Slaves of the one you obey: set free from sin, slaves to God, and the gift of eternal life (Romans 6:16–23)

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).