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Rom.6:1. What shall we say? Should we remain in sin so that grace may increase? No way. Rom.6:2. We died to sin: how can we live in it? The Apostle said that when sin abounded, grace appeared most abundantly. As a result of this, someone else might reason: therefore, let us not stop sinning so that grace may appear more abundantly. The Apostle refutes such reasoning, expressing himself negatively: “in no way,” as he usually expresses himself about something, admittedly, extremely absurd. Then he gives a proof: since we died to sin, became dead to it through baptism, so that we no longer have to obey it, how else can we live in it, have a disposition towards it and obey it? From here we learn that through baptism every believer actually dies to sin, but through his own negligence he “resurrects” himself and immediately comes to life for it as soon as he unites with it. On the contrary, the diligent always retains this deadness in himself and, no matter what sin commands him, does not obey it, like a dead person. Rom.6:3. Do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Rom.6:4. Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. He tells how we died to sin, and says: through baptism. We have been baptized into the death of Christ; This means that we must die as He died. For what the cross and the tomb are to Christ, so is baptism to us, albeit in a different way; because Christ died and was resurrected by the flesh, and we die to sin and are resurrected to virtue, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the flesh “by the glory of the Father,” that is, by His own Divinity (for the glory of the Father is the Son), so we too are raised by another resurrection, that is, by a new way of life. Thus, when a fornicator becomes chaste, it represents death and resurrection—the death of vice and the resurrection and revival of virtue in man. Rom.6:5. For if we are united with Him by the likeness of His death, then we must also be united by the likeness of His resurrection, Rom.6:6. Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, so that the body of sin might be abolished, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; Rom.6:7. for the one who died was freed from sin. He did not say: we have shared in the likeness of His death, but he says: “united,” indicating with the word “union” the fruit of Christ’s death in us. The Body of Christ, buried in the earth, brought forth the fruit of salvation. Since we are buried in water, and Christ in earth, and, moreover, we are buried in sin, and He in body, he did not say “death,” but: “in the likeness of death.” Therefore, we will be partakers of the resurrection and will inherit eternal life, as those who demonstrated the resurrection, which consists of good works. “Our old man,” that is, depravity, was “crucified with Him,” that is, like the body of Christ, buried in baptism; “so that the body of sin might be abolished,” that is, depravity composed of different types, or our body prone to sin, which is why it adds: “so that we would no longer be slaves to sin.” I wish, he says, that the body be dead, not in the sense that it is destroyed, but in the sense that it does not sin. “For he who died was freed from sin.” This speaks of the whole person. Just as “he who died was freed from sin,” that is, freed, free, so you, who were baptized and died to sin, remain dead. Rom.6:8. If we died with Christ, then we believe that we will also live with Him, Rom.6:9. knowing that Christ, having risen from the dead, no longer dies: death no longer has power over Him. Rom.6:10. For if He died, He died once to sin; and what he lives, he lives for God. Rom.6:11. So consider yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Here, it would seem, is a repetition of what was said; but in reality there is none. Above, the apostle said that we must always remain dead to sin, and now he talks about the resurrection of a new life according to God, which we must always have. If we have died with Christ through baptism, then we believe that we will always have the resurrection inherent in us, consisting of new life, for Christ, having risen from the dead, lives forever and will no longer die. “For that He died, He died once for sin” means: Christ died for our sin, while in Himself He was not guilty of death. “And what lives, lives for God,” that is, lives by divine power; for He always lives in the power of God the Father. Since Christ does not die another time, we do not die a second time through a second baptism (that is, there is no second baptism for us). So, let us remain in the former state, that is, in the death of sin, but in the resurrection of life according to God. And this we have received in Christ Jesus, that is, with His help: for Who raised us up while we were still dead. He will all the more preserve us in life when we become alive. Rom.6:12. Therefore let not sin reign in your mortal body, so that you should obey it in its lusts. Wanting to show that we are kept in the power of vices not by force and coercion, but by our own arbitrariness, he did not say: let him not tyrannize, but says: let him not reign, for the kingdom is the lot of those who have the will. With the expression “in your mortal body”, firstly, he showed that neither what is pleasant for the body is durable (for the body is subject to death), so that it should not serve the body in pleasures, nor what is difficult is permanent, so that we should not run away from sorrowful and exploits against pleasures, and secondly, it reminds us that mortality is a consequence of sin, and inspires us not to servile sin, as it causes death. How does sin reign? If we obey him in “his lusts” of the body, so that it is not the body that causes harm by nature, but obedience to sin. Notice the grace of Christ: Adam sinned, although he had a non-mortal body, but we overcome sin in a mortal body. Rom.6:13. And do not yield up your members to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as alive from the dead, and your members to God as instruments of righteousness. Where are the Manichaeans who say that the body is vicious by nature? The body is a tool, and a tool is a means to virtue and vice. Thus, for a warrior, a sword serves as a weapon for citizens, but for a robber it is a weapon against citizens. “Do not turn over your members to sin as instruments of unrighteousness.” For whoever sins often acts unjustly both in relation to his neighbor and always in relation to himself. “But present yourselves to God,” considering what is the difference between God and sin, and who is better to obey, whether sin, which killed, or God, which gave life. Having said that members are instruments of unrighteousness, he showed, on the one hand, that the body, as stated above, is not something bad when it can be an instrument of truth, and on the other hand, that a battle has come and that we need to be under the leadership of God and take up arms to defend our souls. Rom.6:14. Sin must not have dominion over you, for you are not under law, but under grace. Before the coming of Christ, he says, your body was susceptible to sin. At that time there was neither the helping Spirit nor baptism that could put to death sin. Therefore, the law, in prescribing what to do, did not succeed. After the coming of Christ, the struggle became easier, which is why our exploits, as those who received more help, became more difficult. So, sin will not dominate us if we do not yield too much to it. Now it is not the law, which only gives commandments and does not provide the slightest help, but grace, which forgives past sins and strengthens us for the future. Rom.6:15. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law, but under grace? No way. Rom.6:16. Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves as slaves to obey, you are also slaves to whom you obey, either slaves of sin to death, or slaves of obedience to righteousness? The apostle always offers such objections, which is why he cites and resolves them, just as he does with the present objection, answering it: “No way.” Then he proves that it is not difficult for us to sin. Imagine, instills in your mind, what is better: to be slaves of sin, surrendering to it of your own free will (this means: “you give”) and receive death as a reward, that is, eternal punishment (for Adam’s sin gave birth to bodily and temporary death, and now the sin committed exposes a person to eternal death, that is, eternal punishment), or to obey God and receive righteousness and the benefits flowing from it as a reward? Rom.6:17. Thank God that you, having previously been slaves of sin, have become obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you have devoted yourselves. "Thanks be to God". Freeing us from these evils is not a matter of human power, but of God: which is why we should give thanks. Then you became obedient not out of compulsion, but out of your own heartfelt disposition; therefore, do not return to the worst from which you left voluntarily. To prove that even though they came on their own, all this depended on the grace of God, he added: “they gave themselves up,” that is, they were instructed by God in the way of teaching. What is the image of teaching? Live decently and comfortably. Rom.6:18. Having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. Rom.6:19. I speak from human reasoning, because of the weakness of your flesh. Just as you presented your members as slaves to uncleanness and lawlessness for wicked works, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness for holy works. He says that they received two benefits from God: they were freed from such dishonor and became slaves of righteousness, which is great glory for you. Then, wanting to say that the Romans should serve God as they served sin, he first notes: “I speak according to human reasoning,” that is, I propose something low, unworthy of the subject, commensurate with your weakness. For it was necessary to show an incomparably greater measure of service to God than to sin; but due to your weakness, he says, imagine at least an equal measure. Notice how our voluntary slavery was clearly shown by saying: “Now present your members.” You yourself, he says, by making yourselves captives, you were subjected to uncleanness, that is, adultery, fornication, the most shameful deeds, and what I’m talking about is one uncleanness - in general, all “iniquity,” and, moreover, “to become slaves of iniquity,” that is, in order to become even more lawless: for, having committed some sin, you did not stop there, but in this very thing you found an incentive for further lawlessness. So, in the same measure, present your members “as slaves of righteousness,” that is, of all virtue, in order to lead a life in chastity and holiness, and not in former uncleanness. Rom.6:20. For while you were slaves to sin, then you were free from righteousness. Rom.6:21. What fruit did you have then? Such deeds of which you yourself are now ashamed, because their end is death. When you, he says, lived in vices, were alienated from the truth, then you did not submit to it, did not want to serve it at all, and freed yourself from it. Therefore, even now, while serving the truth, do not submit to sin. And what fruit have you had from uncleanness? Nothing but dishonor, and what am I saying – dishonor? They had death as their fruit: “because their end is death,” both bodily very often, and always spiritual. But you have been delivered from death by the grace of Christ, and shame still remains not without benefit; for now you are ashamed of those sins. Rom.6:22. But now that you have been freed from sin and become slaves of God, your fruit is holiness, and the end is eternal life. Rom.6:23. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. The fruit of the works of sin is shame; the fruit of righteousness is sanctification, purity, integrity. The end of the first is death; the end of the latter is eternal life. “For the wages of sin is death.” So, he says, sin also gave you, who serve sin, “retribution” - death. "And the gift of God." He did not say: retribution from God, but: “gift”. For you did not receive it as a reward or reward for your labors, but all these things came from grace in Christ Jesus: for all things were accomplished by Him. You might be interested in: