Romans 6 Study

Romans 6, My Translation

Verses 1-4

1 Τί οὖν ἐροῦμεν; ἐπιμένωμεν τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ, ἵνα ἡ χάρις πλεονάσῃ;  2 μὴ γένοιτο· οἵτινες ἀπεθάνομεν τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ, πῶς ἔτι ζήσομεν ἐν αὐτῇ;  3 ἢ ἀγνοεῖτε ὅτι ὅσοι ἐβαπτίσθημεν εἰς Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν εἰς τὸν θάνατον αὐτοῦ ἐβαπτίσθημεν;  4 συνετάφημεν οὖν αὐτῷ διὰ τοῦ βαπτίσματος εἰς τὸν θάνατον, ἵνα ὥσπερ ἠγέρθη Χριστὸς ἐκ νεκρῶν διὰ τῆς δόξης τοῦ πατρός, οὕτως καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐν καινότητι ζωῆς περιπατήσωμεν. 

1 What, then, shall we say? Should we persist in sin, in order that grace may abound?

2 By no means! Those of us who died to sin, how shall we continue living in it?

3 Or do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?

4 Therefore, we were buried together with Him through our baptism into His death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we, too, might walk in newness of life.

NOTES:

It is unthinkable to let grace be a reason for sinning. Grace not only forgives sin, but it also destroys it.

MacArthur Study Bible NASB Commentary

all whom God has justified will experience personal holiness

“Grace doesn’t simply involve forgiveness of sins; it also involves a transfer of lordship… As believers experience victory over sin, their confidence in a full and complete triumph over both sin and death increases.” - Schreiner

Our identification with Christ in His death and resurrection has implications for this life, not only for the next. Not only are we forgiven and guaranteed eternal life, but we walk in this new life now, putting sin to death and doing right instead.

The NIV Grace and Truth Study Bible Chapter 6

Paul does not focus on the washing dimension of baptism but on the down-and-up-again motion of baptism by immersion.

CSB Study Bible: Notes Chapter 6

“Christ’s death for sin becomes our death to sin” (Robert H. Mounce).

Does v. 4 refer to physical or spiritual baptism?

Verses 5-7

5 Εἰ γὰρ σύμφυτοι γεγόναμεν τῷ ὁμοιώματι τοῦ θανάτου αὐτοῦ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως ἐσόμεθα· 6 τοῦτο γινώσκοντες ὅτι ὁ παλαιὸς ἡμῶν ἄνθρωπος συνεσταυρώθη, ἵνα καταργηθῇ τὸ σῶμα τῆς ἁμαρτίας, τοῦ μηκέτι δουλεύειν ἡμᾶς τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ,  7 ὁ γὰρ ἀποθανὼν δεδικαίωται ἀπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας. 

5 For if we have become one with Him in the likeness of His death, we will certainly also become one with Him in the likeness of His resurrection,

6 because we know that our old man was crucified together with Him, in order that our sinful body[1] might be rendered powerless, so that we should no longer be slaves to sin,

7 for the one who has died has been set free[2] from bondage to sin.

[1] Greek, the body of sin.

[2] Greek, δικαιόω. Elsewhere in Romans this verb is translated justify or declare righteous. Here in the context of slavery to sin, it indicates release from that bondage.

NOTES:

Our union with Christ in death to sin assures us of our eternal life with Him. As we conquer sin more and more in this life, our hope and assurance grow.

Verses 8-11

8 εἰ δὲ ἀπεθάνομεν σὺν Χριστῷ, πιστεύομεν ὅτι καὶ συζήσομεν αὐτῷ·  9 εἰδότες ὅτι Χριστὸς ἐγερθεὶς ἐκ νεκρῶν οὐκέτι ἀποθνῄσκει, θάνατος αὐτοῦ οὐκέτι κυριεύει·  10 ὃ γὰρ ἀπέθανεν, τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ ἀπέθανεν ἐφάπαξ· ὃ δὲ ζῇ, ζῇ τῷ θεῷ.  11 οὕτως καὶ ὑμεῖς λογίζεσθε ἑαυτοὺς εἶναι νεκροὺς μὲν τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ ζῶντας δὲ τῷ θεῷ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ. 

8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live together with Him;

9 for we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, He can no longer die. Death is no longer His lord.

10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.

11 So you also, reckon yourselves to be dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

NOTES:

v. 11 is the first imperative in Romans.

The NIV Grace and Truth Study Bible Chapter 6

The reality is that our old self and the body ruled by sin have died (v. 6), so Paul tells us to recognize what is really true: we are dead to sin but alive to God. Instead of attending to sin, we are to live as those alive to God, mindful of his lordship over us.

positionally true, but has practical ramifications

Verses 12-14

12 Μὴ οὖν βασιλευέτω ἡ ἁμαρτία ἐν τῷ θνητῷ ὑμῶν σώματι εἰς τὸ ὑπακούειν ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις αὐτοῦ,  13 μηδὲ παριστάνετε τὰ μέλη ὑμῶν ὅπλα ἀδικίας τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ, ἀλλὰ παραστήσατε ἑαυτοὺς τῷ θεῷ ὡσεὶ ἐκ νεκρῶν ζῶντας καὶ τὰ μέλη ὑμῶν ὅπλα δικαιοσύνης τῷ θεῷ.  14 ἁμαρτία γὰρ ὑμῶν οὐ κυριεύσει, οὐ γάρ ἐστε ὑπὸ νόμον ἀλλὰ ὑπὸ χάριν.

12 Therefore, sin must not be king over your mortal bodies with the result that you listen to it and obey[3] its evil desires,

13 and do not offer your body parts to sin as tools of unrighteousness; rather, offer yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and offer your body parts to God as tools of righteousness.

14 For sin will not be your lord, for you are not under law; rather, you are under grace.

[3] Greek ὑπακούω. This verb indicates listening to or paying attention to someone or something with the intention of obeying.

NOTES:

v. 14 is a promise that enables our obedience.

Metaphor of Cleveland game yesterday - Cleveland was tied with Detroit in the AL Central Division going into the final game of the season. While trailing Texas 5-4 in the 7th? inning, Cleveland learned that Detroit had lost their last game to Boston, ensuring that regardless of the outcome of their game, they would be division champions. But their assurance of ultimate victory didn’t keep them from fighting to win the game, and they came back in an amazing way to tie it and eventually win in extra innings. knowledge of ultimate victory enables and motivates you to fight for it.

Schreiner: “It is those under the law who are subservient to sin, while it is only those under grace who triumph over it.”

CSB Study Bible: Notes Chapter 6

The believer, as a member of the new kingdom, must not offer any help to the old king (Satan, sin, death) and his kingdom. We are still slaves, but now we have a new Master. … There is a spiritual war between these two kingdoms. We must give ourselves as weapons to be used in this warfare on the side of the rightful King. Aiding and abetting the enemy is treason.

Verses 15-19

15 Τί οὖν; ἁμαρτήσωμεν ὅτι οὐκ ἐσμὲν ὑπὸ νόμον ἀλλὰ ὑπὸ χάριν; μὴ γένοιτο·  16 οὐκ οἴδατε ὅτι ᾧ παριστάνετε ἑαυτοὺς δούλους εἰς ὑπακοήν, δοῦλοί ἐστε ᾧ ὑπακούετε, ἤτοι ἁμαρτίας εἰς θάνατον ἢ ὑπακοῆς εἰς δικαιοσύνην;  17 χάρις δὲ τῷ θεῷ ὅτι ἦτε δοῦλοι τῆς ἁμαρτίας ὑπηκούσατε δὲ ἐκ καρδίας εἰς ὃν παρεδόθητε τύπον διδαχῆς,  18 ἐλευθερωθέντες δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἐδουλώθητε τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ· 19 ἀνθρώπινον λέγω διὰ τὴν ἀσθένειαν τῆς σαρκὸς ὑμῶν· ὥσπερ γὰρ παρεστήσατε τὰ μέλη ὑμῶν δοῦλα τῇ ἀκαθαρσίᾳ καὶ τῇ ἀνομίᾳ εἰς τὴν ἀνομίαν, οὕτως νῦν παραστήσατε τὰ μέλη ὑμῶν δοῦλα τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ εἰς ἁγιασμόν. 

15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!

16 Do you not know that when you offer yourselves to someone as slaves who do what they’re told[4], you are slaves to the one you obey – whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?

17 But thanks be to God that you used to be slaves of sin, but you obeyed from the heart the pattern of teaching which was handed over to you,

18 and now that you have been set free from sin, you have become enslaved to righteousness.

19 I am speaking in a human way on account of the weakness of your flesh; for just as you formerly offered your body parts as slaves to moral corruption and to lawlessness which led to more lawlessness, so now offer your body parts as slaves to righteousness which leads to holiness.

[4] Greek, slaves for obedience. The Greek word for obedience includes the idea of listening or paying attention.

NOTES:

The NIV Grace and Truth Study Bible Chapter 6

Liberation from sin does not mean sheer freedom; it means a new master. The new master is righteousness (

Schreiner: “Slavery to righteousness is an indication or sign that believers live under a new lord.”

Verses 20-23

20 Ὅτε γὰρ δοῦλοι ἦτε τῆς ἁμαρτίας, ἐλεύθεροι ἦτε τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ.  21 τίνα οὖν καρπὸν εἴχετε τότε ἐφʼ οἷς νῦν ἐπαισχύνεσθε; τὸ γὰρ τέλος ἐκείνων θάνατος·  22 νυνὶ δέ, ἐλευθερωθέντες ἀπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας δουλωθέντες δὲ τῷ θεῷ, ἔχετε τὸν καρπὸν ὑμῶν εἰς ἁγιασμόν, τὸ δὲ τέλος ζωὴν αἰώνιον. 23 τὰ γὰρ ὀψώνια τῆς ἁμαρτίας θάνατος, τὸ δὲ χάρισμα τοῦ θεοῦ ζωὴ αἰώνιος ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ κυρίῳ ἡμῶν. 

20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free of obligation to righteousness.

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

22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become enslaved to God, you have your fruit which leads to holiness, and its destiny is eternal life.

23 For the compensation for sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

NOTES:

Sin as master pays a wage — death; God as master gives a gift — life.