Romans 6
6:1 a Well then: Because Paul has just proclaimed that God multiplies grace where sin increases (5:20 b), he knows that people will wonder whether this means that sin does not matter in the Christian life.6:2 c we have died to sin: As Paul makes clear in 6:3-10 d, our new relationship to sin is possible because of our vital connection with the death of Jesus. Just as dying means entrance into an entirely new state of being, our relationship with sin is now different because of Christ’s death. To be “dead to sin” does not mean to be entirely insensitive to sin and temptation—believers are still involved in a battle with sin (6:12-14 e). However, Christians no longer have to live as helpless slaves to sin; they can choose not to sin (6:6 f, 14 g, 16-22 h).
6:3 i Baptism is the rite of initiation into the Christian faith (see Acts 2:38 j, 41 k). It sometimes symbolizes the entire conversion experience, so Paul refers to baptism as the means through which believers are joined to Christ in his death and resurrection (see also Rom 6:4 l). However, baptism has no value apart from faith.
6:4 m we died and were buried with Christ: The believer’s power over sin and the ability to lead a new life stem from identification with Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection (see 6:5 n, 8 o). From God’s perspective, Jesus’ death to sin (see 6:10 p) is ours as well. His rising to new life means that we also begin to lead a new life, and in the future our bodies will also be raised.
6:6 q our old sinful selves: Our “old selves” are not a nature that we possess or just one part of who we are; it reflects who we were in Adam. All human beings were born “in Adam.” As heirs of the sin and death that he introduced into the world (5:12 r), we were slaves to the power of sin. But as people who are now in Christ, we have gone through crucifixion with him (see also Gal 2:20 s). When he died on the cross, we also died to the dominating power of sin that ruled in our former selves.
6:8 t We will also live with him refers to bodily resurrection with Christ (see 6:5 u). While believers are already raised with Christ spiritually (Eph 2:5-6 v; Col 2:13 w), we will also be raised with him bodily at the time of his coming in glory (2 Cor 4:14 x; Phil 3:21 y; 1 Thes 4:17 z; 2 Tim 2:11 aa).
6:10 ab he died once to break the power of sin: Because we died with Jesus (6:4-5 ac), we have also died to sin (6:2 ad). Jesus was never under sin’s power in the way that we are, because he had no sin nature from Adam and he never succumbed to temptation (2 Cor 5:21 ae; Heb 4:15 af). However, when he became human, he entered the arena where sin holds sway, and he was truly vulnerable to sin.
6:14 ag you no longer live under the requirements of the law: With the Messiah’s coming, the era governed by the law of Moses came to an end (see Gal 3:19-25 ah).
• you live under the freedom of God’s grace: God’s dealings with his people have always been characterized by grace, but grace dominates the new era in which Christians live in Christ. Cp. John 1:17 ai.
6:15 aj set us free from the law: The law of Moses was the governing power of the old covenant era. Believers now live under the governing power of Christ himself.
6:16 ak righteous living (Greek dikaiosunē, “righteousness”): In the first part of Romans, Paul uses this Greek word in a judicial sense, referring (1) to the activity of God to set people in a right relationship with himself or (2) to the righteous standing that believers enjoy as a result of Christ’s work (see, e.g., 1:17 al; 3:21-22 am; 4:3 an, 5 ao). Here, Paul uses the same word as it is often used in the Old Testament, meaning the right behavior that God demands from his people.
6:19 ap Paul uses the Greek word sarx (human nature, or flesh) to refer to the frailty and proneness to sin that characterizes humans. Paul uses the illustration of slavery to show the relationship of the human nature to sin.
6:20 aq free from the obligation to do right (literally free from righteousness): Paul means either that unbelievers feel no obligation to obey God or that they are unable to do so. But the freedom that they boast of actually makes them slaves to sin.
6:21 ar eternal doom (literally death): Throughout chs 5–8 as, Paul uses death to describe the eternal consequences of sin (5:12 at, 14 au, 15 av, 17 aw, 21 ax; 6:16 ay, 23 az; 7:5 ba, 9-10 bb, 13 bc, 24 bd; 8:2 be, 6 bf, 13 bg). The language goes back to God’s warning to Adam and Eve (Gen 2:17 bh). This death is not primarily physical death; it denotes separation from the fellowship of God that, if not reversed through faith in Christ, will last forever.
Copyright information for
TNotes