Romans 6
J.B. Phillips New Testament
Righteousness by faith, in practice
6 1-11 Now what is our response to be? Shall we sin to our heart’s content and see how far we can exploit the grace of God? What a ghastly thought! We, who have died to sin—how could we live in sin a moment longer? Have you forgotten that all of us who were baptised into Jesus Christ were, by that very action, sharing in his death? We were dead and buried with him in baptism, so that just as he was raised from the dead by that splendid Revelation of the Father’s power so we too might rise to life on a new plane altogether. If we have, as it were, shared his death, let us rise and live our new lives with him! Let us never forget that our old selves died with him on the cross that the tyranny of sin over us might be broken—for a dead man can safely be said to be immune to the power of sin. And if we were dead men with him we can believe that we shall also be men newly alive with him. We can be sure that the risen Christ never dies again—death’s power to touch him is finished. He died, because of sin, once: he lives for God for ever. In the same way look upon yourselves as dead to the appeal and power of sin but alive and sensitive to the call of God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
12-14 Do not, then, allow sin to establish any power over your mortal bodies in making you give way to your lusts. Nor hand over your organs to be, as it were, weapons of evil for the devil’s purposes. But, like men rescued from certain death, put yourselves in God’s hands as weapons of good for his own purposes. For sin is not meant to be your master—you are no longer living under the Law, but under grace.
The new service completely ousts the old
15-21 Now, what shall we do? Shall we go on sinning because we have no Law to condemn us any more, but are living under grace? Never! Just think what it would mean. You belong to the power which you choose to obey, whether you choose sin, whose reward is death, or God, obedience to whom means the reward of righteousness. Thank God that you, who were at one time the servants of sin, honestly responded to the impact of Christ’s teaching when you came under its influence. Then, released from the service of sin, you entered the service of righteousness. (I use an everyday illustration because human nature grasps truth more readily that way.) In the past you voluntarily gave your bodies to the service of vice and wickedness—for the purpose of becoming wicked. So, now, give yourselves to the service of righteousness—for the purpose of becoming really good. For when you were employed by sin you owed no duty to righteousness. Yet what sort of harvest did you reap from those things that today you blush to remember? In the long run those things mean one thing only—death.
22 But now that you are employed by God, you owe no duty to sin, and you reap the fruit of being made righteous, while at the end of the road there is life for evermore.
23 Sin pays its servants: the wage is death. But God gives to those who serve him: his free gift is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 6
Disciples’ Literal New Testament
This Does Not Mean That We Should Keep Sinning Because Salvation Is By Grace
6 Therefore, what shall we say? Should we[a] be continuing in sin in order that grace might increase? 2 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?
Don’t You Know That We Died With Christ In Order To Live a New Life With Him?
3 Or do you not know that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried-with Him through baptism into death in order that just as Christ arose from the dead through the glory of the Father, so also we might walk in newness of life.
For We Share In His Death To Sin And His Life With God
5 For if we have become united-with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this: that our old person was crucified-with Him in order that the body of sin might be done-away-with[b], so that we no longer[c] are-slaves[d] to sin. 7 For the one having died has been declared-righteous from sin. 8 And if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live-with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having arisen from the dead, dies no more. Death lords-over Him no longer. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once-for-all. But the life that He is living, He is living to God. 11 So also you, be counting yourselves to be dead to sin but living to God in Christ Jesus.
So Don’t Let Sin Reign In You, But Present Yourselves To God As Alive From The Dead
12 Therefore do not let sin be reigning in your mortal body so that you are obeying its desires, 13 nor be presenting your body-parts to sin as instruments[e] of unrighteousness. But present yourselves to God as-if [f] being alive from the dead, and your body-parts to God as instruments of righteousness. 14 For sin shall not lord-over you— for you are not under the Law[g], but under grace.
This Does Not Mean We Should Sin Because We Are Not Under Law, But Under Grace
15 Therefore, what? Should we sin[h] because we are not under the Law but under grace? May it never be!
You Were Freed From Slavery To Sin. So Present Yourselves As Slaves of Righteousness
16 Do you not know that to whom you are presenting yourselves as slaves for obedience, you are slaves to whom you are obeying— whether slaves of sin leading-to[i] death, or slaves of obedience leading-to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that you were slaves of sin, but you obeyed from the heart the form[j] of teaching to which you were delivered. 18 And having been set-free from sin, you were enslaved[k] to righteousness 19 (I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh). For just as you presented your body-parts as slaves to impurity and lawlessness leading-to lawlessness, so now present your body-parts as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness.
The Fruit of Sin Is Shame And Death; Righteousness Leads To Holiness And Life
20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free to[l] righteousness. 21 So what fruit were you having at that time? Things[m] over which you are now ashamed! For the outcome of those things is death. 22 But now having been set-free from sin and enslaved to God, you are having your fruit leading-to holiness. And the outcome is eternal life! 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Footnotes
- Romans 6:1 If salvation is all by grace (3:24), and we stand in grace at peace with God (5:1), and where sin increased grace abounded (5:21), then would not God’s grace be magnified even more by my continuing in sin?
- Romans 6:6 Or, rendered powerless, brought to nothing.
- Romans 6:6 Or, we might no longer be-slaves.
- Romans 6:6 Or, are serving as slaves.
- Romans 6:13 Or, tools, weapons, equipment.
- Romans 6:13 That is, as-if presently possessing full resurrection-life like Jesus, v 4. Or, ‘as’; that is, as being alive from the spiritually dead.
- Romans 6:14 The escape from the lordship of sin is due to our release from the Law, which occurred when we died to it. Paul explains this in chapter 7. The Law is the power of sin, 1 Cor 15:56.
- Romans 6:15 That is, commit a sin.
- Romans 6:16 Or, resulting in. Same word as in v 19, 22.
- Romans 6:17 Or, pattern.
- Romans 6:18 Or, made slaves.
- Romans 6:20 That is, with regard to.
- Romans 6:21 Paul states the answer. Or, at that time, over which things you are now ashamed?, the implied answer being ‘None’.
Romans 6
New King James Version
Dead to Sin, Alive to God
6 What shall we say then? (A)Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who (B)died to sin live any longer in it? 3 Or do you not know that (C)as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus (D)were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were (E)buried with Him through baptism into death, that (F)just as Christ was raised from the dead by (G)the glory of the Father, (H)even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 (I)For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that (J)our old man was crucified with Him, that (K)the body of sin might be [a]done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7 For (L)he who has died has been [b]freed from sin. 8 Now (M)if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that (N)Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, (O)He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, (P)He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, [c]reckon yourselves to be (Q)dead indeed to sin, but (R)alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
12 (S)Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 And do not present your (T)members as [d]instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but (U)present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For (V)sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
From Slaves of Sin to Slaves of God
15 What then? Shall we sin (W)because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! 16 Do you not know that (X)to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? 17 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart (Y)that form of doctrine to which you were [e]delivered. 18 And (Z)having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. 19 I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness [f]for holiness.
20 For when you were (AA)slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 (AB)What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For (AC)the end of those things is death. 22 But now (AD)having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit [g]to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. 23 For (AE)the wages of sin is death, but (AF)the [h]gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Footnotes
- Romans 6:6 rendered inoperative
- Romans 6:7 cleared
- Romans 6:11 consider
- Romans 6:13 Or weapons
- Romans 6:17 entrusted
- Romans 6:19 unto sanctification
- Romans 6:22 unto sanctification
- Romans 6:23 free gift
The New Testament in Modern English by J.B Phillips copyright © 1960, 1972 J. B. Phillips. Administered by The Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England. Used by Permission.
Disciples' Literal New Testament: Serving Modern Disciples by More Fully Reflecting the Writing Style of the Ancient Disciples, Copyright © 2011 Michael J. Magill. All Rights Reserved. Published by Reyma Publishing
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
