Romans 6:1–23: Dead to Sin, Alive to God (two sessions)

Says Paul asks, “Shall we continue in sin so that grace may increase?” (6:1), and refuses it with μὴ γένοιτο (mē genoito, “Certainly not!”). The question takes up 5:20, where sin increased and grace increased all the more. His answer is another question: “How can we who died to sin live in it any longer?” (6:2). ἀπεθάνομεν (apethanomen, “we died”) is aorist, a death already died, and τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ (tē hamartia, “to sin”) is a dative of reference, as in 6:10–11.

Implies The question answers the charge that grace gives license to sin, the slander already met in 3:8 (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.

Says Paul reminds the readers “that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death” (6:3). “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). συνετάφημεν (synetaphēmen, “we were buried with”) is from συνθάπτω (synthaptō), and ἐν καινότητι ζωῆς (en kainotēti zōēs) is “in newness of life.” Col 2:12 also joins burial with him to baptism.

Background: Jewish washings were repeated, as when the Essenes bathed before their common meal (Josephus, J.W. 2.129), and Josephus describes John's washing as for the body once righteousness had cleansed the soul (Ant. 18.117). Heitmüller and Reitzenstein read Rom 6 in the light of the mystery cults; Wedderburn argues against deriving Paul's language from them (all by reference). The non-canonical Didache (7:1–3) and Justin (1 Apol. 61) show second-century practice; they are cited for historical context only. Uncertain Whether the mystery cults shaped Paul's language here.

Says “For if we have been united with Him like this in His death, we will certainly also be united with Him in His resurrection” (6:5). “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” (6:6). ὁ παλαιὸς ἡμῶν ἄνθρωπος (ho palaios hēmōn anthrōpos) is “our old self,” συνεσταυρώθη (synestaurōthē, aorist passive) is “was crucified with,” and the verb for “rendered powerless” is καταργέω (katargeō). Since Christ was raised, “death no longer has dominion over Him” (6:9). “The death He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life He lives, He lives to God” (6:10).

Implies Believers are united with Christ in his death and resurrection (6:3–5, 8; compare Gal 2:20; Col 2:12).

Says Paul draws the conclusion for the readers, οὕτως καὶ ὑμεῖς (houtōs kai hymeis, “so you too”): they are to count themselves “dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus” (6:11). “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its desires” (6:12). They are to “present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life” (6:13), and their members to him as ὅπλα (hopla); the verb is παρίστημι (paristēmi, “present”). “For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace” (6:14).

Uncertain λογίζεσθε (logizesthe, 6:11). The notes lean to the imperative, “count yourselves” (BSB), because οὕτως καὶ ὑμεῖς draws a conclusion and the imperatives of 6:12–13 follow; the indicative has the same form. Uncertain ὅπλα: the Greek note leans to “instruments” (BSB); the alternative is “weapons,” the usual plural sense (13:12; 2 Cor 6:7).

Text note: the order of εἶναι (einai, “to be”) in 6:11 varies without change of sense.

Implies Believers are united with Christ in his death and resurrection; whatever view is taken of the rite, this is the point of 6:3–5.

Uncertain Whether the water rite or Spirit baptism and union is chiefly in view, and how the rite relates to what it signifies. For the rite: διὰ τοῦ βαπτίσματος (dia tou baptismatos, “through baptism”), the burial picture, and Col 2:12. For Spirit baptism and union: εἰς Χριστόν (eis Christon, “into Christ”) as in Gal 3:27 and 1 Cor 12:13, and 6:5 restating the point as union. The team takes no lean on this or on the mode or subjects of baptism, and nothing about either is drawn from βαπτίζω (baptizō).

Reported views, by reference:

• Reformed: the Westminster Confession (28) calls baptism a sign and seal of ingrafting into Christ, allows pouring or sprinkling, gives it to the infants of believers, and holds that the grace promised is conferred by the Spirit, in God's time, on those to whom it belongs; its grounds include the parallel with circumcision (Col 2:11–12; Rom 4:11).
• Baptist: the Second London Confession (29) calls baptism a sign of fellowship with Christ in his death and resurrection, for those who profess repentance and faith, by immersion; its grounds include baptism following a profession of faith (Mark 16:16; Acts 8:36–37) and the burial picture of 6:4.
• Lutheran: the Augsburg Confession (IX) holds that grace is offered through baptism and that children are to be baptized, and Luther's Small Catechism (IV) that it works forgiveness for all who believe through the word joined to the water; its grounds include Mark 16:16 and Titus 3:5, and the Catechism reads 6:4 of the old Adam drowned by daily repentance.
• Roman Catholic: the Council of Trent (Session 7, canons on baptism) holds that true water is required, that baptism is necessary for salvation, and that infants are to be baptized; its grounds include John 3:5.

The Lutheran and Roman Catholic views both hold, in different forms, baptismal regeneration, that the new birth is given through baptism; it is not the team's view.

Uncertain Definitive break or ongoing process. The exegetical notes and the commentary follow the Greek note's lean to a definitive break. Grounds: συνεσταυρώθη (synestaurōthē) is aorist, like ἀπεθάνομεν (apethanomen, 6:2) and ἐβαπτίσθημεν (ebaptisthēmen, 6:3); Christ's death to sin was once for all (6:10); Col 3:9 speaks of the old self as already taken 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.

Uncertain τὸ σῶμα τῆς ἁμαρτίας (to sōma tēs hamartias, “the body of sin”). 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). The alternative takes σῶμα (sōma) figuratively, sin as a whole mass, as Calvin read it (by reference).

Uncertain σύμφυτοι (symphytoi, 6:5). The lean is “united with, grown together” (BSB “united with Him”), from συμφύω (symphyō). The alternative is “planted together” (literal), from φυτεύω (phyteuō, “plant”). ὁμοίωμα (homoiōma) is “likeness.”

Uncertain ὁ γὰρ ἀποθανὼν δεδικαίωται ἀπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας (ho gar apothanōn dedikaiōtai apo tēs hamartias). The exegetical note and the commentary follow the Greek note's lean to forensic acquittal. Grounds: δικαιόω (dikaioō) is forensic elsewhere in Romans (3:24–28; 4:5; 5:1, 9), and δικαιόω ἀπό (dikaioō apo) means acquittal in Acts 13:39. The alternative, which the BSB's “has been freed from sin” follows, is release from sin's power: slavery to sin is the context (6:6), and 6:18, 22 speak of being set free from sin, ἐλευθερωθέντες ἀπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας (eleutherōthentes apo tēs hamartias).

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 (Romans 1 study, s1.int.6; Romans 4 study, s1.int.2); it is not restated here.

Uncertain The futures ἐσόμεθα (esometha, 6:5) and συζήσομεν (syzēsomen, 6:8). The notes lean to a real future, the bodily resurrection, because in 6:8 it is what “we believe” (πιστεύομεν, pisteuomen) and await, and 8:11 promises it. The alternative is a logical future, new life now (6:4, 11).

Implies ἐφάπαξ (ephapax, “once for all,” 6:10): Christ's death is once for all and cannot be repeated (note.exegetical.Rom.3.25.hilasterion-propitiation; Romans 3 study, s2.int.2; compare Heb 7:27; 9:12).

Implies Union with Christ breaks sin's reign, so grace is no license to sin. Those who died to sin were crucified with Christ “that we should no longer be slaves to sin” (6:6). 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 not to let sin reign (6:12) and to present their members to God (6:13, 19); such commands assume that sin is still present and still to be resisted. Rom 7:14–25 is not used as a ground here.

Uncertain οὐ κυριεύσει (ou kyrieusei, 6:14). The notes lean to a promise, that sin will not rule: its ground (γάρ, gar) is that believers are under grace, not under law. The alternative is an imperatival future, “sin must not rule” (literal), continuing the commands of 6:12–13. The verb is κυριεύω (kyrieuō).

Background: 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 (by reference).

Grounding: Says Believers died to sin and were buried with Christ so that they might walk in newness of life (6:2–4). Implies Grace is no license to sin. Keep the application on union with Christ, not on the baptism debate.

Grounding: Says Believers, like Christ, are dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus (6:11). Keep the application on what is true of them in Christ, not on the mood of the verb.

Grounding: Says Believers are not to let sin reign in their mortal bodies, but to present themselves and their members to God (6:12–13). Implies The passage does not teach sinless perfection: the commands assume that sin is still present and to be resisted.