Bible Commentaries
Romans 6

Verse 1

6:1 Rom 6:1. Paul was a master in logic, and he refuted beforehand an erroneous conclusion that some would draw from what he had said. They would argue that if there was more grace where more sin abounded, then it would be well to sin so as to bring that grace.

Verse 2

6:2 Rom 6:2. Even without the statement of the apostle, we can see that such was false reasoning. It would be like arguing that, since doctors have more opportunity for doing the good deed of curing the sick wherever there is more sickness, therefore let us do something to cause more sickness. God forbid is Paul's ways of saying "by no means," and he then shows the logical objection to the reasoning. Christians claim to have died to sin by repentance, which would preclude the living in or practicing sin.

Verse 3

6:3 Rom 6:3. Death means separation regardless of when or how the word is used. The body and spirit of Christ were separated at his death, and it was done for the sins of man. He died for sin, but in order for it to benefit a man, he likewise must die--must die to sin, which means that he is to be separated from the practice of sin by repentance. In order for this figurative death of a man to be benefited by the literal death of Christ, it is necessary for him to get into that death. Divine wisdom has decreed that such an experience is to be accomplished by baptism.

Verse 4

6:4 Rom 6:4. This verse incidentally shows how baptism is performed--by a burial and rising--but it was not written for that purpose. In truth, no passage was written to show the form or "mode" of baptism,. for the word itself shows that. Whenever a person goes to quibbling about the "mode" of baptism, he is not ready for the ordinance anyway. What he needs but lacks is a sincere belief in Jesus Christ. It is not an arbitrary declaration that baptism is necessary for the new life with Christ. The principle has already been shown in the preceding verse that it is in baptism that we get into the death of Christ. Well, all people should know that Jesus was dead when he shed his blood (Joh 19:33-34), and it is his blood' that saves, therefore a man has to be baptized in order to come in contact with the blood. The comparison of death and burial is continued. When Christ came from the grave alive, he was never to die again (verse 9); likewise, when a man has died to sin and has been buried with Christ in baptism, he is thereby made alive spiritually, and when he comes out of that watery grave, he too is expected to live a new life in Cjirist, and not again become dead in sins.

Verse 5

6:5 Rom 6:5. The word planted means to be united with, and likeness denotes only a comparison. Sinners who die to sin and are baptized, will be in spiritual likeness to Him.

Verse 6

6:6 Rom 6:6. Old man is a figurative name for our life of sin. To crucify figuratively means to have the life of sin put to death as regards general practice.

Verse 7

7-8 Rom 6:7-8. He that is dead to sin by repentance is freed from the bondage of sin, and becomes alive through Christ with whom he has been buried by baptism.

Verse 9

-10 Rom 6:9-10. Christ arose never to die again, and likewise it is expected that sinners who die to sin and are buried with Christ, will follow a life of righteousness.

Verse 11

:11 Rom 6:11. The death and life of this verse both have a spiritual sense.

Verse 12

:12 Rom 6:12. All Christians will make mistakes and sin incidentally (1Jn 1:8), but that is not the same as to permit sin to reign in the body.

Verse 13

:13 Rom 6:13. Yield ye your members denotes to consent or give one's body over to a life of unrighteousness, and not sinning incidentally according to 1Jn 1:8.

Verse 14

:14 Rom 6:14. For sin to have dominion over us is equivalent to making a practice of sinning. Under grace means that the New Testament system is one made possible by merciful favor of God, so that one's mistakes are atoned for constantly by the blood stream of Christ. (See 1Jn 1:7 1Jn 2:1.)

Verse 15

:15 Rom 6:15. This is the same in thought as that set forth in verse 1.

Verse 16

:16 Rom 6:16. Again the key to the passage is yield yourselves, which means a deliberate surrender to some ruler, and not the incidental event of sin due to weakness.

Verse 17

:17 Rom 6:17. God be thanked cannot be understood until the entire verse is considered. That will show that the rescue from a sinful service is the fact for which Paul thanked God. Form is from TUPOS and one of Thayer's definitions is, "A pattern in conformity to which a thing must be made." The "pattern" is the example that Jesus set when he died for sin, then was raised from the grave to die no more. The sinner must die to sin, be buried with Christ by baptism, then arise to walk in a new life.

Verse 18

:18 Rom 6:18. This is the same in thought as verse 11.

Verse 19

:19 Rom 6:19. After the manner of men is all from one Greek word, and means that Paul uses human language because he is speaking to human beings. Infirmity is explained by Thayer to mean inability to understand another language due to the frailty of the flesh. Had Paul used the "tongue of angels" man could not have grasped its meaning. Therefore, their natural reasoning would show them that when they formerly yielded themselves servants of uncleanness, the result of it was iniquity. So now, by yielding themselves to righteousness, the result will be holiness.

Verse 20

:20 Rom 6:20. This means that a man cannot be a servant of sin and still be a servant of righteousness; that would be like serving two masters. (See Mat 6:24.)

Verse 21

:21 Rom 6:21. What fruit does not imply they had no fruit, but it asks, "what kind of fruit was it," and then Paul answers it by saying, the end [fruit] . . . is death.

Verse 22

:22 Rom 6:22. Verses 17, 18 tell when one is made free from sin and hence when he begins to bear holy fruit. The final reward for such sowing and reaping is everlasting life.

Verse 23

:23 Rom 6:23. Wages is from OPSONION which Thayer defines, "a soldier's pay, allowance." It denotes, therefore, that a life devoted to the service of sin will earn or merit the wages of death. Not physical death, for all have to go through that, but the second death, designated in Rev 21:8. Eternal life is a gift, because it is impossible for any man to earn such a treasure by his own service.