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The Letters · New Testament

Romans 6

Romans 6: dead to sin, alive unto God, and two services compared

General context

The chapter begins from an objection it states itself: "Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?", answered at once with "God forbid". Those baptized into Jesus Christ "were baptized into his death" and are "buried with him by baptism into death", so that as Christ was raised by the glory of the Father they should "walk in newness of life". Planted together in the likeness of his death, they will share the likeness of his resurrection. "our old man is crucified with him", so the body of sin might be destroyed, and "he that is dead is freed from sin". Christ raised "dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him"; he died unto sin once and lives unto God. So readers are told to reckon themselves "dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God", not to let sin reign in the mortal body, and not to yield their members as instruments of unrighteousness but to yield themselves to God. "sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace." A second objection follows, whether to sin because of that, answered again with "God forbid". The answer uses service: whoever you obey, you are his servant, "whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness". They obeyed from the heart the form of doctrine delivered them and became servants of righteousness. The old fruit ends in death, the new in holiness and everlasting life, and the chapter closes on wages against gift.

Cited passages: Romans 6:1, Romans 6:2, Romans 6:3, Romans 6:4, Romans 6:5, Romans 6:6, Romans 6:7, Romans 6:8, Romans 6:9, Romans 6:10, Romans 6:11, Romans 6:12, Romans 6:13, Romans 6:14, Romans 6:15, Romans 6:16, Romans 6:17, Romans 6:18, Romans 6:19, Romans 6:21, Romans 6:22, Romans 6:23

Romans 6 (KJV)

1What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

2God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

3Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

4Therefore 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.

5For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

6Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

7For he that is dead is freed from sin.

8Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:

9Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.

10For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

11Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

12Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

13Neither 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.

14For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

15What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.

16Know 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?

17But 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.

18Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

19I 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.

20For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.

21What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.

22But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

23For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

This page shows the King James Version. In the app, reading opens in the Berean Standard Bible unless you have chosen another translation. The reader includes five translations: the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), the King James Version (KJV), the World English Bible (WEB), the Bible in Basic English (BBE), and the American Standard Version (ASV). Search covers three of them: Berean Standard, King James, and World English. Basic English and American Standard readers search the King James words.

Historical context

The chapter assumes shared knowledge rather than reporting events. Twice it says "Know ye not", once about baptism into Christ's death and once about service and obedience. It says the readers "have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you", without saying who delivered it, when, or what it contained. Baptism is described only as burial into death and as sharing a likeness of resurrection; no ceremony, place or officiant is mentioned. The writer marks his own language as a concession: "I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh", which is the chapter's own note that the servant and master picture is chosen for the readers, not drawn from an incident. No Old Testament verse is quoted here, and no person other than Christ is named.

Cited passages: Romans 6:3, Romans 6:4, Romans 6:5, Romans 6:16, Romans 6:17, Romans 6:19

Literary context

Two objections open two halves, and both are put as questions the writer asks for the reader: "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin" and "What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law". Each is answered with the same two words, "God forbid", then argued at length. Paired opposites carry the whole chapter: dead and alive, buried and raised, old man and newness of life, unrighteousness and righteousness, servants and free. "dominion" is used twice and moves, first denied over Christ by death, then denied over the readers by sin. Commands appear only after the statements, in the verbs reckon, let not, yield. The closing line sets one short pairing against another, wages earned and a gift given.

Cited passages: Romans 6:1, Romans 6:2, Romans 6:4, Romans 6:6, Romans 6:9, Romans 6:11, Romans 6:12, Romans 6:13, Romans 6:14, Romans 6:15, Romans 6:18, Romans 6:20, Romans 6:23

Key moments

  1. An objection stated (Romans 6:1). The chapter raises the question of continuing in sin so grace may abound.
  2. Buried by baptism (Romans 6:4). Baptism is described as burial into Christ's death and a walk in newness of life.
  3. The old man crucified (Romans 6:6). The body of sin is said to be destroyed so sin is no longer served.
  4. Reckon yourselves (Romans 6:11). Readers are told to count themselves dead to sin and alive to God.
  5. Not under law but grace (Romans 6:14). Sin's dominion is denied on the ground of being under grace.
  6. Servants of whom you obey (Romans 6:16). Obedience is said to determine whose servant a person is.
  7. Wages and gift (Romans 6:23). Death as wages is set against eternal life as a gift.

For reflection

The chapter says freedom from one service is entry into another, and never offers a third option. Does that description match how choices about habit and obedience actually feel to you?

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