VI
1 Therefore what
shall we say? Should we remain in sin, that grace might abound?
Another question as at the beginning of chapter 4.
2 May it not be!
Those which have died with reference to sin, how might we yet live in the same?
The baptism language of this chapter actually beings here
with “having died,” which is, throughout equivalent to the process of Christian
baptism. As we’ll see, it is analogous for Paul with the deliverance from
Egypt. A passage through water from slavery on one side to freedom on the
other. Likewise, the Christian in baptism passes through death with Jesus from
the slavery from sin into freedom from it. All of these “died to sin” bits are
datives of reference, not a personal dative—don’t think of it with a capital S,
but in terms of reference.
3 Or do ye not know
that, such which were baptized into the Messiah Jesus, into his death were
baptized?
Baptism here is unto (eis)
and not in (en). This is not only the
Messiah Jesus the person, but the incorporatative Messiahship of Jesus, in
which, as Israel’s representative, the covenant has been reinaugurated. We who
are baptized in Jesus’ name are actually baptized into his Messiahship, which
is how we can share in his death and come alongside his passage through it.
4 Therefore we were
buried with him through baptism into death, that just has the Messiah was
raised from the dead through the glory of the father, thus even we in new life
might walk
Paul’s statement of new life for the Christian believer—a
separate process from justification, which is belief in the Lordship of Jesus.
The new life is participation in the burial and resurrection of Jesus. This
burial is the baptism required of every believer, which is not symbolic, but a
true passage from the old life (though death) unto the new.
5 For if we are
become sharers in the likeness of his death, rather even we will be of his
resurrection
And expansion of the outos
clause at the end of verse 4. Sharers is sumphotoi.
The process of dying with reference to sin by participating in baptism is not a
mere convenient analogy. It serves instead (analogous to the Red Sea passage
for the ancient Israelites) as the physical representation of their deliverance
from slavery and entrance to the promise, and now confirms the final hope of
life through the resurrection.
6 Knowing this that
the old man of us has been co-crucified, that the sinful body might be
condemned, of that our no longer to serve with reference to sin.
A complicated passage. The old man (ho palaios anthropos) is a continuation of the ideas presented in
chapter 5. The net result of the old man’s death in the Messiah is a solidarity
with us for him as the new man—the man who is the new solidarity as Israel’s
representative and king.
7 For he dying is justified
from sin
That is to say, his service is ended. He has paid the “wage.”
8 But if we died with
the Messiah, we believe that we will live again with him
This baptism language is no mere symbolism. By entering into
the baptismal waters we truly do participate in the Messiah’s passage through
death. In the second half of the verse, there is explicit resurrection
language. This hope of living again is not for a disembodied heaven, but is
thoroughly rooted in the hope of physically rising in the mode of Jesus.
9 Knowing that the
Messiah being raised from the dead dies no longer, for Death no longer lords
him
Death no longer kurieuei
him. Again, note that the whole chapter is about the escape from slavery.
10 For what he died, he
died once for all to sin. But what he lives, he lives with reference to God
The “he” is the same, I just left both pronouns in to
preserve the Greek syntax. Dative of reference again to sin. Once for all is
the ephapax, something unrepeatable. The
life is also dative of reference. Paul doesn’t include the second half of the
sentence for balance or contrast—he is speaking of transferred fealty, of a new
sort of service, apart from the slavery to sin/death.
11 And thus reckon ye
yourselves [to be] dead with reference to sin but living with reference to God
in the Messiah Jesus
And as the Messiah has recapitulated this Exodus and
deliverance, so we who participate in him now consider ourselves, through our
dying and rising with him, to be a liberated people serving God. This (and v.
12) are the answer to the question in v.1
12 Therefore let not
Sin hold dominion in your mortal body unto obeying its desires
If you begin to read the discussion of sin in 6 as an
unknown question regarding personal behavior, you might miss the narrative
structure Paul achieves in vv. 1-11. In v. 12 he does get to the question of
personal sin with regard to v.1, but in a way that makes more sense as an auxiliary
conclusion. Mortal body is thneto somati,
not sarki.
13 Nor present ye
your members implements of unrighteousness to sin (or w/ref) but present
yourselves to God has from the dead living and your members implements of
righteousness to God
You have to see the whole Exodus backdrop to understand the
possible resonance of v. 13, but if you accept it so far then you can see the
understated point Paul makes in 12-14: since you’ve been liberated, don’t go
back to your old slavery. In other words, don’t repeat the grave mistake of old
Israel and ask to go back to Egypt. Hopla
can mean either weapons or smithy’s tools. (Implements sort of suits both.)
14 For sin now longer
lords over you, for ye are not under Torah but under grace
A transitional verse, changing of the key of discussion from
deliverance from Sin to deliverance from Torah. This simultaneously sets the
stage for chapter 7 (What do we make of Torah’s goodness?) and recalls the
Torah discussions of ch. 3, which of course is to Paul’s main point: How would
the righteous God keep faithful his promises?
15 Therefore what?
Might we sin, since we are not under Torah but under grace? May it not be!
Paul restates the problem of v.1 with regard to freedom from
the ethical commands of the Torah.
16 Do ye not know
that (w) ye present yourselves servants unto obedience, ye are servants to what
ye obey, whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness?
In other words, to yield is to be slaves, but you are no
longer slaves of sin, death, or Torah. You are no longer as the old man. Don’t
yield to that old slavery, because slavery is death.
17 But thanks to God
that ye were slaves of sin but ye are obedient from heart unto the type of
teaching which was entrusted
Which is as much as to say a faithful life characterized by
baptism (the new exodus) and communion feasts. (the new Passover)
18 But being free
from sin ye are enslaved to righteousness
In yielding to these you have transferred your fealty
19 I speak
anthropomorphically because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as ye
presented your members servants to uncleanliness and to lawlessness unto
lawlessness, thus now present ye your members servants to righteousness unto
holiness.
Anthropinon, or in
human terms. Lawlessness in anomion, uncleanliness
akatharsia.
20 For when ye were
servants of sin, ye were free to righteousness
I don’t think Paul’s getting at any incapacity of the
non-believer to understand justice; he’s just saying that their ownership was elsewhere.
21 Therefore what
fruit had ye then, upon which now ye are ashamed? For the end of these is death
Fruit can also mean reward or wage. Vv. 21 and 22 are an
expanded version of 23. Again, this may also pertain to private behavior, but
it is primarily a retelling of the deliverance from slavery.
22 But now being
freed from sin and serving to God have ye your fruit unto holiness, and the end
eternal life
The holiness which could not be accomplished through Torah
by the old Israel (more on that in ch. 7) is available in service to God, along
with the true inheritance promised in the new covenant.
23 For the wages of
sin is death, but the gift of God eternal life in the Messiah Jesus our Lord
