Romans 6:1–23: Dead to Sin, Alive to God in Christ

Says Romans 6 asks two questions and refuses each with μὴ γένοιτο: "Shall we continue in sin so that grace may increase?" (6:1, BSB), and "Shall we sin because we are not under law, but under grace? Certainly not!" (6:15, BSB). The first takes up 5:20: "but where sin increased, grace increased all the more" (5:20, BSB).

Implies Both questions answer the charge that grace gives license to sin, the slander already met in 3:8 (note.exegetical.Rom.3.1-Rom.3.8.gods-faithfulness; note.historical.Rom.3.1-Rom.3.31.slander-3-8). 6:1–14 answers it from union with Christ in his death and resurrection; 6:15–23 answers it from a change of masters, from sin to God and righteousness.

Structure. 6:1–4: buried with him through baptism, with a doctrinal note on baptism and union (6:3–5). 6:5–11: died with Christ, alive to God, with a doctrinal note on union and sanctification (6:1–14). 6:12–15: not under law but under grace. 6:16–23: slaves of righteousness, and the wages and the gift.

Background. The historical notes treat Jewish washings, John's baptism, the mystery-cult debate, and early Christian practice (note.historical.Rom.6.1-Rom.6.23.baptism-background), and Roman slavery, manumission, and soldiers' pay (note.historical.Rom.6.1-Rom.6.23.slavery-and-wages).

Note ID: note.exegetical.Rom.6.1-Rom.6.23.overview

¹ What then shall we say? Shall we continue in sin so that grace may increase? ² Certainly not! How can we who died to sin live in it any longer? ³ Or aren’t you aware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? ⁴ We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may walk in newness of life. (BSB)

Says Paul answers the question of 6:1 with another: "How can we who died to sin live in it any longer?" (6:2, BSB). ἀπεθάνομεν (apethanomen) is aorist: a death already died, and τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ is a dative of reference, as in 6:10–11 (note.language.Rom.6.8-Rom.6.14.ephapax-kyrieusei).

Implies Those who died to sin cannot treat grace as a reason to stay in it, so 6:1–2 excludes antinomianism. The grounds are set out in note.exegetical.Rom.6.1-Rom.6.14.union-and-sanctification and are not repeated here.

Says Paul reminds the readers "that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death" (6:3, BSB). "We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may walk in newness of life" (6:4, BSB). συνετάφημεν (synetaphēmen) is "buried with," and ἐν καινότητι ζωῆς is "newness of life" (lex.G907; lex.G4916; lex.G2538).

Uncertain Whether 6:3–4 has the water rite chiefly in view (διὰ τοῦ βαπτίσματος, the burial picture, Col 2:12) or Spirit baptism and union with Christ (εἰς Χριστόν, Gal 3:27; 1 Cor 12:13). This commentary takes no lean, and nothing about mode or subjects is drawn from βαπτίζω (note.language.Rom.6.3-Rom.6.5.baptizo-symphytoi). The four traditions are set out in note.exegetical.Rom.6.3-Rom.6.5.baptism-and-union.

Note ID: note.exegetical.Rom.6.1-Rom.6.4.buried-with-him

Implies Believers are united with Christ in his death and resurrection. Paul states that "we have been united with Him like this in His death" (6:5, BSB) and that "if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him" (6:8, BSB); compare Gal 2:20 and Col 2:12. Whatever view is taken of the rite, this union is the point of 6:3–5 (note.language.Rom.6.3-Rom.6.5.baptizo-symphytoi).

Uncertain Whether 6:3–4 has the water rite chiefly in view or Spirit baptism and union, and how the rite relates to what it signifies. For the rite: διὰ τοῦ βαπτίσματος, the burial picture, and Col 2:12. For Spirit baptism and union: εἰς Χριστόν as in Gal 3:27 and 1 Cor 12:13, and 6:5 restating the point as union. This commentary takes no lean on this question or on the mode or subjects of baptism, and nothing about mode or subjects is drawn from βαπτίζω (lex.G907). The main views follow, by reference.

Reformed. The Westminster Confession calls baptism a sign and seal of the covenant of grace and of ingrafting into Christ, says that dipping is not necessary and that pouring or sprinkling is right, gives it to the infants of believers, holds that its grace is not so tied to the rite that all the baptized are regenerate, and holds that by its right use the grace promised is really conferred by the Holy Spirit, in God's appointed time, on those to whom it belongs (src.wcf-1646). Its grounds include the parallel with circumcision (Col 2:11–12; Rom 4:11; note.exegetical.Rom.4.9-Rom.4.12.before-circumcision).

Baptist. The Second London Baptist Confession calls baptism a sign of fellowship with Christ in his death and resurrection and of being engrafted into him, citing Rom 6:3–5, Col 2:12, and Gal 3:27. It holds that only those who profess repentance and faith are proper subjects and that immersion is necessary to its due administration (src.2lbc-1677). Its grounds include baptism following a profession of faith (its proof texts Mark 16:16 and Acts 8:36–37) and the burial picture of 6:4.

Lutheran. The Augsburg Confession teaches that baptism is necessary to salvation, that God's grace is offered through it, and that children are to be baptized (src.augsburg-confession-schaff). Luther's Small Catechism says that baptism works forgiveness of sins and gives salvation to all who believe, through the word joined to the water and received by faith, citing Mark 16:16 and Titus 3:5, and reads Rom 6:4 of the old Adam drowned by daily repentance (src.luther-small-catechism-schaff).

Roman Catholic. The Council of Trent's decree on the sacraments presents them as the means by which righteousness begins, grows, or is restored. Its canons on baptism hold that true water is required (citing John 3:5), that baptism is necessary for salvation, and that infants are to be baptized (src.trent-session7-schaff).

Other readings. The Lutheran and Roman Catholic views both hold, in different forms, that the new birth is given through baptism (baptismal regeneration). That view is described here by reference and is not the team's view. Whether the mystery cults shaped Paul's language is treated in note.historical.Rom.6.1-Rom.6.23.baptism-background.

Note ID: note.exegetical.Rom.6.3-Rom.6.5.baptism-and-union

⁵ For if we have been united with Him like this in His death, we will certainly also be united with Him in His resurrection. ⁶ We know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be rendered powerless, that we should no longer be slaves to sin. ⁷ For anyone who has died has been freed from sin. ⁸ Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him. ⁹ For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, He cannot die again; death no longer has dominion over Him. ¹⁰ The death He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life He lives, He lives to God. ¹¹ So you too must count yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. (BSB)

Uncertain σύμφυτοι (symphytoi, 6:5). This commentary follows the Greek note's lean to "united with, grown together" (BSB "united with Him"), from συμφύω. The alternative is "planted together," linking it with φυτεύω (note.language.Rom.6.3-Rom.6.5.baptizo-symphytoi; lex.G4854; lex.G3667).

Uncertain The futures ἐσόμεθα (6:5) and συζήσομεν (6:8). The lean is a real future, the bodily resurrection, because 6:8 speaks of what is believed and awaited and 8:11 promises it. The alternative is a logical future, new life now (6:4, 11).

Uncertain Whether "our old self was crucified with Him" (6:6, BSB) describes a definitive break or an ongoing process. The lean is definitive; the grounds and the alternative are given in note.exegetical.Rom.6.1-Rom.6.14.union-and-sanctification (lex.G3820; lex.G4957).

Uncertain The phrase "the body of sin" (6:6, BSB). The lean is the bodily person as ruled by sin: a genitive of definition, as in 7:24, with sin's reign placed "in your mortal body" (6:12, BSB). The alternative takes σῶμα as figurative, sin as a whole mass, as Calvin read it (src.calvin-romans-owen; note.language.Rom.6.6-Rom.6.7.palaios-anthropos-dedikaiotai; lex.G4983; lex.G2673).

Uncertain ὁ γὰρ ἀποθανὼν δεδικαίωται ἀπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας (6:7). This commentary follows the Greek note's lean to forensic acquittal: δικαιόω is forensic elsewhere in Romans (3:24–28; 4:5; 5:1, 9), and δικαιόω ἀπό means acquittal in Acts 13:39 (lex.G1344). The alternative, which the BSB's "has been freed from sin" follows, is release from sin's power, since slavery to sin is the context (6:6) and 6:18, 22 speak of being set free from sin. On justification as a verdict, see note.exegetical.Rom.1.17.imputation, note.exegetical.Rom.3.21-Rom.3.26.righteousness-revealed, and note.exegetical.Rom.4.3-Rom.4.8.crediting-righteousness.

Says Since Christ was raised, "death no longer has dominion over Him" (6:9, BSB). "The death He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life He lives, He lives to God" (6:10, BSB).

Implies ἐφάπαξ (ephapax): Christ's death is once for all and cannot be repeated (lex.G2178; note.exegetical.Rom.3.25.hilasterion-propitiation; compare Heb 7:27; 9:12).

Says Paul draws the conclusion for the readers (οὕτως καὶ ὑμεῖς): "dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus" (6:11, BSB). The order of εἶναι varies without change of sense (var.Rom.6.11.einai-order).

Uncertain The mood of λογίζεσθε (6:11). The lean is imperative, "count yourselves," because οὕτως καὶ ὑμεῖς draws a conclusion and the imperatives of 6:12–13 follow. The alternative is the indicative, which has the same form (note.language.Rom.6.8-Rom.6.14.ephapax-kyrieusei; lex.G3049).

Note ID: note.exegetical.Rom.6.5-Rom.6.11.died-with-christ

Implies Union with Christ breaks sin's reign, so grace is no license to sin. Those who "died to sin" (6:2, BSB) were crucified with Christ "that we should no longer be slaves to sin" (6:6, BSB), and "sin shall not be your master" (6:14, BSB). Antinomianism, the view that grace leaves the believer free to go on in sin, is excluded (6:1–2, 15).

Implies The passage does not teach sinless perfection. Paul commands those already united with Christ: "do not let sin reign in your mortal body" (6:12, BSB), and do not present their members to sin (6:13); he calls for presenting them "in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness" (6:19, BSB). Commands not to let sin reign assume that sin is still present and still to be resisted (note.language.Rom.6.6-Rom.6.7.palaios-anthropos-dedikaiotai). Rom 7:14–25 is not used as a ground here.

Uncertain Whether "our old self was crucified with Him" (6:6, BSB) is a definitive break, once for all, or an ongoing process. This commentary follows the Greek note's lean to a definitive break. Grounds: συνεσταυρώθη (synestaurōthē) is aorist, like ἀπεθάνομεν (6:2) and ἐβαπτίσθημεν (6:3); Christ's death to sin was once for all (6:10); Col 3:9 speaks of the old self as already put off, and Gal 2:20; 5:24 speak of crucifixion with Christ as done. The alternative is an ongoing process: Eph 4:22–24 urges putting off the old self, and 6:12–13 still command (lex.G3820; lex.G4957; lex.G2673).

Confessional summary. The Westminster Confession holds both a real breaking of sin's dominion in those united to Christ and a sanctification that remains imperfect in this life (src.wcf-1646).

Note ID: note.exegetical.Rom.6.1-Rom.6.14.union-and-sanctification

¹² Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its desires. ¹³ Do not present the parts of your body to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and present the parts of your body to Him as instruments of righteousness. ¹⁴ For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. ¹⁵ What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law, but under grace? Certainly not! (BSB)

Says "Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its desires" (6:12, BSB). Believers are to "present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life" (6:13, BSB), and their members to him (παρίστημι, lex.G3936; lex.G3696).

Says "For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace" (6:14, BSB).

Uncertain οὐ κυριεύσει (ou kyrieusei, 6:14). This commentary follows the Greek note's lean to a promise, that sin will not rule: its ground (γάρ) is that believers are under grace, not under law. The alternative is an imperatival future, "sin must not rule," continuing the commands of 6:12–13 (note.language.Rom.6.8-Rom.6.14.ephapax-kyrieusei; lex.G2961).

Implies Believers are not under the law as a way to be justified or as sin's ruling power. The law gives knowledge of sin (3:20), brings wrath (4:15), and increased the trespass (5:20), and sin worked through it (7:5) (note.exegetical.Rom.4.13-Rom.4.17.promise-through-faith; note.exegetical.Rom.3.9-Rom.3.20.all-under-sin).

Other readings. A salvation-history reading takes "under law" as the Mosaic era now past (compare Gal 3:23–25). On the New Perspective, see the paragraph in note.exegetical.Rom.3.27-Rom.3.31.boasting-excluded.

Implies Being under grace gives no license to sin: "Shall we sin because we are not under law, but under grace? Certainly not!" (6:15, BSB). This answers the slander of 3:8 again (note.historical.Rom.3.1-Rom.3.31.slander-3-8).

Note ID: note.exegetical.Rom.6.12-Rom.6.15.not-under-law

¹⁶ Do you not know that when you offer yourselves as obedient slaves, you are slaves to the one you obey, whether you are slaves to sin leading to death, or to obedience leading to righteousness? ¹⁷ But thanks be to God that, though you once were slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were committed. ¹⁸ You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. ¹⁹ I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to escalating wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness. ²⁰ For when you were slaves to sin, you were free of obligation to righteousness. ²¹ What fruit did you reap at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? The outcome of those things is death. ²² But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the fruit you reap leads to holiness, and the outcome is eternal life. ²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (BSB)

Says Paul asks whether they know "that when you offer yourselves as obedient slaves, you are slaves to the one you obey, whether you are slaves to sin leading to death, or to obedience leading to righteousness" (6:16, BSB). On ὑπακοή, see note.language.Rom.1.5.hypakoe-pisteos.

Uncertain εἰς ὃν παρεδόθητε τύπον διδαχῆς (6:17). This commentary follows the Greek note's lean: the readers were handed over to the teaching (BSB "to which you were committed"), since παρεδόθητε has the readers as subject, παραδίδωμι εἰς is used of persons in 1:24, 26, 28, and 6:16–18 describe a change of masters. The alternative is that the teaching was delivered to them, as tradition is passed on in 1 Cor 11:2, 23; 15:3 (note.language.Rom.6.17.typon-didaches; lex.G1322; lex.G5179).

Uncertain Whether 6:17b is Paul's own (lean; it fits the change of masters in 6:16–18) or a later gloss (alternative; it interrupts the contrast of 6:17a and 6:18; discussed by Cranfield, src.cranfield-icc-romans).

Says "You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness" (6:18, BSB). Paul flags the image: "I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh" (6:19, BSB) (lex.G1659; lex.G1402).

Background. Roman sale and transfer of slaves, manumission, and sacral manumission at Delphi are set out in note.historical.Rom.6.1-Rom.6.23.slavery-and-wages, which leaves open whether Paul has sacral manumission in view. The background explains the image; it does not fix its meaning.

Uncertain ἁγιασμός (6:19, 22). The lean is the process, "sanctification," from the -μός verbal noun. The alternative is the resulting state, "holiness" (BSB), since εἰς gives a goal (note.language.Rom.6.19-Rom.6.23.opsonia-charisma; lex.G38).

Says Of the old service: "The outcome of those things is death" (6:21, BSB). Of the new: "the fruit you reap leads to holiness, and the outcome is eternal life" (6:22, BSB).

Says "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (6:23, BSB). τὰ ὀψώνια (opsōnia) is "wages," and τὸ χάρισμα (charisma) is "free gift" (lex.G3800; lex.G5486; lex.G2222; lex.G166).

Implies Death as the penalty of sin goes back to Gen 2:17, as Paul reads it in 5:12 (note.language.Rom.5.12-Rom.5.14.gen-2-3-adam).

Uncertain Whether 6:23 itself echoes Gen 2:17; the echo runs through 5:12 (xref.Rom.6.23.Gen.2.17.heb).

Implies Eternal life is an unearned gift in Christ, not wages. Death is earned; life is given, as in 3:24 (note.language.Rom.3.24.dorean-apolytrosis), 4:4–5 (note.language.Rom.4.2-Rom.4.5.logizomai-misthos), and 5:15–17 (note.exegetical.Rom.5.15-Rom.5.17.not-like-the-trespass). The holiness of 6:22 is the fruit on the way to that life, not its ground (note.exegetical.Rom.2.6-Rom.2.16.judgment-according-to-works).

Note ID: note.exegetical.Rom.6.16-Rom.6.23.slaves-of-righteousness

Minor variants (no change in meaning). Only the 6:11 word-order unit has its own variant record, with the full evidence and decision; the other lines have none. - Romans 6:1: text ἐπιμένωμεν (SBLGNT, WH, Treg, NA28, Tischendorf 8; A, B, C, D, E, F, G, about 25 others, the Latin d, e) / alt. 1 ἐπιμείνωμεν (L and two minuscules) / alt. 2 ἐπιμένομεν (RP2018; ℵ, K, P, 1908 (Tisch. 47), several minuscules, cop, Euthalius) / alt. 3 ἐπιμενοῦμεν (TR; very many minuscules, arm, Chrysostom, Theodoret, Gennadius, Diodore, Theophylact, Oecumenius; Latin permanebimus in f, g, vg, Origen (Lat.), Augustine, Ambrosiaster). Byz = alternative 2; TR = alternative 3. The question is the same in each form; no variant record. - Romans 6:11: text λογίζεσθε ἑαυτοὺς εἶναι νεκροὺς μὲν τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ (ℵ*, B, C, Cyril, John of Damascus) / alt. 1 λογίζεσθε ἑαυτοὺς νεκροὺς μὲν εἶναι τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ (ℵᶜ, K, L, P, vg, syrᵖ, …) / alt. 2 λογίζεσθε ἑαυτοὺς νεκροὺς μὲν τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ (A, D, E, F, G, itᵈ*, …). Byz, TR = alternative 1. Confidence medium. var.Rom.6.11.einai-order. - Romans 6:11: text ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ (SBLGNT, WH, Treg, NA28, Tischendorf 8; A, B, D, E, F, G, 1908* (Tisch. 47*) and two more minuscules, the Vulgate manuscripts am, fu, demid, harl, tol, syrᵖ, aeth, Basil, Cyril, Theodoret, Tertullian, Hilary, Augustine) / alt. + τῷ κυρίῳ ἡμῶν (RP2018, TR; ℵ, C, K, L, P, most others, the Clementine vg, cop, arm, Origen (Lat.), Didymus, Chrysostom, Euthalius, John of Damascus, Ambrosiaster). Byz, TR = alternative. No change in sense (compare 6:23); no variant record. - Romans 6:12: text ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις αὐτοῦ (SBLGNT, WH, Treg, NA28, Tischendorf 8; ℵ, A, B, C*, 1908 (Tisch. 47), 436 (Tisch. 80), five more minuscules, d, vg, sah, cop, syrˢᶜʰ, arm, aeth, Origen, Methodius, Antiochus, John of Damascus, Augustine) / *alt. 1 αὐτῇ (D, E, F, G, d*, f, g, Irenaeus (Lat.), Origen (Lat.), Tertullian) / alt. 2 αὐτῇ ἐν ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις αὐτοῦ (RP2018, TR; C³, K, L, P, most others, syrᵖ, Basil, Chrysostom, Euthalius, Theodoret, Theophylact, Oecumenius). Byz, TR = alternative 2. The Byzantine text combines the other two; obeying sin or its desires says the same in 6:12; no variant record. - Romans 6:13: text ὡσεί (SBLGNT, WH, Treg, NA28, Tischendorf 8; ℵ, A, B, C, four minuscules, Methodius, John of Damascus) / alt. ὡς (RP2018, TR; D, E, F, G, K, L, P, most others, Basil, Chrysostom, Theodoret, Theophylact, Oecumenius). Byz, TR = alternative. Same sense; no variant record. - Romans 6:15: text ἁμαρτήσωμεν (SBLGNT, WH, Treg, NA28, Tischendorf 8; ℵ, A, B, C, D, E, K, L, P, about 35 others, Clement, Euthalius) / alt. 1 ἁμαρτήσομεν (RP2018, TR; very many minuscules, Chrysostom, Theodoret, John of Damascus) / alt. 2 ἡμαρτήσαμεν (F, G). Byz, TR = alternative 1.** The question is the same; no variant record.

This summary repeats the conclusions above. It adds no new argument.

• Says Paul refuses both questions, whether to continue in sin so that grace may increase (6:1) and whether to sin because believers are not under law but under grace (6:15). Believers died to sin, were baptized into Christ's death and buried with him, so that they may walk in newness of life (6:2–4). Christ died to sin once for all and lives to God, and believers are dead to sin and alive to God in him (6:9–11). Sin shall not be their master, because they are not under law but under grace (6:14). Set free from sin, they have become slaves to righteousness and to God; the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (6:16–23).
• Implies Grace gives no license to sin: union with Christ breaks sin's reign, though the passage does not teach sinless perfection. Believers are united with Christ in his death and resurrection. Christ's death cannot be repeated. Believers are not under the law as a way to be justified or as sin's ruling power. Eternal life is an unearned gift in Christ, not wages.
• Uncertain Whether 6:3–4 has the water rite or Spirit baptism chiefly in view, and how the rite relates to what it signifies (no lean; four traditions named); σύμφυτοι (lean: united with); the futures of 6:5, 8 (lean: bodily resurrection); the old self (lean: a definitive break); the body of sin (lean: the bodily person ruled by sin); δεδικαίωται in 6:7 (lean: forensic acquittal); the mood of λογίζεσθε (lean: imperative); οὐ κυριεύσει in 6:14 (lean: a promise); 6:17 (lean: handed over to the teaching; and Paul's own words); ἁγιασμός (lean: the process); and whether 6:23 itself echoes Gen 2:17 (no lean).