Rom 6:1

exegeticalRom 6:1–14

Union with Christ breaks sin's reign: no license to sin, no sinless perfection, and the old self crucified (Romans 6:1–14)

• ImpliesUnion with Christ breaks sin's reign, so grace is no license to sin, and antinomianism is excluded (6:1–2, 6, 14–15).
• ImpliesThe passage does not teach sinless perfection: it commands those already united with Christ not to let sin reign and to present their members to God (6:12–13, 19).
• UncertainWhether the crucifixion of the old self (6:6) is a definitive break once for all (lean; aorist συνεσταυρώθη with 6:2–3; 6:10; Col 3:9; Gal 2:20; 5:24) or an ongoing process (alternative; Eph 4:22–24; the commands of 6:12–13).

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exegeticalRom 6:1–23

Introduction to Romans 6:1–23: two questions about grace and sin, answered by union with Christ and a change of masters

• SaysRomans 6 asks whether believers should continue in sin so that grace may increase (6:1) and whether they should sin because they are not under law but under grace (6:15), and refuses both (μὴ γένοιτο).
• ImpliesBoth questions answer the charge that grace gives license to sin (5:20; 3:8): 6:1–14 from union with Christ in his death and resurrection, 6:15–23 from a change of masters.

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exegeticalRom 6:1–4

Shall we continue in sin? Dead to sin and buried with Christ through baptism (Romans 6:1–4)

• SaysBelievers died to sin (aorist ἀπεθάνομεν) and so cannot go on living in it (6:2).
• Implies6:1–2 excludes antinomianism: those who died to sin cannot treat grace as a reason to remain in it.
• SaysAll who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death and buried with him through baptism into death, so that they may walk in newness of life (6:3–4).
• UncertainWhether 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); no lean.

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Rom 6:3

exegeticalRom 6:3–5

Baptism and union with Christ in his death and resurrection (Romans 6:3–5)

• ImpliesBelievers are united with Christ in his death and resurrection (6:3–5, 8; Gal 2:20; Col 2:12).
• UncertainWhether 6:3–4 has the water rite chiefly in view (διὰ τοῦ βαπτίσματος; the burial picture; Col 2:12) or Spirit baptism and union (εἰς Χριστόν; Gal 3:27; 1 Cor 12:13; 6:5), and how the rite relates to what it signifies, with the Reformed (WCF 28), Baptist (2LBCF 29), Lutheran and Roman Catholic views named; no lean on this or on the mode or subjects of baptism.

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historicalRom 6:3–5

Jewish washings, John's baptism, mystery cults, and early practice (6:3–4)

• SaysRom 6:3–4 says all who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death and were buried with him through baptism into death, so that they too may walk in newness of life.
• ImpliesRom 6:3–5 implies that believers are united with Christ in his death and resurrection.
• UncertainWhether the mystery cults shaped Paul's baptismal language in Rom 6:3–5 (Heitmüller, Reitzenstein; contra Wedderburn).

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languageRom 6:3; Rom 6:4; Rom 6:5

ἐβαπτίσθημεν εἰς Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν … σύμφυτοι γεγόναμεν τῷ ὁμοιώματι (6:3–5)

• SaysThose baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death and buried with him through baptism, so that they might walk in newness of life (6:3–4).
• UncertainWhether the water rite (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; 6:5) is chiefly in view; no lean.
• UncertainWhether σύμφυτοι means 'united with, grown together' (lean; συμφύω; Abbott-Smith) or 'planted together' (alternative; φυτεύω).
• UncertainWhether ἐσόμεθα (6:5) is a real future, the bodily resurrection (lean; 6:8 πιστεύομεν ὅτι … συζήσομεν; 8:11), or a logical future, new life now (alternative; 6:4, 11).
• ImpliesBelievers are united with Christ in his death and resurrection (6:3–5, 8).

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Rom 6:5

exegeticalRom 6:5–11

United with him in death and resurrection: the old self crucified, freed from sin, alive to God (Romans 6:5–11)

• UncertainWhether σύμφυτοι (6:5) means 'united with, grown together' (lean; συμφύω) or 'planted together' (alternative; φυτεύω).
• UncertainWhether ἐσόμεθα (6:5) and συζήσομεν (6:8) are real futures, the bodily resurrection (lean; 6:8 'we believe'; 8:11), or logical futures, new life now (alternative; 6:4, 11).
• UncertainWhether the crucifixion of the old self (6:6) is a definitive break (lean) or an ongoing process (alternative), as set out in the union-and-sanctification note.
• UncertainWhether 'the body of sin' (6:6) is the bodily person ruled by sin (lean; genitive of definition; 7:24; 6:12) or sin as a whole mass (alternative; Calvin).
• UncertainWhether δεδικαίωται ἀπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας (6:7) is forensic acquittal (lean; δικαιόω in 3:24–28; 4:5; 5:1, 9; Acts 13:39) or release from sin's power (alternative; the slavery context; 6:18, 22).
• SaysDeath no longer has dominion over the risen Christ, who died to sin once for all and lives to God (6:9–10).
• ImpliesChrist's death (ἐφάπαξ, 6:10) is once for all and cannot be repeated (compare Heb 7:27; 9:12).
• SaysBelievers, like Christ, are dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus (6:11).
• UncertainWhether λογίζεσθε (6:11) is imperative, 'count yourselves' (lean; οὕτως καὶ ὑμεῖς; the imperatives of 6:12–13), or indicative (alternative; same form).

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Rom 6:6

languageRom 6:6; Rom 6:7

ὁ παλαιὸς ἡμῶν ἄνθρωπος συνεσταυρώθη … δεδικαίωται ἀπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας (6:6–7)

• SaysOur old self was crucified with Christ (aorist) so that the body of sin might be rendered powerless and we no longer serve sin (6:6).
• UncertainWhether the crucifixion of the old self is a definitive break (lean; the aorists of 6:2–3, 6; Col 3:9) or an ongoing process (alternative; Eph 4:22–24; the commands of 6:12–13).
• UncertainWhether τὸ σῶμα τῆς ἁμαρτίας is the bodily person ruled by sin (lean; genitive of definition, cf. 7:24; 6:12) or sin as a whole mass or organism (alternative; Calvin).
• UncertainWhether δεδικαίωται ἀπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας is forensic acquittal (lean; Abbott-Smith 'declare, pronounce righteous'; Acts 13:39; 3:24–28; 4:5; 5:1, 9) or release from sin's power (alternative; the slavery context, 6:6, 18, 22).
• ImpliesUnion with Christ breaks sin's reign but does not teach sinless perfection (6:6, 12–13).

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Rom 6:8

languageRom 6:8; Rom 6:9; Rom 6:10; Rom 6:11; Rom 6:12; Rom 6:13; Rom 6:14

ἀπέθανεν ἐφάπαξ … λογίζεσθε … ἁμαρτία ὑμῶν οὐ κυριεύσει (6:8–14)

• SaysDeath no longer has dominion over the risen Christ, who died to sin once for all (ἐφάπαξ), and believers present their members to God (6:9–13).
• UncertainWhether λογίζεσθε (6:11) is imperative, 'count yourselves' (lean; οὕτως καὶ ὑμεῖς; the imperatives of 6:12–13), or indicative (alternative; same form).
• UncertainWhether ὅπλα (6:13) means 'instruments' (lean; Abbott-Smith) or 'weapons' (alternative; the usual plural sense, 13:12; 2 Cor 6:7).
• UncertainWhether οὐ κυριεύσει (6:14) is a promise (lean; its ground, γάρ, is being under grace, not under law) or an imperatival future, 'sin must not rule' (alternative; the commands of 6:12–13).
• ImpliesBelievers are not under the law as a way to be justified or as sin's ruling power (6:14; 7:5, 8–11).
• ImpliesNot being under law gives no license to sin (6:15).

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Rom 6:12

exegeticalRom 6:12–15

Do not let sin reign: not under law but under grace, and no license to sin (Romans 6:12–15)

• SaysBelievers are not to let sin reign in their mortal bodies, but to present themselves and their members to God (6:12–13).
• SaysSin shall not be master over believers, because they are not under law but under grace (6:14).
• UncertainWhether οὐ κυριεύσει (6:14) is a promise (lean; its ground, γάρ, is being under grace, not under law) or an imperatival future, 'sin must not rule' (alternative; the commands of 6:12–13).
• ImpliesBelievers are not under the law as a way to be justified or as sin's ruling power (6:14; 3:20; 4:15; 5:20; 7:5).
• ImpliesBeing under grace gives no license to sin (6:15).

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Rom 6:15

historicalRom 6:15–23

Slavery, change of owner, manumission, and wages (6:16–23)

• SaysRom 6:16, 19, 22 says those who present themselves as obedient slaves are slaves of the one they obey, that believers set free from sin have become slaves to God, and that Paul speaks in human terms because of the weakness of their flesh.
• SaysRom 6:23 says the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
• ImpliesRom 6:23 implies that eternal life is an unearned gift in Christ, not wages earned (see note.language.Rom.6.19-Rom.6.23.opsonia-charisma).
• UncertainWhether Paul's slavery image in Rom 6:16–22 draws on sacral manumission in particular (Deissmann) or on ordinary slave ownership.

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Rom 6:16

exegeticalRom 6:16–23

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

• SaysThose who offer themselves as obedient slaves are slaves of the one they obey, sin leading to death or obedience leading to righteousness (6:16).
• UncertainWhether the readers were handed over to the form of teaching (lean; passive with the readers as subject; παραδίδωμι εἰς of persons, 1:24, 26, 28; the change of masters, 6:16–18) or the teaching was delivered to them (alternative; tradition language, 1 Cor 11:2, 23; 15:3) (6:17).
• UncertainWhether 6:17b is Paul's own (lean; it fits 6:16–18) or a later gloss (alternative; it interrupts the contrast of 6:17a and 6:18; Cranfield).
• SaysBelievers have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness, and Paul says he speaks in human terms (6:18–19).
• UncertainWhether ἁγιασμός (6:19, 22) is the process of sanctification (lean; the -μός verbal noun) or the resulting holiness (alternative; εἰς of goal).
• SaysThe outcome of the old service is death, and the fruit of slavery to God leads to holiness, whose outcome is eternal life (6:21–22).
• SaysThe wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (6:23).
• ImpliesDeath as the penalty of sin goes back to Gen 2:17, as Paul reads it in Rom 5:12.
• UncertainWhether 6:23 itself echoes Gen 2:17 (no lean; the echo runs through Rom 5:12).
• ImpliesEternal life is an unearned gift in Christ, not wages, and holiness is its fruit, not its ground (6:22–23; 3:24; 4:4–5; 5:15–17).

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Rom 6:17

languageRom 6:17

ὑπηκούσατε δὲ ἐκ καρδίας εἰς ὃν παρεδόθητε τύπον διδαχῆς (6:17)

• SaysThe antecedent τύπον διδαχῆς is drawn into the relative clause: 'you obeyed the form of teaching to which you were handed over' (6:17).
• UncertainWhether the readers were handed over to the teaching (lean; passive with the readers as subject; παραδίδωμι εἰς of persons, 1:24, 26, 28; the change of masters, 6:16–18) or the teaching was delivered to them (alternative; tradition language, 1 Cor 11:2, 23; 15:3).
• UncertainWhether 6:17b is Paul's (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; Cranfield, by reference).

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Rom 6:19

languageRom 6:19; Rom 6:20; Rom 6:21; Rom 6:22; Rom 6:23

ἀνθρώπινον λέγω … εἰς ἁγιασμόν … τὰ ὀψώνια … τὸ χάρισμα (6:19–23)

• SaysPaul speaks 'in human fashion' (6:19); members are to be presented as slaves to righteousness for ἁγιασμός, and the outcome (τέλος) is death or eternal life (6:19–22).
• UncertainWhether ἁγιασμός (6:19, 22) is the process of sanctification (lean; the -μός verbal noun; Abbott-Smith) or the resulting holiness (alternative; εἰς of goal).
• SaysThe wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (6:23).
• ImpliesEternal life is an unearned gift in Christ, not wages, and sanctification is its fruit, not its ground (6:22–23; 4:4–5; 5:15–17).

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