CHAPTER VI. _We must not abuse the boundless goodness of God by continuing_ _in sin, under the wicked persuasion that the more we sin the_ _more the grace of God will abound_, 1. _For, having been baptized into Christ, we have professed thereby_ _to be dead to sin_, 2-4. _And to be planted in... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Romans 6:2. _GOD FORBID_] Μη γενοιτο, _Let it not be; by no means;_ _far from it; let not such a thing be mentioned_!-Any of these is the meaning of the Greek phrase, which is a strong expression of surprise and disapprobation: and is not properly rendered by our _God forbid_! for, though this... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Romans 6:3. _KNOW YE NOT_, c.] Every man who believes the Christian religion, and receives baptism as the proof that he believes it, and has taken up the profession of it, is bound thereby to a life of righteousness. _To be baptized into Christ_, is to receive the doctrine of Christ crucified,... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Romans 6:4. _WE ARE BURIED WITH HIM BY BAPTISM INTO DEATH_] It is _probable_ that the apostle here alludes to the mode of administering baptism by _immersion_, the whole body being put _under_ _the water_, which seemed to say, the man is _drowned_, is _dead_; and, when he came up out of the w... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Romans 6:5. _FOR IF WE HAVE BEEN PLANTED TOGETHER_] συμφυτοι γεγοναμεν. Dr. Taylor observes, that our translation does not completely express the apostle's meaning. Τα συμφυτα are such plants as grow, the one _upon_ and _in the other_, deriving sap and nourishment from it, as the _mistletoe_ u... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Romans 6:6. _OUR OLD MAN IS CRUCIFIED WITH_ him] This seems to be a farther extension of the _same metaphor_. When a seed is planted in the earth, it appears as if the _whole body_ of it _perished_. All _seeds_, as they are commonly termed, are composed of _two parts_; the _germ_, which conta... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Romans 6:7. _HE THAT IS DEAD IS FREED FROM SIN._] δεδικαιωται, literally, _is justified_ from sin; or, is _freed_ or _delivered_ from it. Does not this simply mean, that the man who has received Christ Jesus by faith, and has been, through believing, made a partaker of the Holy Spirit, has ha... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Romans 6:8. _NOW IF WE BE DEAD WITH CHRIST_] According to what is stated in the preceding verses. See particularly on the 5th verse. Romans 6:5... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Romans 6:9. _CHRIST BEING RAISED FROM THE DEAD DIETH NO MORE_] So we, believing in Christ Jesus, and having a death unto sin, and a life unto righteousness, should sin no more. If we be risen indeed with Christ, we should seek the things above, and set our affections on things above, and not o... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Romans 6:10. _HE DIED UNTO SIN ONCE_] On this clause Rosenmuller speaks thus: "Τῃ ἁμαρτιᾳ απεθανεν εφαπαξ· _propter peccatum mortuus_ _est semel_, et quidem misera morte. Τῃ ἁμαρτιᾳ, i.e. ὑπερ της ἁμαρτιας, _ad expianda peccata_; res ipsa docet aliter _homines_ αποθνησκειν τῃ ἁμαρτι... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Romans 6:11. _RECKON YE ALSO YOURSELVES TO BE DEAD_] Die as truly _unto_ sin, as he died _for_ sin. Live as truly _unto_ God, as he lives _with_ God. This seems to be the spirit of the apostle's meaning.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Romans 6:12. _LET NOT SIN THEREFORE REIGN_] This is a prosopopoeia, or _personification_. Sin is represented as a _king,_ _ruler_, or _tyrant_, who has the _desires of the mind_ and the _members_ of the _body_ under his control so that by influencing the _passions_ he governs the _body_. Do n... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Romans 6:13. _NEITHER YIELD YE YOUR MEMBERS_] Do not yield to temptation. It is no sin to be _tempted_, the sin lies in _yielding_. While the sin exists only in Satan's solicitation, it is the _devil's sin_, not _ours_: when we yield, we make the devil's sin our _own_: then _we_ ENTER INTO _te... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Romans 6:14. _SIN SHALL NOT HAVE DOMINION OVER YOU_] God delivers you from it; and if you again become subject to it, it will be the effect of your own choice or negligence. _YE ARE NOT UNDER THE LAW_] That law which exacts obedience, without giving _power_ to obey; that condemns every transg... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Romans 6:15. _SHALL WE SIN BECAUSE WE ARE NOT UNDER THE LAW_] Shall we abuse our high and holy calling because we are not under that _law_ which makes no provision for _pardon_, but are under that _Gospel_ which has opened the fountain to wash away all sin and defilement? Shall we sin because... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Romans 6:16. _TO WHOM YE YIELD YOURSELVES_] Can you suppose that you should continue to be the _servants_ of Christ if ye give way to _sin_? Is he not the _master_ who exacts the _service_, and to whom the service is performed? _Sin_ is the service of _Satan;_ _righteousness_ the service of _C... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Romans 6:17. _BUT GOD BE THANKED, THAT YE WERE THE SERVANTS OF_ _SIN_] This verse should be read thus: _But thanks be to God that,_ _although ye were the servants of sin, nevertheless ye have obeyed_ _from the heart that form of doctrine that was delivered unto you_; or, _that mould of teachin... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Romans 6:18. _BEING THEN MADE FREE FROM SIN_] ελευθερωθεντες is a term that refers to the _manumission_ of a _slave_. They were _redeemed_ from the slavery of sin, and became the servants of righteousness. Here is another _prosopopoeia_: both _sin_ and _righteousness_ are _personified: sin_ ca... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Romans 6:19. _I SPEAK AFTER THE MANNER OF MEN_] This phrase is often used by the Greek writers to signify what was _easy to be_ _comprehended_; what was _ad captum vulgi_, level with common understandings, delivered in a _popular style_; what was different from the _high flights_ of the _poets... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Romans 6:20. _YE WERE FREE FROM RIGHTEOUSNESS._] These two servitudes are incompatible; if we cannot serve _God_ and _Mammon_, surely we cannot serve _Christ_ and _Satan_. We must be either _sinners_ or _saints_; God's _servants_ or the devil's _slaves_. It cannot be as a good mistaken man has... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Romans 6:21. _WHAT FRUIT HAD YE THEN IN THOSE THINGS_] God designs that every man shall reap _benefit_ by _his_ service. What _benefit_ have ye derived from the _service of sin_? _WHEREOF YE ARE NOW ASHAMED?_] Ye blush to remember your former life. It was _scandalous_ to yourselves, _injuriou... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Romans 6:22. _BUT NOW BEING MADE FREE FROM SIN_] As being _free_ _from righteousness_ is the finished character of a _sinner_, so being _made free_ from _sin_ is the finished character of a _genuine_ _Christian_. _AND BECOME SERVANTS TO GOD_] They were transferred from the service of one mast... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Romans 6:23. _FOR THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH_] The second death, everlasting _perdition_. Every sinner _earns_ this by long, sore, and painful service. O! what pains do men take to get to hell! Early and late they toil at sin; and would not Divine justice be in their _debt_, if it did not pay t... [ Continue Reading ]