Christ. He uses a vivid human analogy of slavery to make profound spiritual truths accessible to his readers, acknowledging the "infirmity of their flesh" – their human capacity to grasp complex theological ideas.

Context

This verse is part of a larger discussion in Romans Chapter 6 where Paul explains that believers, having been baptized into Christ's death and resurrection, are no longer enslaved to sin. He has already established that believers are "dead to sin" (Romans 6:2) and should no longer let sin reign in their mortal bodies (Romans 6:12). He calls them to "yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead" (Romans 6:13). Verse 19 serves as a practical application and a direct command, contrasting their former sinful life with the new life of righteousness.

Key Themes

  • The Analogy of Slavery: Paul likens the believer's former life to being a slave to "uncleanness and to iniquity," where every action led to more sin. This stark image emphasizes the bondage from which Christ has set them free.
  • Transformation of Service: The core message is a call to transfer allegiance. Just as they once actively used their "members" (body parts like hands, eyes, tongue) as instruments for sin, they are now commanded to actively use them as instruments for righteousness. This highlights the active and intentional nature of Christian living.
  • Progressive Holiness (Sanctification): The phrase "unto holiness" (Greek: eis hagiasmon) indicates a goal or a process. Yielding to righteousness is not a one-time event but a continuous journey of becoming more like Christ, leading to increasing sanctification. This is the practical outworking of salvation.

Linguistic Insights

The Greek word for "yield" (paristēmi) means to present, to place at one's disposal, or to offer. It implies a deliberate and volitional act of presenting oneself or one's body parts for service. This is the same word used in Romans 12:1, where believers are exhorted to "present your bodies a living sacrifice." The contrast between "uncleanness and iniquity unto iniquity" and "righteousness unto holiness" underscores the radical shift in direction and outcome of one's life choices.

Practical Application

For believers today, Romans 6:19 is a powerful reminder that our bodies are not neutral. They are either instruments of sin or instruments of righteousness. This verse calls us to:

  • Conscious Choice: Actively choose to use our thoughts, words, and actions for God's glory. Every decision, from what we watch to how we speak, can be an act of yielding to righteousness.
  • Daily Discipline: Sanctification is a progressive work that requires daily discipline and reliance on the Holy Spirit. It's about consistently making choices that align with God's will.
  • Pursuit of Holiness: Understand that the Christian life is a journey towards holiness. As we yield ourselves to God, He transforms us, leading us deeper into a consecrated life. This pursuit is essential for seeing God, as Hebrews 12:14 states, "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord."

This verse encourages believers to live out their new identity in Christ by intentionally dedicating every part of their being to God's purposes, moving from a past of spiritual bondage to a present and future of true freedom and increasing holiness.

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Colossians 3:5

    ¶ Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

  • Colossians 3:7

    In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.

  • 1 Peter 4:2

    That he no longer should live the rest of [his] time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.

  • 1 Peter 4:4

    ¶ Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with [them] to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of [you]:

  • Romans 6:13

    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.

  • Ephesians 2:2

    Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

  • Ephesians 2:3

    Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

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