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Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Romans 6:1–23. His four-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
The apostle's transition, which joins this discourse with the former, is observable: "What shall we say then? Rom 6:1. What use shall we make of this sweet and comfortable doctrine? Shall we do evil that good may come, as some say we do? Rom 3:8. Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Shall we hence take encouragement to sin with so much the more boldness, because the more sin we commit the more will the grace of God be magnified in our pardon? Is this a use to be made of it?" No, it is an abuse, and the apostle startles at the thought of it (Rom 6:2): "God forbid; far be it from us to think such a thought." He entertains the objection as Christ did the devil's blackest temptation (Mat 4:10): Get thee hence, Satan. Those opinions that give any countenance to sin, or open a door to practical immoralities, how specious and plausible soever they be rendered, by the pretension of advancing free grace, are to be rejected with the greatest abhorrence; for the truth as it is in Jesus is a truth according to godliness, Tit 1:1. The apostle is very full in pressing the necessity of holiness in this chapter, which may be reduced to two heads: - His exhortations to holiness, which show the nature of it; and his motives or arguments to enforce those exhortations, which show the necessity of it.
I.For the first, we may hence observe the nature of sanctification, what it is, and wherein it consists.
In general it has two things in it, mortification and vivification - dying to sin and living to righteousness, elsewhere expressed by putting off the old man and putting on the new, ceasing to do evil and learning to do well.
1.Mortification, putting off the old man; several ways this is expressed.
(1.)We must live no longer in sin (Rom 6:2), we must not be as we have been nor do as we have done. The time past of our life must suffice, Pe1 4:3. Though there are none that live without sin, yet, blessed be God, there are those that do not live in sin, do not live in it as their element, do not make a trade of it: this is to be sanctified.
(2.)The body of sin must be destroyed, Rom 6:6. The corruption that dwelleth in us is the body of sin, consisting of many parts and members, as a body. This is the root to which the axe must be laid. We must not only cease from the acts of sin (this may be done through the influence of outward restraints, or other inducements), but we must get the vicious habits and inclinations weakened and destroyed; not only cast away the idols of iniquity out of the heart. - That henceforth we should not serve sin. The actual transgression is certainly in a great measure prevented by the crucifying and killing of the original corruption. Destroy the body of sin, and then, though there should be Canaanites remaining in the land, yet the Israelites will not be slaves to them. It is the body of sin that sways the sceptre, wields the iron rod; destroy this, and the yoke is broken. The destruction of Eglon the tyrant is the deliverance of oppressed Israel from the Moabites.
(3.)We must be dead indeed unto sin, Rom 6:11. As the death of the oppressor is a release, so much more is the death of the oppressed, Job 3:17, Job 3:18. Death brings a writ of ease to the weary. Thus must we be dead to sin, obey it, observe it, regard it, fulfil its will no more than he that is dead doth his quandam task-masters - be as indifference to the pleasures and delights of sin as a man that is dying is to his former diversions. He that is dead is separated from his former company, converse, business, enjoyments, employments, is not what he was, does not what he did, has not what he had. Death makes a mighty change; such a change doth sanctification make in the soul, it cuts off all correspondence with sin.
(4.)Sin must not reign in our mortal bodies that we should obey it, Rom 6:12. Though sin may remain as an outlaw, though it may oppress as a tyrant, yet let it not reign as a king. Let it not make laws, nor preside in councils, nor command the militia; let it not be uppermost in the soul, so that we should obey it. Though we may be sometimes overtaken and overcome by it, yet let us never be obedient to it in the lusts thereof; let not sinful lusts be a law to you, to which you would yield a consenting obedience. In the lusts thereof - en tais epithumiais autou. It refers to the body, not to sin. Sin lies very much in the gratifying of the body, and humouring that. And there is a reason implied in the phrase your mortal body; because it is a mortal body, and hastening apace to the dust, therefore let not sin reign in it. It was sin that made our bodies mortal, and therefore do not yield obedience to such an enemy.
(5.)We must not yield our members as instruments of unrighteousness, Rom 6:13. The members of the body are made use of by the corrupt nature as tools, by which the wills of the flesh are fulfilled; but we must not consent to that abuse. The members of the body are fearfully and wonderfully made; it is a pity they should be the devil's tools of unrighteousness unto sin, instruments of the sinful actions, according to the sinful dispositions. Unrighteousness is unto sin; the sinful acts confirm and strengthen the sinful habits; one sin begets another; it is like the letting forth of water, therefore leave it before it be meddled with. The members of the body may perhaps, through the prevalency of temptation, be forced to be instruments of sin; but do not yield them to be so, do not consent to it. This is one branch of sanctification, the mortification of sin.
2.Vivification, or living to righteousness; and what is that?
(1.)It is to walk in newness of life, Rom 6:4. Newness of life supposes newness of heart, for out of the heart are the issues of life, and there is not way to make the stream sweet but by making the spring so. Walking, in scripture, is put for the course and tenour of the conversation, which must be new. Walk by new rules, towards new ends, from new principles. Make a new choice of the way. Choose new paths to walk in, new leaders to walk after, new companions to walk with. Old things should pass away, and all things become new. The man is what he was not, does what he did not.
(2.)It is to be alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord, Rom 6:11. To converse with God, to have a regard to him, a delight in him, a concern for him, the soul upon all occasions carried out towards him as towards an agreeable object, in which it takes a complacency: this is to be alive to God. The love of God reigning in the heart is the life of the soul towards God. Anima est ubi amat, non ubi animat - The soul is where it loves, rather than where it lives. It is to have the affections and desires alive towards God. Or, living (our live in the flesh) unto God, to his honour and glory as our end, by his word and will as our rule - in all our ways to acknowledge him, and to have our eyes ever towards him; this is to live unto God. - Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Christ is our spiritual life; there is no living to God but through him. He is the Mediator; there can be no comfortable receivings from God, nor acceptable regards to God, but in and through Jesus Christ; no intercourse between sinful souls and a holy God, but by the mediation of the Lord Jesus. Through Christ as the author and maintainer of this life; through Christ as the head from whom we receive vital influence; through Christ as the root by which we derive sap and nourishment, and so live. In living to God, Christ is all in all.
(3.)It is to yield ourselves to God, as those that are alive from the dead, Rom 6:13. The very life and being of holiness lie in the dedication of ourselves to the Lord, giving our own selves to the Lord, Co2 8:5. "Yield yourselves to him, not only as the conquered yields to the conqueror, because he can stand it out no longer; but as the wife yields herself to her husband, to whom her desire is, as the scholar yields himself to the teacher, the apprentice to his master, to be taught and ruled by him. Not yield your estates to him, but yield yourselves; nothing less than your whole selves;" parastēsate eautous - accommodate vos ipsos Deo - accommodate yourselves to God; so Tremellius, from the Syriac. "Not only submit to him, but comply with him; not only present yourselves to him once for all, but be always ready to serve him. Yield yourselves to him as wax to the seal, to take any impression, to be, and have, and do, what he pleases." When Paul said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? (Act 9:6) he was then yielded to God. As those that are alive from the dead. To yield a dead carcase to a living God is not to please him, but to mock him: "Yield yourselves as those that are alive and good for something, a living sacrifice," Rom 12:1. The surest evidence of our spiritual life is the dedication of ourselves to God. It becomes those that are alive from the dead (it may be understood of a death in law), that are justified and delivered from death, to give themselves to him that hath so redeemed them.
(4.)It is to yield our members as instruments of righteousness to God. The members of our bodies, when withdrawn from the service of sin, are not to lie idle, but to be made use of in the service of God. When the strong man armed is dispossessed, let him whose right it is divide the spoils. Though the powers and faculties of the soul be the immediate subjects of holiness and righteousness, yet the members of the body are to be instruments; the body must be always ready to serve the soul in the service of God. Thus (Rom 6:19), "Yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. Let them be under the conduct and at the command of the righteous law of God, and that principle of inherent righteousness which the Spirit, as sanctifier, plants in the soul." Righteousness unto holiness, which intimates growth, and progress, and ground obtained. As every sinful act confirms the sinful habit, and makes the nature more and more prone to sin (hence the members of a natural man are here said to be servants to iniquity unto iniquity - one sin makes the heart more disposed for another), so every gracious act confirms the gracious habit: serving righteousness is unto holiness; one duty fits us for another; and the more we do the more we may do for God. Or serving righteousness, eis hagiasmon - as an evidence of sanctification.
II.The motives or arguments here used to show the necessity of sanctification.
There is such an antipathy in our hearts by nature to holiness that it is no easy matter to bring them to submit to it: it is the Spirit's work, who persuades by such inducements as these set home upon the soul.
1.He argues from our sacramental conformity to Jesus Christ. Our baptism, with the design and intention of it, carried in it a great reason why we should die to sin, and live to righteousness. Thus we must improve our baptism as a bridle of restraint to keep us in from sin, as a spur of constraint to quicken us to duty. Observe this reasoning.
(1.)In general, we are dead to sin, that is, in profession and in obligation. Our baptism signifies our cutting off from the kingdom of sin. We profess to have no more to do with sin. We are dead to sin by a participation of virtue and power for the killing of it, and by our union with Christ and interest in him, in and by whom it is killed. All this is in vain if we persist in sin; we contradict a profession, violate an obligation, return to that to which we were dead, like walking ghosts, than which nothing is more unbecoming and absurd. For (Rom 6:7) he that is dead is freed from sin; that is, he that is dead to it is freed from the rule and dominion of it, as the servant that is dead is freed from his master, Job 3:19. Now shall we be such fools as to return to that slavery from which we are discharged? When we are delivered out of Egypt, shall we talk of going back to it again?
(2.)In particular, being baptized into Jesus Christ, we were baptized into his death, Rom 6:3. We were baptized eis Christon - unto Christ, as Co1 10:2, eis Mōsēn - unto Moses. Baptism binds us to Christ, it binds us apprentice to Christ as our teacher, it is our allegiance to Christ as our sovereign. Baptism is externa ansa Christi - the external handle of Christ, by which Christ lays hold on men, and men offer themselves to Christ. Particularly, we were baptized into his death, into a participation of the privileges purchased by his death, and into an obligation both to comply with the design of his death, which was to redeem us from all iniquity, and to conform to the pattern of his death, that, as Christ died for sin, so we should die to sin. This was the profession and promise of our baptism, and we do not do well if we do not answer this profession, and make good this promise.
[1.]Our conformity to the death of Christ obliges us to die unto sin; thereby we know the fellowship of his sufferings, Phi 3:10. Thus we are here said to be planted together in the likeness of is death (Rom 6:5), tō homoiōmati, not only a conformity, but a conformation, as the engrafted stock is planted together into the likeness of the shoot, of the nature of which it doth participate. Planting is in order to life and fruitfulness: we are planted in the vineyard in a likeness to Christ, which likeness we should evidence in sanctification. Our creed concerning Jesus Christ is, among other things, that he was crucified, dead, and buried; now baptism is a sacramental conformity to him in each of these, as the apostle here takes notice. First, Our old man is crucified with him, Rom 6:6. The death of the cross was a slow death; the body, after it was nailed to the cross, gave many a throe and many a struggle: but it was a sure death, long in expiring, but expired at last; such is the mortification of sin in believers. It was a cursed death, Gal 3:13. Sin dies as a malefactor, devoted to destruction; it is an accursed thing. Though it be a slow death, yet this must needs hasten it that it is an old man that is crucified; not in the prime of its strength, but decaying: that which waxeth old is ready to vanish away, Heb 8:13. Crucified with him - sunestaurōthē, not in respect of time, but in respect of causality. The crucifying of Christ for us has an influence upon the crucifying of sin in us. Secondly, We are dead with Christ, Rom 6:8. Christ was obedient to death: when he died, we might be said to die with him, as our dying to sin is an act of conformity both to the design and to the example of Christ's dying for sin. Baptism signifies and seals our union with Christ, our engrafting into Christ; so that we are dead with him, and engaged to have no more to do with sin than he had. Thirdly, We are buried with him by baptism, Rom 6:4. Our conformity is complete. We are in profession quite cut off from all commerce and communion with sin, as those that are buried are quite cut off from all the world; not only not of the living, but no more among the living, have nothing more to do with them. Thus must we be, as Christ was, separate from sin and sinners. We are buried, namely, in profession and obligation: we profess to be so, and we are bound to be so: it was our covenant and engagement in baptism; we are sealed to be the Lord's, therefore to be cut off from sin. Why this burying in baptism should so much as allude to any custom of dipping under water in baptism, any more than our baptismal crucifixion and death should have any such references, I confess I cannot see. It is plain that it is not the sign, but the thing signified, in baptism, that the apostle here calls being buried with Christ, and the expression of burying alludes to Christ's burial. As Christ was buried, that he might rise again to a new and more heavenly life, so we are in baptism buried, that is, cut off from the life of sin, that we may rise again to a new life of faith and love.
[2.]Our conformity to the resurrection of Christ obliges us to rise again to newness of life. This is the power of his resurrection which Paul was so desirous to know, Phi 3:10. Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, that is, by the power of the Father. The power of God is his glory; it is glorious power, Col 1:11. Now in baptism we are obliged to conform to that pattern, to be planted in the likeness of his resurrection (Rom 6:5), to live with him, Rom 6:8. See Col 2:12. Conversion is the first resurrection from the death of sin to the life of righteousness; and this resurrection is conformable to Christ's resurrection. This conformity of the saints to the resurrection of Christ seems to be intimated in the rising of so many of the bodies of the saints, which, though mentioned before by anticipation, is supposed to have been concomitant with Christ's resurrection, Mat 27:52. We have all risen with Christ. In two things we must conform to the resurrection of Christ: - First, He rose to die no more, Rom 6:9. We read of many others that were raised from the dead, but they rose to die again. But, when Christ rose, he rose to die no more; therefore he left his grave-clothes behind him, whereas Lazarus, who was to die again, brought them out with him, as one that should have occasion to use them again: but over Christ death has no more dominion; he was dead indeed, but he is alive, and so alive that he lives for evermore, Rev 1:18. Thus we must rise from the grave of sin never again to return to it, nor to have any more fellowship with the works of darkness, having quitted that grave, that land of darkness as darkness itself. Secondly, He rose to live unto God (Rom 6:10), to live a heavenly life, to receive that glory which was set before him. Others that were raised from the dead returned to the same life in every respect which they had before lived; but so did not Christ: he rose again to leave the world. Now I am no more in the world, Joh 13:1; Joh 17:11. He rose to live to God, that is, to intercede and rule, and all to the glory of the Father. Thus must we rise to live to God: this is what he calls newness of life (Rom 6:4), to live from other principles, by other rules, with other aims, than we have done. A life devoted to God is a new life; before, self was the chief and highest end, but now God. To live indeed is to live to God, with our eyes ever towards him, making him the centre of all our actions.
2.He argues from the precious promises and privileges of the new covenant, Rom 6:14. It might be objected that we cannot conquer and subdue sin, it is unavoidably too hard for us: "No," says he, "you wrestle with an enemy that may be dealt with and subdued, if you will but keep your ground and stand to your arms; it is an enemy that is already foiled and baffled; there is strength laid up in the covenant of grace for your assistance, if you will but use it. Sin shall not have dominion." God's promises to us are more powerful and effectual for the mortifying of sin than our promises to God. Sin may struggle in a believer, and may create him a great deal of trouble, but it shall not have dominion; it may vex him, but shall not rule over him. For we are not under the law, but under grace, not under the law of sin and death, but under the law of the spirit of life, which is in Christ Jesus: we are actuated by other principles than we have been: new lords, new laws. Or, not under the covenant of works, which requires brick, and gives no straw, which condemns upon the least failure, which runs thus, "Do this, and live; do it not, and die;" but under the covenant of grace, which accepts sincerity as our gospel perfection, which requires nothing but what it promises strength to perform, which is herein well ordered, that every transgression in the covenant does not put us out of covenant, and especially that it does not leave our salvation in our own keeping, but lays it up in the hands of the Mediator, who undertakes for us that sin shall not have dominion over us, who hath himself condemned it, and will destroy it; so that, if we pursue the victory, we shall come off more than conquerors. Christ rules by the golden sceptre of grace, and he will not let sin have dominion over those that are willing subjects to that rule. This is a very comfortable word to all true believers. If we were under the law, we were undone, for the law curses every one that continues not in every thing; but we are under grace, grace which accepts the willing mind, which is not extreme to mark what we do amiss, which leaves room for repentance, which promises pardon upon repentance; and what can be to an ingenuous mind a stronger motive than this to have nothing to do with sin? Shall we sin against so much goodness, abuse such love? Some perhaps might suck poison out of this flower, and disingenuously use this as an encouragement to sin. See how the apostle starts at such a thought (Rom 6:15): Shall we sin because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. What can be more black and ill-natured than from a friend's extraordinary expressions of kindness and good-will to take occasion to affront and offend him? To spurn at such bowels, to spit in the face of such love, is that which, between man and man, all the world would cry out shame on.
3.He argues from the evidence that this will be of our state, making for us, or against us (Rom 6:16): To whom you yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants you are. All the children of men are either the servants of God, or the servants of sin; these are the two families. Now, if we would know to which of these families we belong, we must enquire to which of these masters we yield obedience. Our obeying the laws of sin will be an evidence against us that we belong to that family on which death is entailed. As, on the contrary, our obeying the laws of Christ will evidence our relation to Christ's family.
4.He argues from their former sinfulness, Rom 6:17-21, where we may observe,
(1.)What they had been and done formerly. We have need to be often reminded of our former state. Paul frequently remembers it concerning himself, and those to whom he writes. [1.] You were the servants of sin. Those that are now the servants of God would do well to remember the time when they were the servants of sin, to keep them humble, penitent, and watchful, and to quicken them in the service of God. It is a reproach to the service of sin that so many thousands have quitted the service, and shaken off the yoke; and never any that sincerely deserted it, and gave themselves to the service of God, have returned to the former drudgery. "God be thanked that you were so, that is, that though you were so, yet you have obeyed. You were so; God be thanked that we can speak of it as a thing past: you were so, but you are not now so. Nay, your having been so formerly tends much to the magnifying of divine mercy and grace in the happy change. God be thanked that the former sinfulness is such a foil and such a spur to your present holiness." [2.] You have yielded your members servants to uncleanness, and to iniquity unto iniquity, Rom 6:19. It is the misery of a sinful state that the body is made a drudge to sin, than which there could not be a baser or a harder slavery, like that of the prodigal that was sent into the fields to feed swine. You have yielded. Sinners are voluntary in the service of sin. The devil could not force them into the service, if they did not yield themselves to it. This will justify God in the ruin of sinners, that they sold themselves to work wickedness: it was their own act and deed. To iniquity unto iniquity. Every sinful act strengthens and confirms the sinful habit: to iniquity as the work unto iniquity as the wages. Sow the wind, and reap the whirlwind; growing worse and worse, more and more hardened. This he speaks after the manner of men, that is, he fetches a similitude from that which is common among men, even the change of services and subjections. [3.] You were free from righteousness (Rom 6:20); not free by any liberty given, but by a liberty taken, which is licentiousness: "You were altogether void of that which is good, - void of any good principles, motions, or inclinations, - void of all subjection to the law and will of God, of all conformity to his image; and this you were highly pleased with, as a freedom and a liberty; but a freedom from righteousness is the worst kind of slavery."
(2.)How the blessed change was made, and wherein it did consist.
[1.]You have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered to you, Rom 6:17. This describes conversion, what it is; it is our conformity to, and compliance with, the gospel which was delivered to us by Christ and his ministers. - Margin. Whereto you were delivered; eis hon paredothēte - into which you were delivered. And so observe, First, The rule of grace, that form of doctrine - tupon didachēs. The gospel is the great rule both of truth and holiness; it is the stamp, grace is the impression of that stamp; it is the form of healing words, Ti2 1:13. Secondly, The nature of grace, as it is our conformity to that rule. 1. It is to obey from the heart. The gospel is a doctrine not only to be believed, but to be obeyed, and that from the heart, which denotes the sincerity and reality of that obedience; not in profession only, but in power - from the heart, the innermost part, the commanding part of us. 2. It is to be delivered into it, as into a mould, as the wax is cast into the impression of the seal, answering it line for line, stroke for stroke, and wholly representing the shape and figure of it. To be a Christian indeed is to be transformed into the likeness and similitude of the gospel, our souls answering to it, complying with it, conformed to it - understanding, will, affections, aims, principles, actions, all according to that form of doctrine.
[2.]Being made free from sin, you became servants of righteousness (Rom 6:18), servants to God, Rom 6:22. Conversion is, First, A freedom from the service of sin; it is the shaking off of that yoke, resolving to have no more to do with it. Secondly, A resignation of ourselves to the service of God and righteousness, to God as our master, to righteousness as our work. When we are made free from sin, it is not that we may live as we list, and be our own masters; no: when we are delivered out of Egypt, we are, as Israel, led to the holy mountain, to receive the law, and are there brought into the bond of the covenant. Observe, We cannot be made the servants of God till we are freed from the power and dominion of sin; we cannot serve two masters so directly opposite one to another as God and sin are. We must, with the prodigal, quit the drudgery of the citizen of the country, before we can come to our Father's house.
(3.)What apprehensions they now had of their former work and way. He appeals to themselves (Rom 6:21), whether they had not found the service of sin,
[1.]An unfruitful service: "What fruit had you then? Did you ever get any thing by it? Sit down, and cast up the account, reckon your gains, what fruit had you then?" Besides the future losses, which are infinitely great, the very present gains of sin are not worth mentioning. What fruit? Nothing that deserves the name of fruit. The present pleasure and profit of sin do not deserve to be called fruit; they are but chaff, ploughing iniquity, sowing vanity, and reaping the same.
[2.]It is an unbecoming service; it is that of which we are now ashamed - ashamed of the folly, ashamed of the filth, of it. Shame came into the world with sin, and is still the certain product of it - either the shame of repentance, or, if not that, eternal shame and contempt. Who would wilfully do that which sooner or later he is sure to be ashamed of?
5.He argues from the end of all these things. it is the prerogative of rational creatures that they are endued with a power of prospect, are capable of looking forward, considering the latter end of things. To persuade us from sin to holiness here are blessing and cursing, good and evil, life and death, set before us; and we are put to our choice.
(1.)The end of sin is death (Rom 6:21): The end of those things is death. Though the way may seem pleasant and inviting, yet the end is dismal: at the last it bites; it will be bitterness in the latter end. The wages of sin is death, Rom 6:23. Death is as due to a sinner when he hath sinned as wages are to a servant when he hath done his work. This is true of every sin. There is no sin in its own nature venial. Death is the wages of the least sin. Sin is here represented either as the work for which the wages are given, or as the master by whom the wages are given; all that are sin's servants and do sin's work must expect to be thus paid.
(2.)If the fruit be unto holiness, if there be an active principle of true and growing grace, the end will be everlasting life - a very happy end! - Though the way be up-hill, though it be narrow, and thorny, and beset, yet everlasting life at the end of it is sure. So, Rom 6:23, The gift of God is eternal life. Heaven is life, consisting in the vision and fruition of God; and it is eternal life, no infirmities attending it, no death to put a period to it. This is the gift of God. The death is the wages of sin, it comes by desert; but the life is a gift, it comes by favour. Sinners merit hell, but saints do not merit heaven. There is no proportion between the glory of heaven and our obedience; we must thank God, and not ourselves, if ever we get to heaven. And this gift is through Jesus Christ our Lord. It is Christ that purchased it, prepared it, prepares us for it, preserves us to it; he is the Alpha and Omega, All in all in our salvation.
Historical interpretation
Eleven Centuries of Reception
19 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
But to us the apostle says, "Now we know this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.".
For "to bring themselves into captivity "and to slay themselves, putting to death "the old man, who is through lusts corrupt "and raising the new man from death, "from the old conversation "by abandoning the passions, and becoming free of sin, both the Gospel and the apostle enjoin.
Likewise also Paul in the Epistle to the Romans writes: "We who are dead to sin, how shall we any longer live in it? Because our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed," down to the words, "do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin."
For that must be living after the world, which, as the old man, he declares to be "crucified with Christ," not as a bodily structure, but as moral behaviour.
This refers not to our body structure but to our moral behavior.… It is not our bodily frame which has been transformed, nor has our flesh endured the cross of Christ. The sinful body is destroyed by amendment of life, not by the destruction of our fleshly substance.
Besides, if we do not understand it in this sense, it is not our bodily frame which has been transfixed (at all events), nor has our flesh endured the cross of Christ; but the sense is that which he has subjoined, "that the body of sin might be made void, " by an amendment of life, not by a destruction of the substance, as he goes on to say, "that henceforth we should not serve sin; " and that we should believe ourselves to be "dead with Christ," in such a manner as that "we shall also live with Him.
Besides, if we do not understand it in this sense, it is not our bodily frame which has been transfixed (at all events), nor has our flesh endured the cross of Christ; but the sense is that which he has subjoined, "that the body of sin might be made void, " by an amendment of life, not by a destruction of the substance, as he goes on to say, "that henceforth we should not serve sin; " and that we should believe ourselves to be "dead with Christ," in such a manner as that "we shall also live with Him.
I think it should be noticed that when the apostle says something must be destroyed he calls it the body of sin, but when he does not use this expression he refers not to the body of sin but to our own selves, who ought not to be serving sin. He does this to show that if the body of sin were to be destroyed we would not now be serving sin, which however we serve as long as our body is not destroyed and our members on earth are not put to death.…The “sinful body” is our body, for it is written that Adam did not know his wife Eve, nor did he father Cain, until after he had sinned. In the law it is commanded that sacrifices of a pair of turtledoves or two pigeons shall be offered for a newborn child. One of these is a sin offering and the other is a burnt offering. For what sin is this first pigeon offered? How can a newborn child have sinned already? And yet the child has sin, for which the sacrifice is commanded to be offered.… For the same reason the church has received a tradition from the apostles to baptize even infants. For they, to whom the secrets of the divine mysteries had been committed, knew that there are real stains of sin in everyone which must be cleansed by water and the Spirit. It is because of these stains that the body is called a sinful body and not because of sins which the soul in that body may have committed in a previous life, as some who believe in reincarnation like to think.
By these words we are taught that he who is baptized in Christ is baptized in his death and is not only buried with Christ and planted together with him but is first of all crucified with him. Thus we are instructed that, as he who is crucified is separated from the living, so also he who has been crucified with Christ in the likeness of his death is completely set apart from those who live according to the old man.
Paul underlines and repeats a good deal in order to teach the baptized that they must not sin and above all that they must not return to idolatry, which is a very serious crime and the root of all errors, lest they lose the grace which they have received through Christ. He calls our former behavior “our old self” because, just as the man who has a pure life through Christ and faith in him is said to be new, so the same man is said to be old through unbelief and evil deeds. Paul says that these deeds have been crucified, which means that they are dead, that the body of sin (i.e., all our misdeeds) has been destroyed. Paul calls all our sins a body, which he says has been destroyed by a good life and by orthodox belief.
Until, therefore, this price should have been paid for all men which by the shedding of the Lords Blood had to be so paid for the absolution of all, the blood of every man, who, by the Law and solemn custom were to follow the precepts of holy religion, was required. But, since one Lord Christ suffered, seeing that the ransom is now paid for all, there is now no longer any need that the blood of every man one by one should be shed by circumcision, for in the Blood of Christ the circumcision of all has been solemnized, and in His Cross we are all crucified together with Him, and buried in His sepulchre, and planted together in the likeness of His death, that henceforth we should not serve sin: for he that is dead, is free from sin.
So putting together both the cause and the demonstration of the Resurrection which is to come. And he does not say is crucified, but is crucified with Him, so bringing baptism near to the Cross. And on this score also it was that he said above, "We have been planted together in the likeness of His Death that the body of sin might be destroyed," not giving that name to this body of ours, but to all iniquity. For as he calls the whole sum of wickedness the old man, thus again the wickedness which is made up of the different parts of iniquity he calls the body of that man. And that what I am saying is not mere guesswork, hearken to Paul's own interpretation of this very thing in what comes next. For after saying, "that the body of sin might be destroyed," he adds, "that henceforth we should not serve sin." For the way in which I would have it dead is not so that ye should be destroyed and die, but so that ye sin not. And as he goes on he makes this still clearer.
Paul does not say that we have been crucified but that we have been crucified "with him," thus linking baptism with the cross.… You are dead not in the sense that you have been obliterated but in the sense that now you can live without sin. HOMILIES ON ROMANS 11.CHRYSOSTOM:Get for yourself none of the things that are on earth, and do not be active in the affairs of the present life. For your life is hidden now and unseen by those who do not believe, but the time will come when it will be seen. But now is not your time. Since you have died once for all, refuse to mind the things that are on earth. The greatness of your virtue is seen especially when you have prevailed over the arrogance of the flesh and act toward the good things of the world just as if you were dead to this life.
Through baptism you who have been made a member of Christ’s body were crucified with Christ. He hangs his innocent body so that you may have the power to restrain your guilty body from sin. Similarly, Moses lifted up the bronze serpent in the wilderness so that every form of wickedness might be torn down, because each vice is a member of the body of sin. Christ was not crucified in part but in whole. Or perhaps we should read this as meaning that our body should be torn away from slavery to sin and that what used to be the property of transgression should now become the property of righteousness, for “everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.”
[Daniel 5:19] "'He slew whomever he would and smote to death whomever he wished to; those whom he wished he set on high, and brought low whomever he would.'" Thus he sets forth the example of the king's great-grandfather, in order to teach him the justice of God and make it clear that his great-grandson too was to suffer similar treatment because of his pride. Now if Nebuchadnezzar slew whomever he would and smote to death whomever he wished to; if he set on high those whom he would and brought low whomever he wished to, there is certainly no Divine providence or Scriptural injunction behind these honors and slayings, these acts of promotion and humiliation. But rather, such things ensue from the will of the men themselves who do the slaying and promoting to honor, and all the rest. If this be the case, the question arises as to how we are to understand the Scripture: "The heart of a king reposes in the hand of God; He will incline it in whatever direction He wishes" (Proverbs 21:1). Perhaps we might say that every saint is a king, for sin does not reign in his mortal body, and his heart therefore is kept safe, for he is in God's hand (Romans 6:1-23). And whatever has once come into the hand of God the Father, according to the Gospel, no man is able to take it away (John 10:28). And whoever is taken away, it is understood that he never was in God's hand at all.
This refers to Deuteronomy [21:23]: “Cursed be every man hanged from a tree.” For as the crucifixion of the old man is symbolized in the cross of the Lord, so the rebirth of the new man is signified in the resurrection. It is clear that according to Paul we are in the place of the old man who is accursed. No one doubts that it was because of him that the Lord was called “sin,” because “he bore our sins” and “he was made sin for us,” and “by sin he condemned sin.”
Perhaps some people will think that “the body of sin” is meant to refer to our earthly flesh, which has been joined to the soul as a kind of punishment, in that the soul sinned before bodies were created. Some people think and talk like this, but as it is a pagan idea we must reject it as being incompatible with the truth. Therefore, Paul says that our earthly body is the body of sin and our old man, because it has inherited the necessity of corruption from the old Adam.… Moreover, because of its weakness it has contracted a love for wickedness, and thus sin appears in the flesh as a congenital defect.We were crucified with Christ at the moment when his flesh was crucified, because it somehow included universal human nature in itself, just as universal human nature contracted the sickness of the curse in Adam at the same time that he incurred the curse.
The “old man” does not refer to our nature but to our evil mind. It is this which has been put to death in baptism, so that the body would not continue to serve sin.
“Our old self” refers to our perishable and passible bodies.
After showing that we should not continue to sin after baptism has made us dead to sin [n. 470], the Apostle now shows that we have the means to do this. Concerning this he does two things. First, he indicates the benefit we have received; secondly, the effect of this benefit [v. 7; n. 482]. Concerning this he does two things. First he sets out the benefit we obtain; Second, the effect of this benefit [v. 6b; n. 481]. 479. First, therefore: We have said that the baptized should walk in newness of life. To anyone who says that this is impossible he responds that we know our old self, i.e., the oldness caused by sin, was crucified with him, i.e., put to death by the Cross of Christ. For as was stated above, man’s oldness was brought about by sin -- in the sense that the goodness of his nature was corrupted by sin -- and is predominant as long as he continues in sin. But because what is predominant in a man characterizes the man himself, it follows that the oldness of sin in a man subject to sin is an apt description of the man himself. That is why he says the old self. 244 480. Now the oldness of sin can refer to the guilt of sin or to the stain of actual sins or even to the habit of sinning, which engenders a sort of compulsion to sin, or even to the "fomes" deriving from the sin of the first parent. Thus, therefore, our old self is said to be crucified together with Christ, inasmuch as the aforesaid oldness is removed by the power of Christ; either because it has been entirely removed, as the guilt and stain of sin are entirely removed in baptism, or because its force has been diminished, i.e., the force of the "fomes" or even of the custom of sinning: "Having canceled the bond which stood against us with its legal demands; this he set aside, nailing it to the cross" (Col 2:14). 481. Then (v. 6b) he mentions the twofold effect of this benefit, the first of which is the removal of previous sins. Hence he says: that the body of sin may be destroyed. The body of sin is the assemblage of evil deeds, just as the assemblage of members makes one natural body: "His body is like molten shields." (Jb 41:6). The second effect is that it makes us beware of future sins; hence, he adds: and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. For a man is a slave of sin, when he obeys the attraction of sin by consenting to and doing the sin: Everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin" (Jn 8:34). 482. Then (v. 7) he clarifies what he had said: first, in regard to the first effect; secondly, in regard to the second [v. 8; n. 484]. 483. In regard to the first it should be noted that the assemblage of sins is destroyed when a man has his sins remitted. So he clarifies how the body of sin is 245 destroyed when he says he who has died to sin through baptism, in which we die together with Christ, is freed from sin, i.e., transferred to the state of righteousness: "And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified" (1 Cor 6:11). Therefore, because man dies to sin through the cross of Christ, he is freed from sin in such away that the body of sin destroyed. 484. Then (v. 8) he clarifies the second effect by showing how it conforms one to the life of Christ. The reasoning is this: One who dies with the dying Christ also lives with the rising Christ. But Christ rose from the dead, never to die again. Therefore, one who has died to sin lives with the risen Christ in such a way that he has the faculty of never returning to sin. 485. In regard to this he does three things: first, he shows the believer’s conformity to the risen Christ; secondly, a condition of this life [n. 487]; thirdly, he draws the conclusion [v. 11; n. 491]. 486. First, therefore, he says: But if we have died with Christ, i.e., if we are dead to sin by virtue of Christ’s death, we believe that we shall also live with him, i.e., in the likeness of his life. We shall live, I say, the life of grace here and the life of glory in the future: "When we were dead through sin, he made us alive together with Christ" (Eph 2:5). 487. Then (v. 9) he describes the condition of life of the risen Christ: first, he states it; 246 secondly, he proves it [v. 10; n. 489]. 488. First, therefore, he says: We believe this, I say, because we know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again, but will live an everlasting life: "I died, and behold I am alive for evermore" (Rev 1:18). What is more, death no longer has dominion over him, but it does over man: not only when his soul and body are separated when he dies, but also before he dies, when he is subject to sickness, hunger, thirst and such things as lead to death. From all these things the life of the risen Christ is free. Consequently, he is not subject to the dominion of death; rather, he has dominion over death: "I have the keys of Death and Hades" (Revs 1:18). 489. Then (v. 10) he proves his statement, namely, that the risen Christ will not die again. And he proves this in two ways [n. 490]. First he proves it with a reason based on the death he underwent, saying: The death he died, he died to sin, once for all. This must not be taken to mean that he died to sin he committed or contracted, because sin had no place whatever in him: "Who did no sin" (1 Pt 2:22). But he is said to have died to sin in two ways: in one way, because he died to take away sin: "For our sake he made him who knew no sin to be sin" (2 Cor 5:21), i.e., a victim for sin. In another way, because he died to the likeness of sinful flesh, i.e., to a suffering and mortal body: "God sent his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh" (Rom 8:3). In both ways it can be concluded that Christ died once, from the fact that he died to sin. In regard to the first it is clear that he wiped out all sins through one death: "By a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified" (Heb 10:14). 247 Therefore, he does not need to die again for sin: "For Christ also died for sins once for all" (1 Pt 3:18). In regard to the second the same can be concluded. For if Christ endured death in order that the likeness of death disappear from him, his death ought to have been like that of others, who wear the flesh of sin and die but once. Hence, it says in Heb (9:27): "Just as it is appointed for men to die once, so Christ also offered once to bear the sins of many." 490. Secondly, he shows the same thing by considering the condition of life he obtained by rising. Hence he says: But the life he lives he lives to God, i.e., conformed to God. For it says in 2 Cor (13:4): "He was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God." Now the effect is conformed to the cause. Hence, the life which the rising Christ acquired is deiform. Therefore, just as God’s life is everlasting and without decay: "Who alone has immortality" (1 *** 6:16), so Christ’s life is immortal. 491. Then (v. 11) he reaches the intended conclusion that we be conformed to the life of the risen Christ both with respect to its death to sin, i.e., to the mortal life which has the likeness of sin, never to return to it, and with respect to living conformed to God. In regard to the first he says: So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin, i.e., as never to return to sin: "Let not the dead live" (Is 26:14). In regard to the second he says: and alive to God, i.e., to the honor and in the likeness of God, that we never die through sin: "The life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God" (Gal 2:20). So he adds, in Christ Jesus, i.e., through Jesus Christ, through whom we die to sin and live to God; or in Christ Jesus, i.e., as incorporated into Christ Jesus, that by his 248 death we may die to sin and by his resurrection live to God: "He made us alive together with Christ, by whose grace you have been saved through Christ" (Eph 2:5).
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Summary
Romans 6:6 profoundly articulates the believer's radical transformation through spiritual union with Christ. It reveals that our former, unregenerate self—the "old man" enslaved to sin—has been decisively put to death with Christ on the cross. The purpose of this spiritual crucifixion is to dismantle the ruling power of sin, often referred to as the "body of sin," thereby liberating believers from their former servitude to sin and enabling them to live in newness of life.
Context
Literary Context
Romans 6:6 is a pivotal verse within Paul's extended argument in Romans 6. This chapter directly addresses a potential antinomian misunderstanding arising from the glorious declaration of grace in Romans 5. If grace abounds where sin increased (Romans 5:20), might believers then continue in sin to experience more grace? Paul emphatically rejects this notion with the rhetorical question, "God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" (Romans 6:2). He then proceeds to explain the theological basis for the believer's break from sin's dominion, primarily through their identification with Christ's death, burial, and resurrection, which is symbolized and sealed in baptism (Romans 6:3-5). Verse 6 builds directly on this foundational truth, elaborating on the decisive effect of this union on the "old man" and the "body of sin."
Historical & Cultural Context
Paul wrote his epistle to the church in Rome, a diverse community of Jewish and Gentile believers. The Roman world was steeped in various philosophical and religious systems, some of which promoted moral laxity or, conversely, a legalistic asceticism. Paul's teaching here counters both extremes. The concept of "slavery" was deeply ingrained in Roman society, making Paul's analogy of being "slaves to sin" versus "slaves to righteousness" highly resonant. He uses this familiar societal structure to illustrate the radical shift in allegiance and dominion experienced by those united with Christ. The crucifixion, a brutal form of Roman execution, was a common and terrifying spectacle, lending immense gravity and finality to Paul's declaration that the "old man" has been "crucified with him." This imagery would have conveyed a definitive and irreversible end to a former way of life.
Key Themes
Romans 6:6 contributes significantly to several major theological themes in Romans. It underscores the theme of Union with Christ, emphasizing that the believer's spiritual identity is inextricably linked to Christ's redemptive work, particularly His death and resurrection. It is central to the doctrine of Sanctification, explaining the divine provision for a life free from sin's dominion, moving beyond mere justification to practical holiness. The verse highlights the Decisive Break with Sin's Dominion, asserting that sin is no longer the believer's master, a truth further expounded in Romans 6:12-14. It also touches upon the Nature of the Believer's Identity, contrasting the "old man" with the new creation in Christ, a theme developed throughout Paul's epistles, such as in Ephesians 4:22-24.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This compound phrase refers to the unregenerate self, the former identity of a person before conversion to Christ. palaiós denotes something "old" in the sense of being worn out, antiquated, or belonging to a former time, contrasting with "new" (e.g., kainos for new quality). ánthrōpos simply means "human being." Together, they describe the person as they were under the dominion of sin, prior to their identification with Christ's death and resurrection, characterized by rebellion against God.
This verb literally means "to impale in company with." In a theological context, it signifies a profound spiritual identification with Christ's death on the cross. It's not merely an intellectual assent but a radical, decisive break with the power and reign of sin, indicating that the believer's former self, enslaved to sin, has undergone a definitive execution alongside Christ. This is a completed past action with ongoing, permanent effects for the believer.
This powerful verb means "to be (render) entirely idle (useless)," "abolish," "bring to nothing," or "make of no effect." In the context of the "body of sin," it does not imply annihilation of the physical body or the eradication of the capacity to sin, but rather the nullification of sin's ruling power and dominion over the believer. The authority and enslaving grip of sin have been rendered inoperative, though its presence and temptation remain.
Verse Breakdown
"Knowing this"
This introductory phrase serves as an imperative to the intellect and will. Paul calls believers to a conscious awareness and understanding of a profound spiritual reality that undergirds their new life. This "knowing" is not merely intellectual assent but a deep, convicting comprehension that is meant to inform and transform their daily walk. It implies that the truth about their union with Christ is a foundational premise for their sanctification.
"that our old man is crucified with [him]"
This is the central theological declaration. "Our old man" represents the totality of the unregenerate self—the former identity, character, and disposition that was enslaved to sin and alienated from God. The verb "is crucified with" (a perfect passive participle in Greek, referring to Christ, though "him" is supplied in KJV) signifies a completed, decisive, and irreversible act. Through spiritual identification with Christ's death on the cross, the believer's former, sin-dominated self has been definitively put to death. This is a past historical event (Christ's crucifixion) that has become a present spiritual reality for every believer.
"that the body of sin might be destroyed"
This clause explains the immediate purpose and effect of the "old man" being crucified. The "body of sin" does not refer to the physical body as inherently evil, but rather to the human person in its entirety as an instrument or sphere through which sin previously exercised its tyrannical power and dominion. The Greek word katargéō ("destroyed") here means "rendered ineffective," "nullified," or "brought to nothing" in terms of its ruling power. Thus, the purpose is that sin's tyrannical reign over the believer's life, exercised through their human faculties, might be rendered inoperative, no longer holding them captive.
"that henceforth we should not serve sin"
This final clause articulates the ultimate, practical outcome and ethical goal of the crucifixion of the "old man" and the nullification of the "body of sin." Because the former self has been put to death and sin's dominion broken, believers are no longer under compulsion, obligation, or the inherent nature to "serve" (Greek: douleúō, to be a slave to) sin. This signifies liberation from sin's tyrannical mastery, enabling a life of active righteousness. It is a call to live out the reality of this spiritual emancipation, no longer yielding to sin's demands but rather presenting oneself to God as an instrument of righteousness.
Literary Devices
Paul employs several powerful Literary Devices in Romans 6:6 to convey his profound theological message. Personification is evident in the phrases "our old man" and "body of sin," where sin is depicted as an active, enslaving master or a powerful entity that previously held dominion over the believer. The "old man" is treated as a distinct, living entity that undergoes "crucifixion." The central Metaphor of "crucified with him" vividly portrays the believer's spiritual identification with Christ's death, signifying a definitive and violent break from their former life of sin. This is not a literal physical crucifixion for the believer but a spiritual reality. The "body of sin" also functions metaphorically, representing the human person as a vehicle or instrument through which sin exercised its power, rather than implying the physical body itself is inherently sinful. Finally, the repeated use of "that" (Greek: hina) introduces Purpose Clauses, clearly articulating the divine intention and the progressive outcomes of the believer's union with Christ: the crucifixion of the old self, the nullification of sin's power, and ultimately, freedom from sin's servitude.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Romans 6:6 stands as a foundational truth for understanding Christian sanctification and the practical outworking of salvation. It moves beyond the forensic declaration of justification (being declared righteous) to the transformative reality of being made righteous. The verse underscores that liberation from sin's power is not achieved through human effort or willpower alone, but through a radical, divinely wrought identification with Christ's death. This union provides the objective basis for the subjective experience of freedom from sin's dominion. It is a declaration of what God has already accomplished for the believer, providing the power and impetus for a life of holiness. The theological implication is that the believer's relationship with sin has fundamentally changed: sin is no longer their master, and they are no longer obligated to obey its impulses.
Reflection and Application
Romans 6:6 calls believers to live in light of a profound spiritual reality: our former self, enslaved to sin, has been decisively put to death with Christ. This truth is not merely an abstract theological concept but a powerful foundation for daily living. It means that when temptation arises, we are not fighting a battle from a position of weakness, but from victory. Our old master, sin, has been dethroned. We are no longer obligated to obey its commands. Application of this verse involves actively "reckoning" ourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:11). This is a conscious, faith-filled choice to align our thoughts, desires, and actions with the new identity God has given us. It empowers us to resist sin, not through sheer willpower, but by drawing upon the resurrection power of Christ that now indwells us. We are to present our bodies, not as instruments for unrighteousness, but as instruments for righteousness to God (Romans 6:13). This truth liberates us from the cycle of guilt and defeat, inviting us into a life of genuine freedom and joyful obedience.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "our old man" mean in Romans 6:6?
"Our old man" (Greek: ho palaios anthropos) refers to the unregenerate self, the person we were before salvation. It signifies our former identity, character, and disposition that was enslaved to sin and alienated from God. It's not just a collection of bad habits, but the entire being as it existed under the dominion of sin. Paul uses this term to emphasize that this former self has been decisively dealt with through our union with Christ.
Does "destroyed" in Romans 6:6 mean that believers can no longer sin?
No, the Greek word katargéō (translated "destroyed") does not mean annihilation or the complete eradication of the capacity to sin. Rather, it means "rendered ineffective," "nullified," or "brought to nothing" in terms of its ruling power or dominion. While the presence of sin (the inclination to sin) remains in the believer's life, its power to enslave and reign over them has been broken. Believers are no longer obligated to obey sin; they are now free to choose righteousness, though they still face temptation and can choose to yield to sin. This is why Paul follows this verse with exhortations to "let not sin therefore reign" (Romans 6:12).
How does Romans 6:6 relate to Christian baptism?
Romans 6:6 is deeply connected to the themes of Christian baptism presented earlier in the chapter. In Romans 6:3-5, Paul explains that baptism symbolizes the believer's identification with Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. Just as Christ died to sin once for all, believers, through baptism, are symbolically united with His death, signifying a death to their old life of sin. Verse 6 then elaborates on the effect of this identification: the "old man" (that former self) is crucified with Christ, and the "body of sin" (sin's ruling power) is rendered ineffective. Baptism is the outward sign and seal of this inward spiritual reality—a definitive break from sin's dominion and a commitment to walk in newness of life.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Romans 6:6 finds its ultimate fulfillment and meaning in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The "crucifixion" of our "old man" is not an abstract concept but a direct consequence of Christ's literal crucifixion on the cross. It was His death, a once-for-all sacrifice, that definitively broke the power of sin and death over humanity. Our union with Christ, established by faith, means that His death becomes our death to sin, and His resurrection becomes our new life in righteousness. He is the one who, through His shed blood, paid the penalty for sin and, by His resurrection, conquered its dominion. Therefore, the "body of sin" is "destroyed" (rendered ineffective) because Christ disarmed the principalities and powers on the cross (Colossians 2:14-15). Our freedom from serving sin is not a result of our own spiritual prowess but is entirely predicated on Christ's finished work. He is the "Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29), and through Him, we are made a "new creature" (2 Corinthians 5:17), no longer slaves to sin but servants of God (Romans 6:22). The entire reality of Romans 6:6 flows from the profound truth that "there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1), for the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made us free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2).