Romans 6

Background

Paul is towards the end of his 25+ year ministry. He wants to get a church to support him in what would be his last missionary journey—to Spain. He’s never been to Rome.

Timeline

AD 33: "Visitors from Rome (both Jews and Converts)” were converted at Pentecost. Acts 2:10

This Jewish/Gentile mix likely went back to become the church in Rome.

~AD 50: Emperor Claudius expelled Jews from Rome. The church in Rome continued among Gentiles.

AD 54: Nero becomes emperor and allows Jews to return to Rome.

AD 56: Paul writes Romans.

AD 57: Paul arrested in Jerusalem. Acts 21:27

The Roman historian Suetonius mentions early Christians and may refer to Jesus Christ in his work Lives of the Twelve Caesars. One passage in the biography of the Emperor Claudius, refers to agitations in the Roman Jewish community and the expulsion of Jews from Rome by Claudius during his reign (AD 41 to AD 54), which may be the expulsion mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles (18:2). In this context "Chrestus" is mentioned. Some scholars see this as a likely reference to Jesus, while others see it as referring to another person living in Rome, of whom we have no information.

In Claudius 25 Suetonius refers to the expulsion of Jews by Claudius and states (in Catharine Edwards' translation):

Since the Jews constantly made disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus, he expelled them from Rome.

Suetonius goes on to later describe how Nero persecuted Christians in AD 64.

Chapter 1: Humanity's Universal Sinfulness

Chapter 2: God's Righteous Judgment

Chapter 3: Universal Need for Righteousness

Chapter 4: Abraham’s Faith and Righteousness

Chapter 6: Freedom in Christ

Have you ever made a significant life change (e.g., a new job, healthier lifestyle, etc.)? What motivated you to make that change, and how did it impact your daily life?

Romans 5:18–21 CSB

So then, as through one trespass there is condemnation for everyone, so also through one righteous act there is justification leading to life for everyone. For just as through one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so also through the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. The law came along to multiply the trespass. But where sin multiplied, grace multiplied even more so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace will reign through righteousness, resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 6:1–2 CSB

What should we say then? Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply? Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it?

Romans 6:3–4 CSB

Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life.

Romans 6:5–7 CSB

For if we have been united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be in the likeness of his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be rendered powerless so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin, since a person who has died is freed from sin.

Romans 6:8–11 CSB

Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him, because we know that Christ, having been raised from the dead, will not die again. Death no longer rules over him. For the death he died, he died to sin once for all time; but the life he lives, he lives to God. So, you too consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me I once was lost but now am found Was blind but now I see

T'was Grace that taught my heart to feel And Grace my fears relieved How precious did that Grace appear The hour I first believed

Through many dangers, toils and snares We have already come T'was Grace that brought us safe thus far And Grace, it will lead us home

When we've been there ten thousand years Bright shining as the sun We've no less days to sing God's praise Than when we first begun

T'was Grace that brought us safe thus far And Grace will lead us home (Lead us home) And Grace will lead us home

My chains are gone, I've been set free

My God, my Savior has ransomed me

And like a flood His mercy reigns

Unending love

Amazing grace

Romans 6:12–14 CSB

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, so that you obey its desires. And do not offer any parts of it to sin as weapons for unrighteousness. But as those who are alive from the dead, offer yourselves to God, and all the parts of yourselves to God as weapons for righteousness. For sin will not rule over you, because you are not under the law but under grace.

Romans 6:15 CSB

What then? Should we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? Absolutely not!

Romans 6:16–19 CSB

Don’t you know that if you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of that one you obey—either of sin leading to death or of obedience leading to righteousness? But thank God that, although you used to be slaves of sin, you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching to which you were handed over, and having been set free from sin, you became enslaved to righteousness. I am using a human analogy because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you offered the parts of yourselves as slaves to impurity, and to greater and greater lawlessness, so now offer them as slaves to righteousness, which results in sanctification.

Romans 6:20–23 CSB

For when you were slaves of sin, you were free with regard to righteousness. So what fruit was produced then from the things you are now ashamed of? The outcome of those things is death. But now, since you have been set free from sin and have become enslaved to God, you have your fruit, which results in sanctification—and the outcome is eternal life! For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.