Romans 6:21

What fruit had ye then "Then," or "therefore," points to the resulting practicedue to their just-described position.

fruit The word is very often used as a figure for "result," and almost always in a good sense. The probable meaning here will thus be, "Did you find any happiness or profit resulting?" For a comment on these clauses see the passage 1 Peter 4:1-4, which is pregnant with illustration of this whole context. (Cp. e.g. Romans 6:3; Romans 6:7, with 1 Peter 4:1; Romans 6:12-13, with 1 Peter 4:2.) See too, for the deep and gracious contrast between the past and the present of other Christian converts, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11.

death See on Romans 1:32. From, Romans 6:23 here it is plain that this "death" is the correlative of "eternal life." It is the "second death" of the Revelation; the "destruction," or "ruin," of Matthew 7:13.