Romans Chapter 6 Breakdown

1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?

Continuing on from what he was talking about at the end of chapter five, Paul says, should we sin, that is continue to break the law of YHWH, so that grace can flourish?

2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?

Now, Paul exclaims, NO! If we died to sin, we should avoid it at all costs. When we die to sin, we give up the life of sin and the desires of the flesh. When we die to sin we accept the law of God as our way of life. We do this to avoid sinning. This is one of the verses people use to try to say Paul teaches against keeping Torah, but it is simply misinterpreted and taken out of context. When read within its intended context, it is not difficult to understand what is being implied by Paul.

3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?

Being baptized into Yeshua, we take part in His death. He was in the flesh, and His flesh literally died making Him Spiritual. God’s law is spiritual. We will see in the next chapter Paul says outright the law is spiritual.

Romans 7:14

For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin.

This is the law of YHWH. I will get into this a bit more during the next chapter.

4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Because Yeshua was raised form the dead, we should WALK in the newness of life. The Torah is life. Paul is telling us to walk according to the Torah.

Proverbs 13:14

The law of the wise is a fountain of life, To turn one away from the snares of death.

Proverbs 6:23

For the commandment is a lamp, And the law a light; Reproofs of instruction are the way of life

These verses in Provers align exactly with what Paul is saying. Paul earlier said that sin brings death, and sin is the breaking of Torah, meaning not keeping Torah. Proverbs says the law is a fountain of life and it will “turn one away from” death.

5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.

Our old man was crucified with Yeshua. Our old man is the sinner, the non-believing, non Torah obeying man. Our body of sin, or the body which we continually followed the desires of the flesh will be done away with. We should no longer be “slaves of sin”. Again, sin is breaking God’s law. Paul has made this abundantly clear to this point. Being a slave to sin simply means we continuously choose sin, and live a life of sin. We will be a slave to something whether it is sin or YHWH’s law.

7 For he who has died has been freed from sin.

Once we die in the flesh, we no longer live a life of sin. To be freed from sin means we do our best to obey His given law.

8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him.

Because death no longer has dominion over Yeshua, sin no longer has dominion over us. We cannot say keeping the law is sinful, and we cannot truthfully say before we believed in Yeshua we lived a life away from sin. Therefore, knowing how not only Paul but also the entire Bible describes sin as breaking God’s commands, we have to consider the idea sin no longer having dominion over us means we are keeping and obeying Torah.

10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.

Yeshua died in order to die to sin once and for all. We too, will do this when we die. Now, He lives to God.

11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We should do as Yeshua did, and put YHWH first and follow His commands.

12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.

If sin is done away with, as so many preach, why does Paul inform men to not allow sin to reign in their bodies, causing men to obey its desires? This is the nail in the coffin to that argument. It is obvious sin is still rampant in the world and within believers, otherwise this verse has no purpose and makes Paul double minded for saying it. Why would he say something if it weren’t possible?

13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.

Here Paul tells the Romans not to allow their bodies to commit sinful acts, as it desires of the flesh. Instead he says to use your bodies for righteousness to God. Recall from the previous chapters, righteousness comes from faith and faith causes men to keep His law. Therefore, Paul is saying do not sin, but obey YHWH’s law.

14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

Now, one of the most misinterpreted verses in all the Bible. Is Paul equating sin having dominion over you because you keep the law of God? This seems to be the general argument being taught in church. But, I do not think the pastors are understanding what Paul is saying here. Because if that is the case, Paul contradicts himself within the next few verses. What Paul is really trying to say here is sin used to have dominion over us, until we found faith. Our faith removes us from under the law, as in trying to keep it for salvation, remember that is the entire debate between Paul and the Jews.

15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!

Here Paul says exactly what I just said. Should we then break the law, or sin, because we are not being saved by the law? “Certainly not!” Therefore, we absolutely, according to Paul, should be keeping the law of YHWH. There is no way around it. It is all right here in Romans.

16 Do you not know that 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?

Now, Paul is saying right here, what I stated back in verse five. We will be a slave to something, it is our choice. We can be a slave to sin, or we can be a slave to obedience to YHWH’s Law.

17 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.

You WERE slaves of sin, but you are now obeying YHWH’s law, which was taught to you.

18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.

Paul again says being set free from sin, as in sin was the bondage and chains holding you down, now you can keep His law which brings forth 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 for holiness.

Paul says it is the weakness of the flesh which causes him to speak to them the way he is. He then says they had all been using their bodies for lawlessness which caused more lawlessness. Now they should keep YHWH’s law for holiness. Because Paul is saying, you were this way, and it was a form of lawlessness, then says be this way for righteousness, we have to conclude the second way is no longer lawlessness. If we are to live a life not equated to lawlessness then we should be living a life in alignment with the law. In laymen terms, we should obey YHWH’s law.

20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.

To be a slave to sin, you are free to righteousness. These are Paul’s words. Therefore, if this is true, the reverse must also be true. To be a slave to righteousness, meaning keeping the Law of YHWH, you are free to sin. As many times as I have discussed the book of Romans, I have never heard anyone bring up this verse. The issue I have is that this verse sounds as if it is a good thing to be free in regard to righteousness. As if we are free to do as we wish. But the problem is to be free from righteousness is a direct consequence of being a slave to sin.

21 What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.

What did you used to do that you are now ashamed of? To keep doing those things brings death.

22 But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.

Here Paul says we are now free in regard to sin and have become slaves to YHWH, our fruit to holiness is the keeping of His law, which the end is not death but everlasting life.

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The result of continued sin is death. Sin is the transgression, or breaking of, YHWH’s law. However, YHWH’s gift to us for our faith, which causes obedience, is eternal life.

1 John 3:4

Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.