Romans 6:2

KJV

God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

KJV (with Strong's)

God forbid {G3361}{G1096}. How {G4459} shall we, that {G3748} are dead {G599} to sin {G266}, live {G2198} any longer {G2089} therein {G1722}{G846}?

Complete Jewish Bible

Heaven forbid! How can we, who have died to sin, still live in it?

Berean Standard Bible

Certainly not! How can we who died to sin live in it any longer?

American Standard Version

God forbid. We who died to sin, how shall we any longer live therein?

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Romans 6:2 serves as a forceful rhetorical rejection by the Apostle Paul, emphatically dismissing the notion that believers should continue in sin to experience more of God's grace. It asserts a fundamental truth about the believer's new identity in Christ: having died to the dominion and power of sin, it is an absolute contradiction to live any longer under its sway. This verse sets the stage for Paul's profound theological exposition on the believer's union with Christ in His death and resurrection, establishing the ethical implications of salvation.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is Paul's immediate and vehement answer to the rhetorical question posed in [Romans 6:1](/romans/6-1 "Romans 6:1 - Shall we continue in sin?"): "Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?" The preceding chapters, particularly [Romans 5](/romans/5 "Romans 5 - Grace and Righteousness"), have extensively developed the theme of God's abundant grace triumphing over sin, culminating in the declaration that "where sin abounded, grace did much more abound" ([Romans 5:20](/romans/5-20 "Romans 5:20 - Grace abounds over sin")). This profound statement of grace could be misconstrued as an encouragement to sin, prompting Paul's sharp rebuttal in [Romans 6:2](/romans/6-2 "Romans 6:2 - Dead to Sin"). The subsequent verses ([Romans 6:3-11](/romans/6-3-11 "Romans 6:3-11 - Union with Christ in Death and Resurrection")) then elaborate on *how* believers are dead to sin, connecting it to their baptism and identification with Christ's death and resurrection, thereby providing the theological basis for his emphatic "God forbid."
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** Paul is writing to the church in Rome, a diverse community of Jewish and Gentile believers. The Roman Empire was characterized by a variety of moral standards and philosophical schools, some of which might have interpreted freedom as license. Within Judaism, there were ongoing debates about the role of the Law and the implications of God's covenant faithfulness. Paul's teaching on grace, particularly its radical nature in contrast to legalistic systems, could easily be misunderstood as antinomianism—the belief that moral laws are not binding on Christians. His strong refutation in [Romans 6:2](/romans/6-2 "Romans 6:2 - A Rejection of Antinomianism") directly addresses this potential misinterpretation, emphasizing that Christian liberty is not freedom *to* sin, but freedom *from* sin's dominion. The concept of "death to sin" would have resonated with the idea of a radical break from a former way of life, perhaps akin to a change in citizenship or allegiance, which was a familiar concept in the Roman world.
* **Key Themes:** [Romans 6:2](/romans/6-2 "Romans 6:2 - The New Life in Christ") is pivotal in establishing several key themes in Romans. Firstly, it underscores the **radical transformation** that occurs in salvation, moving beyond mere forgiveness to a fundamental change in status and nature. Believers are not just pardoned sinners but are declared "dead to sin," signifying a complete break from its former mastery. Secondly, it highlights the **incompatibility of grace and continued sin**. Paul asserts that genuine grace, far from encouraging sin, empowers believers to live righteously. This leads to the theme of **sanctification**, the ongoing process of living out one's new identity in Christ, which is further explored in [Romans 6:12-23](/romans/6-12-23 "Romans 6:12-23 - Instruments of Righteousness"). Finally, the verse introduces the profound concept of **union with Christ**, where the believer's experience mirrors Christ's death to sin and resurrection to new life, a theme central to Paul's theology throughout [Romans 6](/romans/6 "Romans 6 - Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ").

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **God forbid (Greek, _mḗ genoito'_):** This idiomatic phrase, a combination of G3361 (mḗ, "not") and G1096 (gínomai, "to become" or "to happen"), functions as a powerful, absolute negation. It conveys "May it never be!", "Absolutely not!", or "By no means!" Paul uses this strong interjection frequently (e.g., [Romans 3:4](/romans/3-4 "Romans 3:4 - God Forbid!"), [Romans 7:7](/romans/7-7 "Romans 7:7 - Is the Law Sin? God Forbid!"), [Galatians 2:17](/galatians/2-17 "Galatians 2:17 - Is Christ a Minister of Sin? God Forbid!")) to emphatically reject a false conclusion or a dangerous implication drawn from his theological arguments. Here, it underscores the utter impossibility and theological absurdity of continuing in sin for a believer.
* **dead (Greek, _apothnḗskō'_):** G599 (apothnḗskō) means "to die off," literally or figuratively. In this context, it signifies a complete separation, a definitive break from the power and dominion of sin. It is not merely a cessation of sinful acts but a radical change in one's relationship to sin as a master. Just as physical death means a person no longer responds to earthly stimuli, spiritual death to sin means the believer no longer responds to sin's commands or operates under its enslaving power. This death is a past, completed event for the believer, a foundational truth of their new identity in Christ.
* **sin (Greek, _hamartía'_):** G266 (hamartía) refers to "sin" in its abstract sense, encompassing both individual acts of transgression and the pervasive power or principle of evil that holds humanity in bondage. Here, "sin" is personified as a master or a realm from which believers have been liberated. The "death to sin" implies a severance of the legal and spiritual bond that once subjected the individual to sin's reign, as described in [Romans 5:21](/romans/5-21 "Romans 5:21 - Sin reigned in death").

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"God forbid."**: This is Paul's immediate, emphatic, and absolute rejection of the idea that believers should continue in sin. It functions as a powerful interjection, leaving no room for ambiguity regarding his stance. It signals that the proposed notion is not merely incorrect but an affront to God's character and the nature of salvation.
* **"How shall we, that are dead to sin,"**: This rhetorical question highlights the logical and spiritual impossibility of the previous suggestion. The phrase "dead to sin" describes the believer's new, definitive spiritual state. Through their union with Christ, they have experienced a decisive break from sin's mastery and dominion. Sin no longer holds them captive or dictates their behavior as it once did. This is a statement of identity and spiritual reality, not merely a moral aspiration.
* **"live any longer therein?"**: This concluding part of the rhetorical question emphasizes the contradiction. If believers are truly "dead to sin"—meaning sin's power over them has been broken—then it is illogical and inconsistent for them to continue living under its influence or engaging in its practices. The word "therein" (referring back to "sin") underscores the idea of living *in* the sphere or dominion of sin, as if it still held sway. The question implies that such a life is incompatible with their new spiritual reality.

#### Literary Devices
Paul employs several powerful literary devices in [Romans 6:2](/romans/6-2 "Romans 6:2 - A Masterpiece of Rhetoric"). The most prominent is **Rhetorical Question**, which he uses to challenge and dismiss a false premise. By asking "How shall we... live any longer therein?", Paul doesn't seek information but rather compels his readers to recognize the inherent absurdity and contradiction of the idea. This makes his argument more persuasive and engaging than a simple declarative statement. The phrase "God forbid" (μὴ γένοιτο) functions as an emphatic **Interjection**, a strong emotional outburst that conveys absolute rejection and moral outrage. This adds significant force and conviction to his argument. Furthermore, Paul uses **Personification** when he speaks of "sin" as something one can be "dead to" or "live in," treating it as an active entity or a realm with dominion. This helps to concretize the abstract concept of sin, making its power and the believer's liberation from it more tangible. The verse also contains an implicit **Antithesis** between being "dead to sin" and "living in sin," highlighting the fundamental opposition between the believer's new identity and their former way of life.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Romans 6:2 articulates a foundational truth about the believer's transformation in Christ: salvation is not merely a legal declaration of righteousness, but a radical spiritual reorientation that breaks the power of sin. This "death to sin" is not a gradual process but a decisive event, a spiritual reality established by God through the believer's union with Christ's death and resurrection. This theological truth serves as the basis for Christian ethics, demonstrating that freedom from sin's penalty (justification) necessitates freedom from sin's power (sanctification). It means that continued, habitual sin is inconsistent with the new nature and identity given to those who are "in Christ."

* [Galatians 2:20](/galatians/2-20 "Crucified with Christ")
* [Colossians 3:3](/colossians/3-3 "Dead with Christ")
* [1 Peter 2:24](/1_peter/2-24 "Died to Sins, Live to Righteousness")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Romans 6:2 challenges us to deeply consider the implications of our salvation. It moves beyond a superficial understanding of grace as mere forgiveness, revealing it as a transformative power that fundamentally changes our relationship with sin. To be "dead to sin" means that sin no longer has a claim on us as our master; its power has been broken. This truth liberates us from the guilt and shame of past failures and empowers us to resist its allure in the present. It calls us to live consistently with our new identity in Christ, recognizing that our old self, enslaved to sin, has been crucified with Him. While we may still struggle with sin, our new reality means that sin is no longer our default setting or our accepted way of life. This verse is a powerful reminder that the Christian life is not about trying harder to be good, but about living out the reality of what God has already done in us through Christ. It is a call to reckon ourselves dead to sin and alive to God, actively choosing to walk in newness of life.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **What does it truly mean for me, personally, to be "dead to sin"?**
* **In what areas of my life might I still be living as if sin has dominion, despite my new identity in Christ?**
* **How does understanding my "death to sin" empower me to resist temptation and pursue righteousness?**
* **How can I practically "reckon myself dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God" in my daily choices and attitudes?**

### FAQ

**Does "dead to sin" mean a Christian will never sin again?**

Answer: No, "dead to sin" does not mean a Christian achieves sinless perfection in this life. The phrase signifies a radical change in relationship to sin's dominion and power, not the eradication of the capacity to sin. Before salvation, sin was the reigning master; believers were enslaved to it ([Romans 6:17](/romans/6-17 "Romans 6:17 - Slaves of Sin")). After salvation, sin's power is broken, and believers are now slaves to righteousness ([Romans 6:18](/romans/6-18 "Romans 6:18 - Slaves of Righteousness")). While Christians still struggle with the presence of sin (the "flesh" or "old nature"), they are no longer under its ultimate authority. Paul himself acknowledges this ongoing struggle in [Romans 7:14-25](/romans/7-14-25 "Romans 7:14-25 - The Struggle with Sin")). The point of [Romans 6:2](/romans/6-2 "Romans 6:2 - No Longer Under Sin's Dominion") is that continuing to live *in* sin as a lifestyle or accepting it as a norm is inconsistent with the believer's new identity and spiritual reality.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Romans 6:2 finds its profound Christ-centered fulfillment in the believer's mystical union with Jesus Christ. Paul's emphatic "God forbid" is rooted in the reality that our death to sin is not an independent moral achievement, but a participation in Christ's own death. When Christ died on the cross, He died to sin "once for all" ([Romans 6:10](/romans/6-10 "Romans 6:10 - Christ Died to Sin Once for All")). Through faith and baptism, believers are united with Him in this decisive event, symbolically and spiritually dying with Him to the power and dominion of sin ([Romans 6:3-4](/romans/6-3-4 "Romans 6:3-4 - Baptized into Christ's Death")). Just as Christ's resurrection inaugurated a new life lived "unto God," so too are believers raised with Him to walk in "newness of life" ([Romans 6:4](/romans/6-4 "Romans 6:4 - Walk in Newness of Life")). Therefore, to "live any longer therein" (in sin) would be to deny the very essence of Christ's redemptive work and our identification with Him. Our freedom from sin's tyranny is entirely dependent on Christ's victory over sin and death, making His cross and resurrection the ultimate basis for our new, righteous life ([Colossians 2:12-14](/colossians/2-12-14 "Colossians 2:12-14 - Buried and Raised with Christ")). Our ability to say "no" to sin is a direct outflow of Christ having said "yes" to the Father's will, even unto death.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

1 John 3:9

Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

Colossians 3:3

For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

Romans 7:4

Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, [even] to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

1 Peter 2:24

Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

Galatians 2:19

For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.

Romans 7:6

But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not [in] the oldness of the letter.

1 Peter 1:14

As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: