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Saturday, September 21st, 2024
the Week of Proper 19 / Ordinary 24
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Read the Bible

King James Version

Romans 6:23

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Death;   Gifts from God;   Holiness;   Immortality;   Jesus Continued;   Life;   Regeneration;   Righteous;   Wages;   Thompson Chain Reference - Consequences of Sin;   Death;   Error;   Eternal;   Gift;   God;   God's;   Life-Death;   Penalty, Sins;   Profit and Loss;   Salvation;   Salvation-Condemnation;   Sin;   Sin's;   Sin-Saviour;   Sinners;   Spiritual;   Transgression;   Wages of Sin;   The Topic Concordance - Death;   Eternal Life;   Giving and Gifts;   Sin;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Condemnation;   Death, Eternal;   Fall of Man, the;   Gifts of God, the;   Life, Eternal;   Punishment of the Wicked, the;   Reward of Saints, the;   Sin;   Trinity, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Life;   Wages;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Atonement;   Death;   Humanity, humankind;   Life;   Propitiation;   Redemption;   Reward;   Sheol;   Sin;   Sorrow;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Body;   Death, Mortality;   Faith;   Freedom;   Immortality;   Last Day(s), Latter Days, Last Times;   Life;   Philippians, Theology of;   Reward;   Time;   Wages;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Adoption;   Love of God;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Eternal Life;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Satan;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Anthropology;   Body;   Fall;   Flesh;   Gift, Giving;   Human Free Will;   Life;   Romans, Book of;   Sin;   Wages;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Death;   Grace;   Justification, Justify;   Life;   Redeemer, Redemption;   Romans, Epistle to the;   Spiritual Gifts;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Attributes of Christ;   Body;   Destruction;   Eternal Everlasting;   Eternal Life (2);   Evil;   Fall;   Gifts;   Good;   Guilt (2);   Hell;   Judgment Damnation;   Justice (2);   Justification (2);   Law;   Life and Death;   Perseverance;   Predestination;   Propitiation (2);   Regeneration;   Restitution;   Salvation Save Saviour;   Sanctification;   Sin;   Sin (2);   Unity;   Wages;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Death;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Wages;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Calvinism;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Body;   Death;   Gift;   Justice;   Life;   Pauline Theology;   Wages;  

Devotionals:

- Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life - Devotion for November 9;   Daily Light on the Daily Path - Devotion for September 26;   Every Day Light - Devotion for November 12;  

Parallel Translations

Simplified Cowboy Version
Workin' for sin's outfit pays ya in death, but God offers ya eternal life through Jesus.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Legacy Standard Bible
For the wages of sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Bible in Basic English
For the reward of sin is death; but what God freely gives is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Darby Translation
For the wages of sin [is] death; but the act of favour of God, eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
New King James Version
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Christian Standard Bible®
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
World English Bible
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
For death is the wages of sin; but eternal life is the gift of God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Weymouth's New Testament
For the wages paid by Sin are death; but God's free gift is the Life of the Ages bestowed upon us in Christ Jesus our Lord.
King James Version (1611)
For the wages of sinne is death: but the gift of God is eternall life, through Iesus Christ our Lord.
Literal Translation
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is everlasting life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
For death is the rewarde of synne, but the gifte of God is euerlastinge life.
Mace New Testament (1729)
for the wages of sin is death: but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amplified Bible
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God [that is, His remarkable, overwhelming gift of grace to believers] is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
American Standard Version
For the wages of sin is death; but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Revised Standard Version
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
For the rewarde of synne is deeth: but eternall lyfe is the gyfte of God thorow Iesus Christ oure Lorde.
Update Bible Version
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Webster's Bible Translation
For the wages of sin [is] death: but the gift of God [is] eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Young's Literal Translation
for the wages of the sin [is] death, and the gift of God [is] life age-during in Christ Jesus our Lord.
New Century Version
The payment for sin is death. But God gives us the free gift of life forever in Christ Jesus our Lord.
New English Translation
For the payoff of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Berean Standard Bible
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Contemporary English Version
Sin pays off with death. But God's gift is eternal life given by Jesus Christ our Lord.
Complete Jewish Bible
For what one earns from sin is death; but eternal life is what one receives as a free gift from God, in union with the Messiah Yeshua, our Lord.
English Standard Version
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Geneva Bible (1587)
For the wages of sinne is death: but the gift of God is eternall life, through Iesus Christ our Lord.
George Lamsa Translation
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through our LORD Jesus Christ.
Hebrew Names Version
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Messiah Yeshua our Lord.
International Standard Version
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in union with Christ Jesus our Lord.Genesis 2:17; Romans 2:7; James 1:15; 1 Peter 1:4;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
For the wages of sin is death; and the gift of Aloha the life of eternity by our Lord Jeshu Meshiha.
Murdock Translation
For the wages of sin is death; but the free gift of God is life eternal, through our Lord Jesus Messiah.
New Living Translation
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
New Life Bible
You get what is coming to you when you sin. It is death! But God's free gift is life that lasts forever. It is given to us by our Lord Jesus Christ.
English Revised Version
For the wages of sin is death; but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
New Revised Standard
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
For, the wages of sin, is death; but, God's gift of favour, is life age-abiding, in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Douay-Rheims Bible
For the wages of sin is death. But the grace of God, life everlasting in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Lexham English Bible
For the compensation due sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
For the rewarde of sinne is death: but the gyft of God is eternall lyfe, thorowe Iesus Christe our Lorde.
Easy-to-Read Version
When people sin, they earn what sin pays—death. But God gives his people a free gift—eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
New American Standard Bible
For the wages of sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Good News Translation
For sin pays its wage—death; but God's free gift is eternal life in union with Christ Jesus our Lord.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
For the wagis of synne is deth; the grace of God is euerlastynge lijf in Crist Jhesu our Lord.

Contextual Overview

1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 7 For he that is dead is freed from sin. 8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. 10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

For the wages: Romans 5:12, Genesis 2:17, Genesis 3:19, Isaiah 3:11, Ezekiel 18:4, Ezekiel 18:20, 1 Corinthians 6:9, 1 Corinthians 6:10, Galatians 3:10, Galatians 6:7, Galatians 6:8, James 1:15, Revelation 21:8

but the: Romans 2:7, Romans 5:17, Romans 5:21, John 3:14-17, John 3:36, John 4:14, John 5:24, John 5:39, John 5:40, John 6:27, John 6:32, John 6:33, John 6:40, John 6:50-58, John 6:68, John 10:28, John 17:2, Titus 1:2, 1 Peter 1:3, 1 Peter 1:4, 1 John 2:25, 1 John 5:11, 1 John 5:12

Reciprocal: Genesis 6:17 - shall die Genesis 12:13 - Say Numbers 27:3 - died in his Psalms 37:18 - their Psalms 133:3 - even life Proverbs 10:16 - the fruit Proverbs 12:28 - General Proverbs 19:6 - and Isaiah 54:17 - the heritage Zechariah 3:4 - I have Matthew 19:16 - eternal Matthew 25:46 - the righteous Mark 10:17 - eternal Mark 10:30 - eternal Luke 12:32 - the kingdom Luke 20:38 - for all John 3:15 - eternal John 4:15 - give Acts 10:43 - through Acts 15:11 - that Romans 5:15 - and the gift Romans 6:11 - through Romans 6:21 - for the Romans 8:6 - to be carnally minded Romans 8:13 - ye live Romans 8:32 - how 1 Corinthians 15:21 - by man came also 1 Corinthians 15:56 - sting 2 Corinthians 1:20 - all 2 Corinthians 9:15 - his 1 Timothy 1:16 - believe 2 Timothy 1:1 - the promise Hebrews 9:15 - eternal James 1:17 - good

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For the wages of sin is death,.... By sin, is meant every sin, original sin, actual sin, every kind of sin, lesser and greater: the "death" which sin deserves, is a corporeal death; which is not owing to the original nature and constitution of men; nor merely to the divine appointment; but to sin, and the decree of God, on account of it; which is inflicted on Christless sinners, as a punishment for sin, though not on believers as such, because Christ has took away the sting and curse of it: a death of diseases and afflictions also follows upon sin, as its proper demerit; which are properly punishments to wicked men, and are occasioned by sin in believers: there is a death of the soul, which comes by sin, which lies in an alienation from God, in a loss of the image of God, and in a servitude to sin; and there is an eternal death, the just wages of sin, which lies in a separation of soul and body from God, and in a sense of divine wrath to all eternity; and which is here meant, as is clear from its antithesis, "eternal life", in the next clause. Now this is "the wages" of sin; sin does in its own nature produce it, and excludes from life; it is the natural issue of it; sin is committed against an infinite God, and righteously deserves such a death; it is its just wages by law. The Greek word οψωνια, signifies soldiers' wages; see Luke 3:14 and in

"At which time Simon rose up, and fought for his nation, and spent much of his own substance, and armed the valiant men of his nation and gave them wages,'' (1 Maccabees 14:32)

Sin is represented as a king, a mighty monarch, a tyrannical prince; sinners are his subjects and vassals, his servants and soldiers, who fight under him, and for him, and all the wages they must expect from him is death. So the word is interpreted in the Glossary,

μισθος στρατιωτικος, "soldiers' wages"; and so it is used by the Jewish writers, being adopted into their language; of a king, they say a, that he should not multiply to himself gold and silver more than to pay אספניא, which they b interpret by שכר חיילות, "the hire of armies", or the wages of soldiers for a whole year, who go in and out with him all the year; so that it denotes wages due, and paid after a campaign is ended, and service is over; and, as here used, suggests, that when men have been all their days in the service of sin, and have fought under the banners of it, the wages they will earn, and the reward that will be given them, will be death: and it is frequently observed by the Jewish doctors c, that

אין מיתה בלא חטא, "there is no death without sin": sin is the cause of death, and death the fruit and effect of sin:

but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. These words, at first sight, look as if the sense of them was, that eternal life is the gift of God through Christ, which is a great and glorious truth of the Gospel; but their standing in opposition to the preceding words require another sense, namely, that God's gift of grace issues in eternal life, through Christ: wherefore by "the gift of God" is not meant eternal life, but either the gift of a justifying righteousness, or the grace of God in regeneration and sanctification, or both, which issue in eternal life; the one is the saints' right and title, the other their meetness for it: so that as death is the wages of sin, and is what that issues in, and brings unto, eternal life is the effect of grace, or what the grace of God in justifying and sanctifying his people issues in; even a life free from all sorrow and imperfection; a life of the utmost perfection and pleasure, and which will last for ever: and as the grace of God, which justifies and sanctifies them, is "through Christ", so is the eternal life itself which it brings unto: this is in Christ, comes through his righteousness, sufferings, and death; is bestowed by him, and will greatly consist in the enjoyment of him. All grace is the gift of God, and is freely given, or otherwise it would not be grace; particularly the justifying righteousness of Christ is the gift of God; and the rather this may be meant here, since the apostle had been treating of it so largely before, and had so often, in the preceding chapter, called it the gift of righteousness, the free gift, and gift by grace, and justification by it, the justification of life, because it entitles to eternal life, as here: it may be said to issue in it; for between justification and glorification there is a sure and close connection; they that are justified by the righteousness of Christ, are certainly glorified, or enjoy eternal life; and though this may be principally intended here, yet is not to be understood to the exclusion of other gifts of grace, which have the same connection and issue: thus, for instance, faith is the gift of God, and not of a man's self, and he that has it, has eternal life, and shall, Or ever possess it; repentance is a free grace gift, it is a grant from the Lord, and it is unto life and salvation; and on whomsoever the grace of God is bestowed, so as to believe in Christ for righteousness, and truly repent of sin, these shall partake of eternal glory. It may be observed, that there is a just proportion between sin, and the wages of it, yet there is none between eternal life, and the obedience of men; and therefore though the apostle had been pressing so much obedience to God, and to righteousness, he does not make eternal life to be the fruit and effect of obedience, but of the gift of the grace of God.

a Misn. Sanhedrin, c. 2. sect. 4. b Jarchi & Bartenora in ib. Vid. Cohen de Lara, Ir. David, p. 17. c T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 55. 1. Vajikra Rabba, parash. 37. fol. 176. 3. Midrash Kohelet, fol. 70. 4. Zohar in Gen. fol. 44. 4. Tzeror Hammor, fol. 115. 1.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For the wages of sin - The word translated here “wages” ὀψώνια opsōnia properly denotes what is purchased to be eaten with bread, as fish, flesh, vegetables, etc. (Schleusner); and thence, it means the pay of the Roman soldier, because formerly it was the custom to pay the soldier in these things. It means hence, what a man earns or deserves; what is his proper pay, or what he merits. As applied to sin, it means that death is what sin deserves; what will be its proper reward. Death is thus called the wages of sin, not because it is an arbitrary, undeserved appointment, but

(1) Because it is its proper desert. Not a pain will be inflicted on the sinner which he does not deserve. Not a sinner will die who ought not to die. Sinners even in hell will be treated just as they deserve to be treated; and there is not to man a more fearful and terrible consideration than this. No man can conceive a more dreadful doom than for himself to be treated forever just as he deserves to be. But,

(2) This is the wages of sin, because, like the pay of the soldier, it is just what was threatened, Ezekiel 18:4, “The soul that sinneth, it shall die.” God will not inflict anything more than was threatened, and therefore it is just.

Is death - This stands opposed here to eternal life, and proves that one is just as enduring as the other.

But the gift of God - Not the wages of man; not what is due to him; but the mere gift and mercy of God. The apostle is careful to distinguish, and to specify thai this is not what man deserves, but what is gratuitously conferred on him; Note, Romans 6:15.

Eternal life - The same words which in Romans 6:22 are rendered “everlasting life.” The phrase is opposed to death; and proves incontestably that that means eternal death. We may remark, therefore,

(1) That the one will be as long as the other.

(2) As there is no doubt about the duration of life, so there can be none about the duration of death. The one will be rich, blessed, everlasting; the other sad, gloomy, lingering, awful, eternal.

(3) If the sinner is lost, he will deserve to die. He will have his reward. He will suffer only what shall be the just due of sin. He will not be a martyr in the cause of injured innocence. He will not have the compassion of the universe in his favor. He will have no one to take his part against God. He will suffer just as much, and just as long, as he ought to suffer. He will suffer as the culprit pines in the dungeon, or as the murderer dies on the gibbet, because this is the proper reward of sin.

(4) They who are saved will be raised to heaven, not because they merit it, but by the rich and sovereign grace of God. All their salvation will be ascribed to him; and they will celebrate his mercy and grace forever.

(5) It becomes us, therefore, to flee from the wrath to come. No man is so foolish and so wicked as he who is willing to reap the proper wages of sin. None so blessed as he who has part in the mercy of God, and who lays hold on eternal life.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Romans 6:23. For the wages of sin is death — The second death, everlasting perdition. Every sinner earns this by long, sore, and painful service. O! what pains do men take to get to hell! Early and late they toil at sin; and would not Divine justice be in their debt, if it did not pay them their due wages?

But the gift of God is eternal life — A man may MERIT hell, but he cannot MERIT heaven. The apostle does not say that the wages of righteousness is eternal life: no, but that this eternal life, even to the righteous, is το χαρισμα του θεου, THE gracious GIFT of GOD. And even this gracious gift comes through Jesus Christ our Lord. He alone has procured it; and it is given to all those who find redemption in his blood. A sinner goes to hell because he deserves it; a righteous man goes to heaven because Christ has died for him, and communicated that grace by which his sin is pardoned and his soul made holy. The word οψωνια, which we here render wages, signified the daily pay of a Roman soldier. So every sinner has a daily pay, and this pay is death; he has misery because he sins. Sin constitutes hell; the sinner has a hell in his own bosom; all is confusion and disorder where God does not reign: every indulgence of sinful passions increases the disorder, and consequently the misery of a sinner. If men were as much in earnest to get their souls saved as they are to prepare them for perdition, heaven would be highly peopled, and devils would be their own companions. And will not the living lay this to heart?

1. In the preceding chapter we see the connection that subsists between the doctrines of the Gospel and the practice of Christianity. A doctrine is a teaching, instruction, or information concerning some truth that is to be believed, as essential to our salvation. But all teaching that comes from God, necessarily leads to him. That Christ died for our sins and rose again for our justification, is a glorious doctrine of the Gospel. But this is of no use to him who does not die to sin, rise in the likeness of his resurrection, and walk in newness of life: this is the use that should be made of the doctrine. Every doctrine has its use, and the use of it consists in the practice founded on it. We hear there is a free pardon-we go to God and receive it; we hear that we may be made holy-we apply for the sanctifying Spirit; we hear there is a heaven of glory, into which the righteous alone shall enter-we watch and pray, believe, love, and obey, in order that, when he doth appear, we may be found of him in peace, without spot and blameless. Those are the doctrines; these are the uses or practice founded on those doctrines.

2. It is strange that there should be found a person believing the whole Gospel system, and yet living in sin! SALVATION FROM SIN is the long-continued sound, as it is the spirit and design, of the Gospel. Our Christian name, our baptismal covenant, our profession of faith in Christ, and avowed belief in his word, all call us to this: can it be said that we have any louder calls than these? Our self-interest, as it respects the happiness of a godly life, and the glories of eternal blessedness; the pains and wretchedness of a life of sin, leading to the worm that never dies and the fire that is not quenched; second most powerfully the above calls. Reader, lay these things to heart, and: answer this question to God; How shall I escape, if I neglect so great salvation? And then, as thy conscience shall answer, let thy mind and thy hands begin to act.


 
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