Romans 6WEB
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Romans6

World English Bible · Public Domain

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

2May it never be! We who died to sin, how could we live in it any longer?

3Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?

4We were buried therefore with him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life.

5For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we will also be part of his resurrection;

6knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be in bondage to sin.

7For he who has died has been freed from sin.

8But if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him,

9knowing that Christ, being raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over him!

10For the death that he died, he died to sin one time; but the life that he lives, he lives to God.

11Thus consider yourselves also to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

12Therefore don’t let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.

13Also, do not present your members to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.

14For sin will not have dominion over you, for you are not under law, but under grace.

15What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be!

16Don’t you know that when you present yourselves as servants and obey someone, you are the servants of whomever you obey, whether of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness?

17But thanks be to God that, whereas you were bondservants of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were delivered.

18Being made free from sin, you became bondservants of righteousness.

19I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh; for as you presented your members as servants to uncleanness and to wickedness upon wickedness, even so now present your members as servants to righteousness for sanctification.

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

21What fruit then did you have at that time in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.

22But now, being made free from sin and having become servants of God, you have your fruit of sanctification and the result of eternal life.

23For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Study Guide

Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Romans 6.

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Chapter Summary

In this chapter: Believers must die to sin, and live to God. (1, 2). This is urged by their Christian baptism and union with Christ. (3–10). They are made alive to God. (11–15). And are freed from the dominion of sin. (16–20). The end of sin is death, and of holiness everlasting life. (21–23).

vv1-2

The apostle is very full in pressing the necessity of holiness. He does not explain away the free grace of the gospel, but he shows that connexion between justification and holiness are inseparable. Let the thought be abhorred, of continuing in sin that grace may abound. True believers are dead to sin, therefore they ought not to follow it. No man can at the same time be both dead and alive. He is a fool who, desiring to be dead unto sin, thinks he may live in it.

vv3-10

Baptism teaches the necessity of dying to sin, and being as it were buried from all ungodly and unholy pursuits, and of rising to walk with God in newness of life. Unholy professors may have had the outward sign of a death unto sin, and a new birth unto righteousness, but they never passed from the family of Satan to that of God. The corrupt nature, called the old man, because derived from our first father Adam, is crucified with Christ, in every true believer, by the grace derived from the cross. It is weakened and in a dying state, though it yet struggles for life, and even for victory. But the whole body of sin, whatever is not according to the holy law of God, must be done away, so that the believer may no more be the slave of sin, but live to God, and find happiness in his service.

vv11-15

The strongest motives against sin, and to enforce holiness, are here stated. Being made free from the reign of sin, alive unto God, and having the prospect of eternal life, it becomes believers to be greatly concerned to advance thereto. But, as unholy lusts are not quite rooted out in this life, it must be the care of the Christian to resist their motions, earnestly striving, that, through Divine grace, they may not prevail in this mortal state. Let the thought that this state will soon be at an end, encourage the true Christian, as to the motions of lusts, which so often perplex and distress him. Let us present all our powers to God, as weapons or tools ready for the warfare, and work of righteousness, in his service. There is strength in the covenant of grace for us. Sin shall not have dominion. God's promises to us are more powerful and effectual for mortifying sin, than our promises to God. Sin may struggle in a real believer, and create him a great deal of trouble, but it shall not have dominion; it may vex him, but it shall not rule over him. Shall any take occasion from this encouraging doctrine to allow themselves in the practice of any sin? Far be such abominable thoughts, so contrary to the perfections of God, and the design of his gospel, so opposed to being under grace. What can be a stronger motive against sin than the love of Christ? Shall we sin against so much goodness, and such love?

Cross References

Romans 6
v4Colossians 2:12allusion

Direct parallel linking baptism to being buried and raised with Christ.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v21 Peter 2:24thematic

Explicitly connects Christ bearing our sins to our dying to sin.

Supported by JFB

v3Galatians 3:27thematic

Parallel regarding being baptized into Christ and putting Him on.

Supported by Matthew Poole

Parallel on being buried/risen with Christ and seeking things above.

Supported by JFB

v6Galatians 2:20thematic

Crucial parallel showing the believer crucified with Christ, yet living.

Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB

v1Romans 5:20thematic

The direct verbal catalyst ('grace did much more abound') for the chapter's objection.

Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB

v21 Peter 4:1-3thematic

Arming oneself with the same mind; suffering in flesh ceases from sin.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v2Romans 7:4thematic

Dead to the law to bring forth fruit unto God.

Supported by John Calvin

v6Galatians 5:24thematic

Practical outworking of crucifying the flesh with its affections.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v10Hebrews 9:26-28thematic

Parallels Christ's dying 'once' to put away sin.

Supported by Matthew Henry

Parallel stating He died for all so they should live for Him.

Supported by John Calvin

v16John 8:34-36thematic

Jesus teaches that whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v82 Timothy 2:11thematic

A faithful saying: if we die with him, we live with him.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v13Romans 12:1thematic

Presenting our bodies as living sacrifices, parallel to yielding members.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v15Romans 6:15thematic

Re-evaluates the core rhetorical question under the rubric of grace.

Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole

v21Romans 7:5contrast

Contrasts the motions of sin producing fruit unto death with holiness.

Supported by Matthew Henry