Today, a simple commentary on Romans 6 using only my English Bible (KJV)
There are seven questions in this chapter – Paul often used questions as a teaching tool. I believe the chapter can be divided into two parts, 1-14 and 15-23, based on two similar questions: v 1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin? and v 15, What then? Shall we sin? Right away we know what this chapter is about! Let’s take a look!
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
First thing we see is the principle of context – in order to understand what a passage is saying, we need to know what is going on around it. Chapter 6 flows out of chapter 5, where Paul had just said, But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. Does this mean we should continue to live in sin so grace might continue to abound? This is no doubt an objection he often heard from those who opposed the gospel of grace.
2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
Ooh, he reveals something important here – We are dead to sin. How can we continue in sin when we are dead to it. When did this happen?
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
Ah! "Don’t you know what happened when you were baptized?" He is talking about water baptism. Something real and significant happened when we were baptized. We were baptized into Jesus Christ, that’s pretty significant in itself, but also into his death. He is going to explain all this, but notice the word know. In 1-14 the whole thought is carried forward by three words, the first of which is know. Our progress in the Christian life is based on knowing some things. Here, Do you know that when you were baptized into Jesus Christ you were baptized into his death?
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Baptism is a burial. What am I burying? My old life, my past. As I used to pronounce over every one I baptized, “Buried with Christ in baptism; raised to walk in newness of life.”
5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
Here we find know again. I’m telling you, there are some things we need to know.
Our old man is crucified with him. Paul speaks often of the old man. This is Adam and all that we were in Adam. Again, this is from chapter 5. Christ died for our sins, that we might be forgiven, but when he was crucified the old man was crucified with him. Adam introduced sin and death, this is the old man and we are all part of it. At the cross this old man was crucified. Jesus is the second Adam, more correctly, the last Adam, who by his coming and especially his resurrection began the new creation.
planted together in the likeness of his death – baptism is a burial, you gotta go under the water
[A note about the words in italics. The KJV used italics to indicate that there was no corresponding word in the original. They added them to help make better sense.]
Shall we continue in sin? No - henceforth, we should not serve sin.
8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
This is powerful stuff! One more time, there is something we should know – Jesus will never die again; he now lives unto God. He died for our sins once. He died once. No more. Never again. He lives! He lives means he died unto sin and now lives unto God. We have been baptized into his death, and we shall live with him! Do you know these things?
11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
I said his thought is carried along by three words. Here is the second, reckon. That is think; consider. Reckon yourself to be dead to sin and alive to God. How can I do this? Because of what I know. I know that I have been baptized into Jesus Christ who died unto sin once and is now alive unto God; I know the old man was crucified; I know the dominion of sin was broken.
Likewise - Christ died and now lives. I have been united with him in this death and resurrection. Therefore, reckon ye also yourselves to be dead unto sin, but alive unto God.
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
A great change has taken place. When I was still part of the old man I had no power over sin, it had power over me. Now, because of Christ, Let not sin reign in your mortal body. Shall we continue in sin? Uh, no!
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.
Here is the third word – Yield. Knowing and reckoning leads to action - yield.
First, Neither yield your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin. Stop yielding your members as instruments of unrighteousness.
Second, Yield yourselves to God. “Here I am. Redeemed by the blood. Forgiven. Freed from the old man. I’m alive with Christ. I’m yours!”
Third, Yield your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. “I want to think your thoughts; speak your truth; hear what pleases you; love you and what you love; my hands to do your works; my feet to walk in your ways.”
Shall we continue in sin that grace may about? No, because
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
What a declaration. And why is it so? Grace. Grace literally changes everything. What I could not do, God did for me. Hallelujah! This is good stuff!
15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
Once again Paul anticipates an objection, and once he again he forcibly answers, God forbid.
16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
We are back to know. Here is a fundamental principle of the spiritual life that we need to know: We are the servants of whoever we yield ourselves to. There are two options:
We yield to sin [disobedience], which results in death.
We yield to obedience [to God], which results in righteousness.
17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
We used to be servants of sin…but
Ye have obeyed from the heart. I believe he means we heard the gospel, we believed in Jesus, and we were baptized into Jesus Christ. Baptism is not an add-on, a mere token. Have you believed in Jesus Christ but not been baptized? If so, you have not obeyed the gospel. You have not buried your past. How can you make progress in the Christian life carrying around that corpse?
18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
Hallelujah!
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.
Paul admits here he is using servant as a metaphor. He is trying to find a way to make this powerful truth clear as a bell. My past life was yielding to uncleanness and to iniquity, which he says was unto iniquity, such a life just produced more iniquity. Now I should yield my members to righteousness, that is obeying God., which will produce holiness.
20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
How sad. And sobering.
21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
What was the fruit of a life free from righteousness? A life of yielding to uncleanness and iniquity? Oh I know, people often boast about their wild lifestyle: parties, revelries, sex and such. Some of us were like that, now we are ashamed of the way we lived. But the worst part is the end of those things is death. The gospel is about life - Christ rescues us from sin, from shame, from death.
22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
This is awesome!
being made free from sin, and become servants to God – by the cross of Christ; by faith in Christ; by being baptized into Jesus Christ. This is what I know, reckon, and yield to.
ye have your fruit unto holiness – you have obeyed the gospel from the heart, you have yielded your members servants to righteousness, the fruit of such a life is holiness.
and the end everlasting life – Does this mean everlasting life is the reward of obedience? No. When you live a life of sin all you have to look forward to is death. When you live a life yielded to God and righteousness what is there to look forward to? Everlasting life!
23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Eternal life and everlasting life are the same thing. Everlasting life is the gift of God. You can’t earn it. Can’t deserve it. God gives it. And it is given to us through Jesus Christ.
What a chapter! Such powerful, life changing truths! And what a comfort it is to know we can come to the Scriptures, read them, and understand them without a knowledge of Greek. I didn’t use any commentaries, didn’t open the Greek New Testament, nor did I go online for any other language tools. Could any of these expand my understanding of the chapter? Sure. But they are not necessary to understanding what God says to us in His Word.
Tomorrow: 1 Corinthians 15:50-58
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