What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means!

What then? ^aAre we to sin ^bbecause we are not under law but under grace? By no means!

Τί οὖν; ▼

▼ ἁμαρτήσωμεν = WH Treg NA/NIV: || Ἁμαρτήσομεν = RP

ἁμαρτήσωμεν ὅτι οὐκ ἐσμὲν ὑπὸ νόμον ἀλλὰ ὑπὸ χάριν; μὴ γένοιτο·

Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey – whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?

Do you not know that if you present yourselves ^dto anyone as obedient slaves, ▼

▼For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface (twice in this verse and verse 19; also once in verses 17, 20)

you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?

οὐκ οἴδατε ὅτι ᾧ παριστάνετε ἑαυτοὺς δούλους εἰς ὑπακοήν, δοῦλοί ἐστε ᾧ ὑπακούετε, ἤτοι ἁμαρτίας εἰς θάνατον ἢ ὑπακοῆς εἰς δικαιοσύνην;

But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance.

But ^fthanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the ^gstandard of teaching to which you were committed,

χάρις δὲ τῷ θεῷ ὅτι ἦτε δοῦλοι τῆς ἁμαρτίας ὑπηκούσατε δὲ ἐκ καρδίας εἰς ὃν παρεδόθητε τύπον διδαχῆς,

You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

and, ^hhaving been set free from sin, ⁱhave become slaves of righteousness.

ἐλευθερωθέντες δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἐδουλώθητε τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ·

I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness.

^jI am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For ^kjust as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members ^las slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.

ἀνθρώπινον λέγω διὰ τὴν ἀσθένειαν τῆς σαρκὸς ὑμῶν· ὥσπερ γὰρ παρεστήσατε τὰ μέλη ὑμῶν δοῦλα τῇ ἀκαθαρσίᾳ καὶ τῇ ἀνομίᾳ εἰς τὴν ἀνομίαν, οὕτως νῦν παραστήσατε τὰ μέλη ὑμῶν δοῦλα τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ εἰς ἁγιασμόν.

When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness.

^mFor when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.

Ὅτε γὰρ δοῦλοι ἦτε τῆς ἁμαρτίας, ἐλεύθεροι ἦτε τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ.

What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death!

ⁿBut what fruit were you getting at that time from the things ^oof which you are now ashamed? ^pFor the end of those things is death.

τίνα οὖν καρπὸν εἴχετε τότε ἐφ᾽ οἷς νῦν ἐπαισχύνεσθε; τὸ γὰρ τέλος ἐκείνων θάνατος·

But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.

But now that you ^qhave been set free from sin and ^rhave become slaves of God, ^sthe fruit you get leads to sanctification and ^tits end, eternal life.

νυνὶ δέ, ἐλευθερωθέντες ἀπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας δουλωθέντες δὲ τῷ θεῷ, ἔχετε τὸν καρπὸν ὑμῶν εἰς ἁγιασμόν, τὸ δὲ τέλος ζωὴν αἰώνιον.

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in ▼

▼Or through

Christ Jesus our Lord.

^vFor the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

τὰ γὰρ ὀψώνια τῆς ἁμαρτίας θάνατος, τὸ δὲ χάρισμα τοῦ θεοῦ ζωὴ αἰώνιος ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ κυρίῳ ἡμῶν.