Down an Unfamiliar Road

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

Dr. Robert R. Seyda

EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

CHAPTER SIX (Lesson XXI)

The Apostle Paul does not want to end this narrative on a sour note. So he gladly proclaims the benefits of turning to God and serving Him out of love, faith, and trust. On one occasion, Jesus likened it to having a refreshing drink of abundant life: “Anyone who drinks the water I give will never be thirsty again. The water I give people will be like a spring flowing inside them. It will bring them eternal life.”¹ Not only that, but Jesus also proclaimed its benefits: “I assure you, anyone who hears what I say and believes in the One who sent me has eternal life.”² It’s another way of saying, you can’t lose with Jesus on your side.

Early church scholar Origen says that Paul employs a military metaphor here related to wages. Not only is it something a soldier earns, but something they must work for by facing hardship, death, and destruction.³ Early church scholar Ambrosiaster comments on Paul’s statement about wages by pointing out that in this case, the payment is death. Not a very enticing offer for anyone who wants to live freely and joyfully. That’s why those who go AWOL from Satan’s army and join the army of God will be eligible to receive a bonus called eternal life. It’s not something one earns, but something one is rewarded with for making the right decision. Then we have early church scholar Origen insisting that those who turn away from sin, will not have to experience the second death.⁴ But, those who continually allow themselves to be bitten and injected with the venom of sin are guaranteed that death will result. The only antidote for sin is the blood of Jesus Christ. And the only way this inoculation can be received is through the grace of God, that is, faith in Christ to pardon their sins and receive the gift of eternal life.

It is early church scholar Ambrosiaster who believes those who choose God’s way will end up rejoicing by finding rest for their weary souls. That’s because they know they will ultimately have a life which is free from all care and has no end. This is what the priest Simeon saw ahead of time and asked to be released from this world so he can go to his rest. That means, to rest where there is no disturbance while awaiting the resurrection.⁵ Paul bears witness that this gift is given to us by God through Christ our Lord. Why should we offer thanks to God through someone other than His Son?⁶ Why should you thank someone else for what Jesus did instead of expressing your gratitude to Him yourself.? To this Chrysostom offers his thoughts: “Paul does not parallel ‘the wages of sin’ with ‘the wages of good deeds’ because he wants to show that they were not set free by their own efforts, nor had they done anything to earn their salvation. It was by grace alone that all these things came about.”⁷

Reformist John Calvin sums up his impression of this chapter by saying that from now on we can boldly say that salvation is only possible by grace and the absolute goodness of God. Paul certainly could have used other words. For instance, the wages of righteousness is eternal life. That would then counter with the wages of sin. But he knew that eternal life was a gift from God, not something we earn through our own merits. Calvin does not see this as one single gift. He believes that it comes clothed with the righteousness of the Son. That’s because we have been reconciled to the Father, and by the power of the Spirit, we have been transformed to be holy unto God. Adds Calvin: “For this reason, that He might call us away from every conceit respecting our own worthiness.”⁸

Revivalist Adam Clarke states emphatically that a person may merit hell, but they cannot merit heaven. He echoes what others have said about Paul not mentioning that the wages of righteousness is eternal life. The reason being is that eternal life, even to the righteous, is a gracious Gift of God. And even this gracious gift comes through Jesus Christ our Lord. Says Clarke: “He alone has procured it, and it is given to all those who find redemption in His blood. A sinner goes to hell because he deserves it; a righteous man goes to heaven because Christ has died for him, and communicated that grace by which his sin is pardoned and his soul made holy.”⁹ In other words, a person can go to hell on their own without any help. But one cannot enter heaven without all the help that God can bring to their rescue.

Albert Barnes gives us 5 points to consider in order to understand what the phrase “everlasting life” means. This phrase is the opposite of everlasting punishment and thereby proves that it means eternal death. First of all, one will last as long as the other. Secondly, as there can be no exact measure as to how long one will have the fullness of life to enjoy on earth, neither can there be any exact limit on a sinner’s hopeless march to certain destruction. According to the Scriptures, one will be rich, blessed, and everlasting, while the other will be sad, gloomy, lingering, awful, and eternal. Thirdly, if a sinner dies while being lost, he’s earned that right. Yet, he will still receive a reward. But it will only be what he deserves for serving sin. The sad part is that he will not be considered a martyr because of his supposed innocence or dying for the cause. Also, he will not evoke any compassion from the Creator of the universe. Sadly, he will have no one to argue his case before God. His suffering and torment will be exactly what he has worked so hard for. He will suffer like a prisoner tied to the wall in the dungeon, or as the murderer hangs in the gallows. All because this is the established reward of sin. Fourthly, those who are saved will be transported to heaven, not because they earned it or merited it, but by the rich and sovereign grace of God. Their salvation will be credited to Christ, and they will be given the opportunity to celebrate His mercy and grace before Him forever. And fifthly, it is only fitting for us to flee from the wrath to come. Not to any fortress of our own making, but to the Cross of Calvary. Just as no one is more foolish than a wicked person who is willing to work for death without hope – the wage of sin, none is so blessed as the one who has been the object of God’s mercy, and who openly accepts Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. By doing so, they are guaranteed eternal life.¹⁰

H. A. Ironside adds his comments on how Paul concludes this section with a sober yet precious statement: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” This should alert us to the fact that sin is, in one respect, a faithful master. Sin’s payday will come no matter what. And the wages sin pays is punishment. Ironside makes note that it is not divine judgment in view here, but sin’s wages. After this comes Judgment Day. The penalty for sin has yet to be promulgated before the judgment-bar of God. We should never make the error of misinterpreting physical death as the cessation of being, and is, therefore, both wages and penalty. Says Ironside: “Scripture clearly tells of divine judgment after sin’s wages have been paid. On the other hand, eternal life is a free gift, the gift of God. None can earn it. It is given to all who trust in Christ as the Savior of sinners. It is ours now, who believe the gospel. We shall enjoy it in all its fullness at the ‘end.’”¹¹

Then Charles Hodge examines the doctrinal aspect of these last two verses and points out that eternal life is truly the GIFT of God. It is unlike eternal death which flows as a natural consequence of sin. Clarke points out that the holy angels, who have never lost the favor of God, do not have to go through this. But for the rest of us, death is a common factor. Hodge says that this must be counteracted with those blessed characteristics that define life. And these characteristics produce a flow that must be sustained and strengthened by the constant, comforting, and long-suffering grace of the Holy Spirit. Says Hodge: “The life thus graciously produced, and graciously sustained, is at last graciously crowned with eternal glory.”¹²

Charles Spurgeon said it this way from the pulpit: “The Apostle has in his mind’s eye the figure of a soldier receiving his pay. Sin, the captain, pays his hired soldiers a dreadful wage. The original word signifies ‘rations,’ or some translate it ‘stipend.’ It means the payment which soldiers receive, put in the plural as wages because pay can be given in different forms: soldiers might be paid in meat, or in a meal, or in money, or in part by their clothing, or by lands promised when the time of service came to an end. Now that which sin, the grim captain, pays to those who are under him, is comprehended in this terrible term ‘death.’”¹³

And Spurgeon has an interesting comment about eternal life when he says that those who preach about a person having been given everlasting life, then loses it, do not understand the force of language. If a person has been promised eternal life, then it is eternal. As such, it cannot end or be lost. To say that it is eternal means it is “everlasting.”’ To end up losing it would prove that it was not everlasting. Says Spurgeon: “No, if you have eternal life, you can never perish; if God has bestowed it upon you, it will not be recalled, ‘for the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.‘¹⁴”¹⁵ To put this another way, since no person can receive eternal life unless they are accepted, in the same manner no person can lose eternal life unless they are rejected. That’s where God’s grace is so precious and invaluable. It is the only thing standing between a wayward person going to heaven or ending up in eternal punishment.

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

Dr. Robert R. Seyda

EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

CHAPTER SIX (Lesson XIX)

It is important to note that one English translation of verse 22 reads, “You have as your fruit, sanctification.”¹ Another version renders it, “You have your fruit unto holiness.”² And the New International Version reads: “The benefit you reap leads to holiness.” When writing to the Galatians, Paul lists these fruits: “But the fruit that the Spirit produces in a person’s life is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”³ And when corresponding with the Philippians, Paul puts it this way: “May you always be doing those good, kind things that show you are a child of God, for this will bring much praise and glory to the Lord.”⁴ He prays the same thing for the Colossians.⁵

This was vital for the believers in Rome because such a sanctified lifestyle meant that they were on the strait and narrow path called the highway of holiness.⁶ This is the one that leads to everlasting life. Jesus taught His disciples that walking this road takes more than words, it also requires action: “Everyone who has left houses, brothers, sisters, father, mother, children, or farms to follow me will get much more than they left. And they will have eternal life.”⁷

One of the earliest church scholars, Tertullian, instructs us that throughout this chapter Paul challenges believers to stop using their bodily members for immoral purposes. Instead, yield them to what is moral and holy. This way, they can convert their energy from earning the wages of sin, which is spiritual death, to being rewarded with the gift of God which is eternal life. Tertullian asks, why apply the rules of holiness and doing good to how we live if the reward for such discipline is not attainable? That would be inconsistent with why a believer is encouraged to live a holy life. Nor would baptism have been ordered if it did not signify that restitution had already taken place and the believer was ready to live cleanly before the Lord. Paul himself reveals this concept: “Don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were, therefore, buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.‘⁸”⁹

John Calvin focuses on the fact that just as Paul had spoken earlier of a twofold end for sin, he does the same thing now concerning righteousness. As pointed out, sin in this life brings grief, pain, and a tormented conscience which translates into eternal punishment in the world to come. Calvin says that as we gather into the basket of holiness the spiritual fruit of righteousness, we do so with faith that we are thereby worthy of eternal life in the hereafter. Says Calvin: “These things, unless we are beyond measure stupid, ought to generate in our minds a hatred and horror of sin, and also a love and desire for righteousness.”¹⁰ To use an illustration from everyday life, as Paul did, it would be just as ridiculous for a person who suffered through the tormenting rash caused by poison ivy, to go back out into the same patch where these weeds grow. Or, who would expect a person who just endured the chills of heat exhaustion, going back out into the hot sun without sustenance or protection?

Robert Haldane offers his reasons why a believer, who is set free from sin, should try their hardest to avoid sin. It should not be played around with, thinking they are forever safe. He points out that Paul has already successfully given his reply to the objection that his doctrine of justification leads to indulgence in sin. Now he assures those, to whom he wrote, concerning the blessed effects that come by surrendering to God as a servant. This is only possible when we are made free from sin, that is, emancipated from a state of slavery under the devil’s rule. By not working for this serpent any longer we can bear the fruit of holiness. The fruit of holiness grows out of holy conduct. That means, all that we say, do, think, or feel is dedicated to God for His glory. Such Fruit of Holiness, or Holy Conduct, in this present life, results in keeping sin from tainting and spoiling our lives. Also, becoming dedicated servants to God ushers us into the world-to-come where we will live to honor Him for eternity. Haldane reminds us that eternal life is a gift of God for our faithful service, it is not a reward on merit.¹¹

Robert Haldane also notes that some interpreters of Scripture have used a play-on-words that in the end only confuses the reader. As he sees it, both here and at the conclusion of the preceding chapter, death is contrasted with eternal life. Paul has told us that sin is a form of slavery, and its reward is death, aka, eternal misery. From Adam’s time onward death became the greatest curse on earth’s citizens. That’s why any future punishment of the wicked is figuratively called, death. We know that both the righteous and the wicked are appointed to die physically.¹² However, when they pass from this life to the next they both still live on. The sinner grieving in eternal punishment, and the righteous rejoicing in everlasting joy. Haldane mentions that our Lord spoke of death when He said: “Whosoever believes in Me will never die.”¹³ Although the wages of sin is death, the Apostle does not add that the wages of obedience is eternal life. Haldane says forcefully, this is not the doctrine of Scripture. Eternal life is a gift from God. You cannot earn it, deserve it, or bargain for it. And God does not parcel it out among His faithful based on their years of service. It is equally given to everyone who believes.¹⁴

Haldane then makes a distinction by suggesting that instead of reading: “Eternal life is the gift of God,” we should render it: “The gift of God is eternal life.” He says, the meaning of these two propositions, though nearly alike, are not entirely synchronous. Both propositions might rightly be interchangeable, but as expressed by the Apostle they are not. No doubt righteousness results in eternal life, but eternal life itself comes as a gift, but not as a gift from righteousness.¹⁵

Albert Barnes points out that what Jesus said: “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them,”¹⁶ is echoed here in verse 21. The fact is that both eternal life and God’s wrath are just as long in duration as the other. That’s why those who obey His Word will be blessed with life forever, while those who disobey will be cursed with punishment forever. Never was there an antithesis more manifest and more clear. And there could be no stronger evidence that the word “death,” in verse 21, does not refer to temporal death, but to eternal punishment and separation from God than what Paul gives here.

Barnes then asks, who could possibly win the argument on the supposition that temporal death is meant here? Their argument would look like this: “The end of sin is to produce temporal death; the end of holiness is to produce eternal life!” But that raises other questions: Will temporal death not come to believers as well? Are Christians exempt from physically dying? Do not all people suffer this, whether they are believers or unbelievers? Barnes concludes that according to Paul’s reasoning it is obvious that the point he is trying to make is this: They were once pursuing a course that ended in everlasting ruin; they are now in a path that goes on into eternal life. It is for this reason that all believers are urged by Paul to be holy in mind, body, and spirit.¹⁷

Bible writer Douglas Moo gives us an excellent comparison here:

       Condition                      Status                               Result                        Outcome

       Before we were            Slaves of sin, free            fruit bringing           death

       Christians (v. 21)          from righteousness        shame

       Now that we are          free from sin, slaves       fruit bringing            life

       Christians (v. 22)          of God                                sanctification

Verse 23: When people work for sin, their wage is death. But God’s free gift is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Now Paul draws a line at the end of this in-depth teaching on how salvation by grace is far superior to working for salvation by fulfilling the Law’s demands. He points out the rewards that await those who offer themselves as servants to one or the other. This was not a new concept, it all started back in the Garden of Eden.¹⁸ It was also reiterated by the prophet Isaiah: “It will be very bad for wicked people, because they, too, will get what they deserve.”¹⁹ So Paul was right on point when he wrote the Corinthians: “Don’t you know that unrighteous people will have no share in the Kingdom of God? Don’t delude yourselves.”²⁰ And he makes the same point even sharper to the Galatians: “If you think you can fool God, you are only fooling yourselves. You will harvest what you plant.”²¹ The Apostle James put it this way: “Your own desire leads you away and traps you. Your desire grows inside you until it results in sin. Then the sin grows bigger and bigger and finally ends in death.”²²

This idea of death being a payment for sin was not invented by Paul. As a student of Jewish law and literature, the Apostle was well aware of what the Rabbis taught. For instance, in the Talmud, we read: “Rabbi Ammi said: There is no death without sin, and there is no suffering without iniquity. There is no death without sin, for it is written, The soul that sins, it will die:²³ There is no suffering without iniquity, for it is written, Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes.”²⁴ This same doctrine is part of the Jewish commentary on Leviticus where it says: “There is no death without sin, no sting without sin.”²⁵

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

Dr. Robert R. Seyda

EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

CHAPTER SIX (Lesson XIX)

Robert Haldane gives his view on the fruit that dedicated believers should produce out of thankfulness to the glory of God. For Paul, besides the exhortations to holiness which he already gave, the Apostle traces for believers the natural consequences of sin. Not only did it prove to be worthless and shameful in character, but the end was even worse – the death of hope. Paul questions, what advantage did they have in the pleasure of their former lifestyle? What could they point to that was so redeeming? But when it comes to those who live in holiness, the fruit they bear definitely has an advantage. It is configured for production, not pleasure. Haldane notes that many Bible scholars interpret this verse as if the Apostle denied that they had any pleasure in their sins when they were committed. Paul would not do that. He knew the reason people served sin was for its momentary gratification. Haldane finds it hard to believe that anyone would say that sinful delights have no pleasure in them at all. It’s all imaginary. That is an abuse of the term “pleasure.” Haldane writes: “All pleasure is a matter of feeling, and a man is no less happy than he feels himself to be; if he imagines that he enjoys pleasure, he actually enjoys pleasure. But what advantage is there in such pleasure? This is the question which the Apostle asks.”¹ It is also the question that Paul will soon answer.

Albert Barnes also focuses on the “result,” or “fruit,” of living an immoral life. So he asks, what reward or advantage is there to constantly living in sin? He says that such an argument is drawn from the attempt by some Christians to justify their continued indulgence in sinful passions. Paul discusses that very question throughout this chapter. He is countering the heresy that the Gospel’s plan of justification by faith licenses such permissiveness. Barnes also states that part of this argument can be drawn from the past in which Christians have experienced times of transgression. Says Barnes: “They have tried it; they know its effects; they have tasted its bitterness; they have reaped its fruit.” Therefore, Barnes feels that it is implied here that having once experienced these bad effects, and knowing man’s tendency to sin, they will not indulge in it anymore.² Having seen their nature and outcome, you are now ashamed of them.³ As Paul stated elsewhere, it is a disgrace to speak of those things which were done in secret.⁴ For the end – the conslusion, the result of such things, is death.⁵”⁶ Not physical death, but spiritual deadness throughout eternity from which there is no recovery.

Charles Hodge points out that when people are in sin, righteousness holds no sway over their lives. Their service is rendered to another master. Hodges cautions that we should not think that Paul was speaking ironically here; that he was suggesting that in their former sinful state freedom was one of their advantages because they could choose to do right or wrong. No, says Hodge, servants of sin did not and could not serve righteousness. Paul offers two choices – sin, or righteousness. Which one should be preferred? This is the question which the Apostle Paul offers for consideration.⁷ So, Hodge says: “What advantage had you of the service of sin? None; for the end of those things, the final result of the service of sin is death; not physical death, but the death of the soul, final and hopeless perdition.”⁸

Charles Spurgeon cries out, as a pastor, to remind his members of the old ways from which they have been delivered: “You had such pleasure as sin could give you, but was it worth having? You derived some profit, perhaps, from evil pursuits; but did the profit ever make up for the loss which you thereby sustained? O ye who have had experience of sin to the full, has it, after all, turned out to be the fair and lovely thing that it once seemed to be? No, the serpent had azure scales,⁹ but its fangs have poured poison into your blood. It came to you with all manner of deceptions of unrighteousness, like Jezebel with her painted face, but it has wrought for you nothing but sorrow and suffering, and it will work your eternal ruin unless God, in his great mercy, shall prevent it.”¹⁰

Bible scholar Robert Haldane has his thoughts on the shame that sin can bring to a believer. First, he points out that many scholars interpret this verse as if the Apostle denied that they had any pleasure in their sins at the time they wallowed in them. Says, Haldane, the Apostle knew this was foolishness, everyone knows that sinners have pleasure in sinning. We must keep in mind that pleasure is a matter of feeling, and a person is only as happy as they feel. Even if a person only imagines that they enjoy pleasure, they probably do. Haldane asks again, what advantage is there to such pleasure? This is the same question the Apostle Paul is asking. Says Haldane: “It is a remarkable fact that men in a state of alienation from God will commit sin not only without shame but will glory in many things of which they will be ashamed the moment they are changed by the Gospel. They now see their conduct in another light. They see that it was not only sinful but shameful. For the end of those things is death.” Therefore, it is clear that whatever pleasure sinners might enjoy now, in the end, they will taste the bitterness of death. Not natural demise, even believers must meet life’s end here on earth. But death when described as eternal punishment.¹¹

John Stott points out that Paul is continuing the comparison and contrast between the two forms of compulsory service – sin, and righteousness. However, this time the Apostle denotes that each form of subjugation contains a certain kind of freedom; one of which is authentic and the other spurious. At the same time, while one form of freedom while under subjection is degrading, the other is ennobling. Stott goes on to state that this spurious freedom to sin is better termed, license. While the freedom we have in righteous living is better called, liberty. What irony this brings into view. Sinners think they are free because they can do anything they want without any consequences, while Christians seem to remain bound by righteous rules and moral manners. What sinners don’t know is that what they think is freedom is actually a choice that will bring them under even more bondage to sin, and will eventually take them out into eternity where there is no repentance or forgiveness. But those who’ve become servants to righteousness in order to please the One who redeemed them, freed them and gave them a new reason for living, look forward to everlasting life with their God, their Savior, and their comforting Holy Spirit.¹²

H. A. Ironside gives a summary of what Paul has said here:

There are fourteen distinct counts in this indictment or summary of evidence. 1- “There is none righteous, no, not one.” All have failed in something. 2- “There is none that understands.” All have become willfully ignorant. 3- “There is none that seeks after God.” All seek their own. 4- “They are all gone out of the way.” They have deliberately turned their backs on the truth. 5- “They are together become unprofitable.” They have dishonored God instead of glorifying Him. 6- “There is none that does good, no, not one.” Their practices are evil. They do not follow after that which is good. 7- “Their throat is an open sepulcher,” because of the corruption within. 8- “With their tongues they have used deceit.” Lying and deception are characteristic. 9- “The poison of asps is under their lips.” It is the poison inserted into the very nature of man by “that old serpent the devil and Satan” at the very beginning. 10- “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness” for “out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” 11- “Their feet are swift to shed blood.” Hatred produces murder, and, alas, in how many ways it is manifested! 12- “Destruction and misery are in their ways,” because they have forgotten God the source of life and blessing. 13- “The way of peace have they not known,” for they have deliberately chosen the ways of death. 14- “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Hence there is no wisdom in them.

Ironside then asks: “Can any plead ‘Not guilty’ to all of these charges? If so, let him speak. But none can honestly do so.” And so he concludes, “Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.¹³”¹⁴

Verse 22: But now you are totally free from sin. You have become full-time servants of God, and the fruit you produce is wholesome living, which brings you eternal life.

With all this wrestling with the Law behind them, Paul now commends them for conducting themselves as slaves freed from the condemnation of sin and their wholehearted and unconditional surrender to the Will and Word of God. This is what Jesus promised would happen: “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”¹⁵ And this is what Paul emphasized in his letter to the Corinthians: “The Lord is the Spirit who gives them life, and where He is there is freedom. Freedom from trying to be saved by keeping the laws of God.”¹⁶

But this freedom is not to be wasted or abused. Rather, freed slaves are to work hard in order to produce fruit so that the one who saved them can be proud. Did not Jesus say: “I am the vine, and you are the branches. If you stay joined to me, and I to you, you will produce plenty of fruit.”¹⁷ Therefore, to be free does not mean having no connections to anyone. Instead, they are an extension of the One who saved them. That’s why Jesus told His disciples: “You did not choose me. I chose you. And I gave you this work: to go and produce fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you anything you ask for in my name.”¹⁸ So no believer should feel once they are freed from the tyranny of sin that they must read their Bible, they must pray, they must go to church, they must pay their tithe, and they must deny themselves anything that brings them joy and excitement in order to maintain a stoic sense of holiness. Instead, to embrace the new reality and relationship they have to the Living God and delight in His blessings that brings peace the world cannot give, and joy that is unspeakable and full of glory. That will, in turn, excite the believer to read, pray worship, give, and surrender their talents and abilities to the One who made them whole.

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

Dr. Robert R. Seyda

EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

CHAPTER SIX (Lesson XVIII)

Frédéric Godet has an interesting take on what Paul says here by citing the speck of irony he sees in the second part of verse 19. It is the Apostle’s call to those who are now in the service of their new Master of Righteousness. He wants them to be as active and zealous as they were in service to their old Master of Licentiousness. That old master is renown for promoting immorality, and lawlessness, sometimes going far beyond all rules. Immorality is characterized by personal degradation, and lawlessness is noted as contempt for the standards of right and wrong written on every person’s conscience. He says that this distinction seems to us more natural than that which was laid down by Professor Tholuck, who takes the term immorality in the strictly proper sense of the word, and who takes lawlessness to be sin in general.¹ Says Godet: “The broad sense which we give to the word immorality appears clearly from 1 Thessalonians 4:7. The two expressions [immorality and holiness], therefore, each embrace, as it seems to us, the whole sphere of sin, but from two different points of view.”²

Karl Barth has an excellent commentary on “Grace” in this section. Among other things, he says that grace involves an existential relationship between God and man. This is bound to move them on from the “something they know” about divine truth to “something they do” about it. This comes from the fact that divine reality makes its demand on them. They must will what God wills, which they did not do before. They must serve righteousness with the same bodily members, and with the same visible concreteness, they did while living immorality in iniquity. They must bring sanctification into concrete existence by using those same instruments they used before to enjoy iniquity. Said Barth: “They must glorify God with their bodies, that is, in that same environment and under those same conditions in which they have hitherto done Him dishonor.”³

Verses 20-21: In the past, you were slaves to sin, and you did not even think about doing what was right. You did evil things, and now you are ashamed of what you did. Did those things help you? No, they only brought death.

Paul now puts the question in the hands of his readers to decide whether or not all the gratification they had by following the path of sin was worth the effort. Where did it get them? Where are the benefits? It is obvious that they’ve come to realize that it was all futile. They gained nothing. All it did was bring ruin instead of gain.

Solomon put it all in perspective when he said: “They filled their lives with what they wanted. They went their own way, and they will end up getting what they deserve.”⁴ Solomon goes on to make this observation: “Then they will say, ‘Why didn’t I listen to my parents? Why didn’t I pay attention to my teachers? I didn’t want to be disciplined. I refused to be corrected.’”⁵ The Apostle Paul wanted everyone to know this: “If you think you can fool God, you are only fooling yourselves. You will harvest what you plant. If you live to satisfy your sinful self, the harvest you will get from that will be eternal punishment.”⁶

The point of all this is that what’s done is done. So what hope can a person have if these things are still lying around like skeletons in the closet? The Patriarch Job confessed: “I am not worthy to speak! What can I say to you? I cannot answer you! I will put my hand over my mouth.”⁷ Then scribe Ezra admitted openly how he felt about the conduct of God’s people: “I fell on my knees with my hands spread out to the Lord my God. Then I prayed this prayer: ‘My God, I am too ashamed and embarrassed to look at you. I am ashamed because our sins are higher than our heads. Our guilt has reached all the way up to the heavens… And I am ashamed of myself. I am so sorry.
As I sit in the dust and ashes, I promise to change my heart and my life.’”⁸

The prophet Jeremiah lamented what he saw: “They should be ashamed of the evil things they do, but they are not ashamed at all. They don’t know enough to be embarrassed by their sins.”⁹ But then, he saw a change: “I wandered away from you. But I finally realized how wrong I was. So I changed my heart and life. I am ashamed and embarrassed about the foolish things I did when I was young.”¹⁰ This was the same response Paul was looking for. It echoes what God promised to all those who were repentant: “You will remember me, and you will be so ashamed of the evil things you did that you will not be able to say anything. But I will make you pure, and you will never be ashamed again!”¹¹

Chrysostom offers this advice in a sermon he preached: “In the past, you did not split your service between righteousness and sin but were wholly given over to sin. So now that you have come over to the side of righteousness, you should do the same thing and give yourselves over entirely to righteousness, doing nothing at all that is wicked.”¹² Along this same line, we find that one early church layman wrote that anyone who served the devil will not be interfered with by God. But when they are freed from the devil’s grasp, they are free to serve God with His help. He goes on to say that some thought they had full liberty while serving sin, but that was an error in thinking. True liberty can only come with the help of a liberator..¹³”¹⁴

Origen gives his view on what Paul says about how those things done in sin can only bring punishment. He suggests that anyone who after turning their heart and mind toward righteousness, will no doubt blush and chastise themselves when they think back on the life they lived before becoming a believer. What they did then was contributed to the power of sin, and “the end of those things is death.”¹⁵ Origen then asks, “But what death?” He concludes that it could not mean, “death that is common to all mankind.” Maybe it could be what the Scriptures call, “death brought on by sin:” “The soul which sins will surely die.”¹⁶ Or perhaps, it could be understood as referring to that death by which we die to sin with Christ in order to put an end to wickedness and evildoing. Thus it could be said, as it does here, “Death is their end.”

Says Origen: “Paul compares fruit with fruit. He declares that the fruit of sin, which we are now ashamed of because we have been set free from sin and become servants of God, ends in death whereas the fruit of righteousness, which leads to sanctification, continues in eternal life.”¹⁷ However, we must also look at how the word “death” was used as a wage of sin. First of all, staying in sin brought death to any hope of being redeemed and saved. Secondly, it put to death any hope of having eternal life in heaven with God. And thirdly, it signaled the death of any hope of being delivered from everlasting punishment.

John Calvin sees Paul’s wanting to explain the serious dichotomy between sin and righteousness by showing how contrary they are to each other. This would make it impossible for a person to devote themselves to one without completely forsaking the other. So, he sets sin on one side and righteousness on the other in order to show the results derived from serving one or the other. With regard to those who abandon themselves to sin, Calvin says: “This is the liberty of the flesh, which so frees us from obedience to God, that it makes us slaves to the devil. Wretched then and accursed is this liberty, which with unbridled or rather mad frenzy, leads us jubilantly to our destruction.”¹⁸ Calvin notes that Paul goes on to show that it is all a sham, there are no lasting benefits. Instead, it leaves the celebrant weak and empty-handed with no hope to recover their destroyed life.

John Bengel has an interesting thing to say about eternal life and eternal death. He finds that the epithet “eternal,” in verse 23, is never added to the noun “death.” This applies to those in whose case death yields to resurrected life, and those who go into everlasting fire, torment, and destruction. Bengel challenges anyone if they can think that it is by mere chance, and not design, that Scripture, when eternal life is expressly mentioned, never names its opposite, eternal death. Everywhere else, he says, it speaks of eternal in a different manner. In so many places, admits Bengel, Paul leaves it to the discretion of the reader to consider the equivalent phrase, “eternal destruction.”¹⁹ Says Bengel: “The reason for the difference, however, is this: Scripture often describes death, by personification, as an enemy, and an enemy to be destroyed; but it does not so describe torment.”²⁰

Adam Clarke gives an interesting comment on the two types of servitude mentioned by Paul – sin, and righteousness. As far as Clarke is concerned, these two types of servitude are incompatible. He points out that since we cannot serve God and Mammon, surely we cannot serve Christ and Satan. For Clarke, we must either be sinners or saints; God‘s servants or the devil‘s slaves. It doesn’t work, he says, when even a good person may endeavor to sing along with the old song: “To good and evil equal bent, I‘m both a devil and a saint.”²¹ Clarke is not sure whether it would be possible to paint the complete saturation of sin in brighter colors than the Apostle Paul does here when he declares that sinners are completely devoid of righteousness. It sounds very much like what we read about before Noah’s flood: “The wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.”²² And as the Psalmist declared: “All have turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.”²³ Clark goes on to say that whatever sin may promise in pleasure or advantage, the end to which it necessarily tends is the destruction of body, the soul, and everlasting punishment.²⁴

YOUR HEART IS WHERE YOUR HEAD RESTS

Ralph Waldo Emerson was a venerated American poet, essayist, philosopher, and pastor. A Harvard graduate, Emerson was appointed as pastor of the Old Second Church in Boston, but soon became a despondent preacher. After the death of his nineteen-year-old bride of tuberculosis, Emerson felt he could no longer administer the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper because it bothered his conscience. Emerson resigned his pastorate in 1831.

But he must have learned something during that trying time. Emerson married his second wife, Lydia Jackson of Plymouth, in 1835. He would later write to one of his daughters who was away at school and say: “Finish every day and be done with it. For manners and for wise living it is a vice to remember. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely, and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense. This day for all that is good and fair. It is too dear, with its hopes and invitations, to waste a moment on the rotten yesterdays.”¹

Too often we spend so much time on yesterday’s mistakes, that it’s tomorrow before we realize that we’ve wasted today. None of us likes to be stuck in time, especially on tragic days-gone-by. It’s so easy to take on the spirit of victimhood, asking ourselves, “How could this have happened to me?” Even though when we attempt the same thing again we can avoid making the identical mistake, but we can’t go back and erase the errors of the past.

Instead of being hard on yourself, accept the fact that everyone will have faults and failures, troubles and trials, good days and bad. It’s what you do with them that really counts. Don’t let it figure disproportionately on how you value yourself. In fact, sometimes mistakes can be taken as gifts. They show you what not to do so that you can better figure out what to do. Then write down some goals that you want to achieve and begin to focus on them. It may take you in a whole new direction, but you’ll discover some things you would never have known without those mistakes.

The Apostle Paul was a firm believer in this philosophy. In one of his Epistles he wrote: “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”² This echoes what Jesus Himself once said: “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”³

But the most comforting part of going through these experiences is that with God the Father watches us like He watches the flowers and the sparrows; Jesus the Son of God is interceding for us so that all the help we need will be available, and with the Holy Spirit is walking beside us as our comforter, teacher, and guide. It’s not so much where we’ve been that counts, but where we end up. – Dr. Robert R Seyda

DON’T BE ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL

When I read this story, it reminded me that sometimes we go through life so fast that it takes an accident or illness for God to get our attention. It tells us about a young, successful executive driving down a neighborhood street. He was smiling as he drove a little bit too fast in his new Jaguar. Thankfully he kept his eyes open for any kids that might dart out from between parked cars. Suddenly he slowed down when he thought he saw something.

As his car passed by, no children appeared. Instead, a brick smashed into the Jag’s side door! He slammed on the brakes and backed the Jag back to the spot where the brick had been thrown. When he jumped out of the car, he was very angry. He grabbed the nearest kid and pushed him up against a parked car shouting, “What in the world is going on here? Do you have any idea what you just did? That’s a new car, and that brick you threw is going to cost me a lot of money to get it fixed. Why did you do it?”

The young boy was apologetic. “Please, mister…please, I’m sorry, but I didn’t know what else to do,” He pleaded. “I threw the brick because I couldn’t get anybody to stop…” With tears dripping down his face and off his chin, the youth pointed to a spot just in front of a parked car. “It’s my brother,” he said. “He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair. He hit his head hard on the street, and I can’t lift him up now.” Sobbing now almost uncontrollably, the boy begged the stunned executive, “Please help me get him back into his wheelchair? Please! He’s hurt, and he’s too heavy for me to lift.”

Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. He hurried to the spot where the bruised and bleeding boy lay helpless on the ground. He lifted the handicapped boy back into the wheelchair, then took out a handkerchief and dabbed at the fresh scrapes and cuts. A quick look told him everything was going to be okay. “Thank you so much, stammered the younger brother,” as his older brother shook his head in gratitude.

Too shook up for words, the man simply watched the boy push his wheelchair-bound brother down the sidewalk toward their home. It was a long, slow walk back to the Jaguar. The damage was very noticeable, but the driver decided not to repair the dented side door. He kept the dent there so he could show it to others as he told his story. But it was also to remind him of this message: “Don’t go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention.” – Dr. Robert R Seyda

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

Dr. Robert R. Seyda

EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

CHAPTER SIX (Lesson XVII)

American Bible scholar Albert Barnes also offers his view on what Paul meant when defining the Gospel as a “form” or “type of doctrine.” For him, it implied a shape or model of instruction which was communicated as something to imitate or follow. Therefore, when you say that you have obeyed the doctrine, you are saying that you have yielded obedience to the instructions, the rules, or the substance of the revelation. It must be understood that the word “doctrine” does not refer to an abstract dogma. Rather, it means that concrete instructions that are being taught. The meaning of the whole expression is simply this: That you have cheerfully yielded and heartily obeyed what has been communicated to you by a teacher or preacher of the Gospel.¹ In other words, the teachings of Christ that are passed on and administered by teachers of the Word are not meant to be conformed to but have the power to transform those who obey into the likeness God intended. Paul will address this again in Chapter 12.

Charles Hodge also concurs that such obedience to the Gospel must be voluntary and sincere. This is not something that has been passively released by one expert to another peer. It means the student or subject has changed teachers. Through the Gospel, the power of sin is broken, and those who were freed have gladly renounced their bondage, and have freely given themselves to God’s service. As such, it then becomes implausible for them to serve sin’s master when they now have a new sacred Master. A freed slave does not continue being subject to his or her former owner. Says Hodge: “This subjection to righteousness is perfect liberty. It is the subjection of the soul to God, reason, and conscience, wherein true liberty consists.”²

Charles Spurgeon expresses it eloquently: “Yes, the fetters are all gone; we have put up our feet upon the block, and the chains have been knocked off; we have put our hands down, and the irons have been broken in pieces. Free from sin! ’Tis true that sin still tempts us, but it cannot prevail against us; it tries to put the bit in our mouth and to ride us as it once did, but we no longer submit to its sway. Sin is now an enemy to fret and worry us, but not a king to trample upon us, and rule over us. We are the Lord’s free people, and out of gratitude for this glorious freedom, we become the willing servants of the righteous God.”³

Frédéric Godet adds that the Apostle Paul knew from his own experience that it was only by the pure spirituality of the Gospel he preached that the real power of sanctification could be recognized. Every acquiescence to practice legal principles is at the same time a barrier to realizing the full operation of the Holy Spirit. That’s why Paul’s heartfelt joy sprang from the knowledge that a true form of doctrine had effectively impacted the spiritual and moral lives of the Christians in Rome. So Paul came to this conclusion: “Therefore your progress in goodness is from now on a matter of necessity… You could not sin even once without renouncing the new principle to which you have given yourselves.” For Godet, Paul has succeeded in rediscovering a law even in grace, but an inward and spiritual law, like his whole gospel. It is none other than Christ Himself who, after having freed us from sin by His death, now unites us to His life as the Risen One, which makes us subjects of a righteous kingdom.⁴

Karl Barth had one way of putting it by saying that the Gospel is announced and proclaimed. That means it is addressed to particular people. As far as the Roman Christians were concerned, it was to believers who lived in grace, and whose power of obedience he took for granted. They were now given the crisp command to initiate the conquest of sin. They must now exhibit their knowledge by putting it into action. Their obedience to the Gospel is not a matter of being forced to respond. They are wholly free! Now they can act because they want to, not because they have to. Nevertheless, with his grateful “Thanks be to God,” Paul dares to engrave in their hearts and stamp on their minds the truth that they are no longer servants to sin. They are now servants of the Most High God. They have been liberated from the bondage of sin’s slavery. Such servitude has been dissolved and eliminated so that it doesn’t exist anymore. Says Barth: “They are invited to think of themselves as existentially under grace, as belonging to God, and as brought within the sphere of resurrection. Looking on Him who has been crucified on their behalf, they are bidden to – believe; yes! to believe in their power of obedience. This is the venture which must become a dare.”⁵

Verse 19: I use this example from everyday life because you need help in understanding spiritual truths. In the past, you offered your body members as slaves to your immoral and sinful thoughts. The result was that you lived only for sin. In the same way, you must now offer yourselves to be slaves to what is right. Then you will live only for God.

While Paul has leaned heavily on the writings in the Old Testament to validate his argument about the new freedom from the Law we have in Christ, he feels the urge to use an illustration from everyday life to explain it more. Paul did the same thing in his letter to the Corinthians.⁶ And when writing to the Galatians, he begins a section of his letter by saying: “Brothers and sisters, let me give you an example from everyday life.”⁷ It is considered very helpful even in sermons today to take illustrations from everyday life in order to make Biblical doctrines practical.

The example Paul chooses from daily life is the role of a servant which many households had in his day. These servants were used for specific purposes and were under the complete authority of family members. As such, they could be told to do things that were constructive or destructive, and they had to obey under penalty of beatings or even death. So in this Paul saw an illustration of how in life people can either be servants of good or of evil. But now that they have been freed by God through Christ to live for God, it was their opportunity and privilege to go from being servants of sin to servants of righteousness.

This is the same point Paul made in his letter to the Ephesians: “In the past, you were spiritually dead because of your sins and the things you did against God. Yes, in the past your lives were full of those sins. You lived the way the world lives, following the ruler of the evil powers that are above the earth.”⁸ Paul then goes on to say: “That same spirit is now working in those who refuse to obey God. In the past all of us lived like that, trying to please our sinful selves. We did all the things our bodies and minds wanted.”⁹ Paul was not the only Apostle who saw things this way, so did the Apostle Peter.¹⁰ But now that they have been set free to love and serve God because they want to, it is still up to them as to what kind of dedicated and faithful servant they desired to be.

Many early church scholars feel that here Paul is giving allowances to those who came out of their bondage to the law to become servants of grace. In other words, once you are converted you will not be required to give more stringent or demanding service to God than you did to sin. This is what you may call fair and balanced grace. Pelagius believes that Paul is in effect saying: “Although you should serve righteousness much more than you previously served sin, nevertheless I make allowances for your weakness so that you might serve righteousness just as much as you once served sin.” Pelagius seems to be saying that it may be a case of whatever the soul does in a carnal fashion, it makes the flesh culpable. But if the flesh performs a spiritual deed, does the whole person becomes spiritual? No! When we offered our members to serve sin; it is not as the Manichaeans¹¹ say, that it was the nature of the body to have sin ingrained in it.¹² For the sinner, sinning is a matter of instinct; for the believer, sinning is a deliberate act of disobedience.

Again, reformer Martin Luther shares what he hears the Apostle Paul saying here: “In the preceding verses, I said with great severity that sin must not have dominion over you. But since you are still weak in your struggle against the flesh, see to it that you do not live in sin without any anxiety or in security. If you have no heroic measure of virtue, then at least strive after that standard that is demanded of all believers… Live virtuously, in order that sin might not rule in you to the destruction of your faith and righteousness.”¹³ Luther learned in his own life that the rule was not: Live the best you can and let God do the rest. Rather, don’t ever be satisfied with where you are. Continue to struggle and press forward to higher ground. Then, if you are truly sincere, you will be blessed by God with what you need to make it all the way to the top.

Albert Barnes also gives his interpretation of what Paul is saying here, and that is: In order to live a holy life we must surrender our members to sanctification, and be as sincere and as unqualified as our surrender was to sin. Barnes notes that this is all that God requires of His children. As they can all remember, before their conversion, they were totally given to sin. But after their conversion, they should be just as wholly committed to God’s standards of holiness. Says Barnes: “If all Christians would employ the same energies in advancing the kingdom of God that they have in promoting the kingdom of Satan, the church would rise with dignity and grandeur, and every continent and island would soon feel the movement. No requirement is more reasonable than this, and it should be a source of lamentation and mourning with Christians that it is not so; that they have employed so mighty energies in the cause of Satan, and do so little in the service of God.”¹⁴

Charles Spurgeon echoes this same thought in his sermon by saying: “In the days of our sin, we sinned with all our power. There was not one part of us but what became the willing servant of sin: and we went from iniquity into iniquity, and now the Cross has made us entirely new, and we have been melted down, poured out into a fresh mold. Now, let us yield every member of our body, soul, and spirit to righteousness, even unto holiness, till the whole of us, in the wholeness and consequently the holiness of our nature, shall be given unto God.”¹⁵ Don’t hold you breath thinking you may hear this kind of preaching today. But it is just as necessary now as it was back in 1850.

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

Dr. Robert R. Seyda

EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

CHAPTER SIX (Lesson XVI)

Paul mentioned in verse 17 his joy that these Roman believers had been so faithful in following the teachings of Christ they received. In the King James Version, it reads, “form of doctrine.” Most scholars take this as a reference to the Gospel. The Gospel is the “doctrine” of the Scriptures. The complete Jewish Bible renders it, “pattern of teaching.” Some even suggest that it could also be taken as a mold such as that into which iron, plastic, gold, silver, etc., is poured. In that case, Paul is saying that he is happy that the believers allowed themselves to be smelted, cleared of all impurities, and poured into the form that brings them into conformity with the Gospel.¹ It is the doctrine of Christ and His Apostles. It is sound, and according to godliness, it is a “form,” or contains a summary and a compendium of truth. But it is also a pattern or model according to which ministers are to preach, people should hear and receive, and both must practice.²

In Jewish writings, we find references to those compositions and guidelines that governed how things were to be done, whether it was a legal procedure, or involved a bill of sale. These were not understood as an exhaustive explanation of how Law was to be applied, but a summary of the most important points.³ Then we are told that all of this was passed on from generation to generation. But each generation was to ensure that what they received was guarded against misinterpretation. In their writings, it reads: “They [the Men of the Great Assembly] would always say these three things: Be cautious in judgment. Establish many pupils. And make a safety fence around the Torah.”⁴ So in the case of the Gospel, it was delivered from the Father to Christ, from Christ to His Apostles, by the Apostles to the saints, and from the saints to those who came after them. But the key point is that the mold of the Gospel has been cast and should not be altered or broken. That means the doctrine preached by believers of today should resemble the Gospel preached by Christ and the Apostles in the New Testament.

There is so much more joy living in the spirit of the law and doing the will of God out of love and choice, rather than living confined to the letter of the Law and doing things out of obligation and habit. But such love and freedom come with responsibilities. If the system is wrong and you err following the rules, then the system is to blame. But if the system is correct and you err trying to follow the rules, then you must admit and confess so that they are your errors. But thanks to God’s mercy, such errors can be forgiven.

The young Psalmist, who penned the longest hymn made this confession: “I do my best to follow Your commands because You are the one who gives me the desire… So I will live in freedom because I do my best to know your instructions.”⁵ And Zechariah, the father of John the Baptizer, made this claim in his praise to God: “This was the promise God made to our father Abraham, a promise to free us from the power of our enemies, so that we could serve Him without fear in a way that is holy and right for as long as we live.”⁶ That’s why Paul could confidently tell the Galatians: “We have freedom now because Christ made us free. So stand strong in that freedom. Don’t go back into slavery again.”⁷ Even the Apostle Peter echoed this truth: “Live like free people but don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. Live as those who are serving God.”⁸

In one of his sermons on this text, Chrysostom notes that after Paul shamed the believers by pointing our their slavery to sin and alarmed them by bringing up its punishment, Paul counterbalances this by mentioning the benefits they receive through grace. By doing this, he reminds them that they had been set free from an evil life and that it happened without any work on their part. Says Chrysostom: “For no human power could have set us free from such great evils, but ‘thanks be to God,’ who was willing and able to do such great things. And well he says that they were ‘obedient from the heart,’ because they were neither forced nor pressed but came of their own accord, with a willing mind.… This shows that they exercised their free will.”⁹

Chrysostom goes on to explain two gifts the believer receives from God. First, freedom from sin. Then, being servants of righteousness, which is better than independent freedom. Chrysostom uses the following illustration to explain his point: “For God has done the same as if a person was to take an orphan who had been carried away by savages into their own country, and not only freed him from captivity but set a kind father over him and raise him up with great dignity.”¹⁰ Chrysostom paints an interesting and inspiring picture of a helpless person taken hostage, after which they were abused and misused. But by someone’s daring rescue they were miraculously delivered and brought back to good health So what would happen then if they turned around and willingly went back to their hostage takers to be enslaved by them again. Such are those who have been freed from sin by Christ who inexplicably goes back into sin’s bondage.

Reformer Martin Luther has an interesting paraphrase of what he feels Paul is saying here, especially the way it was taught in the Roman Catholic church: “From the teaching of justification by works you were led to a form of the Gospel. This wisdom of the flesh – is enmity against the Word of God. But the Word of God is unchangeable and invincible. Therefore, it is necessary that the wisdom of the flesh – be changed, give up its form, and that man accept the form of the Word. This takes place when through faith it is taken captive and overcome, and the believer confesses that the Word is true and reason false. This is the special mark by which the believer or saint is known.”¹¹

John Calvin gives us some insight into his choice of grammar to help explain what Paul was saying. He begins by pointing out that the Dutch teacher and theologian Erasmus had followed one of the older versions of Romans, and chose to translate the Greek typos as “form” of doctrine. But Calvin felt it was better to rewrite it as “type” of doctrine. He concedes that even some may prefer the phrase, “pattern.” This same word is used to describe the nail prints in our Lord’s hands.¹² Calvin has the same thought in mind when he states that for him, he understands it as a formed image or impression of that righteousness which Christ engraves on our hearts. It also corresponds with the prescribed rules of the law we are to follow in our actions, words, and deed, so that we neither deviate to the right or to the left.¹³ In other words, all the teachings of Christ that mirror the Law given to Moses must be observed under grace rather than under obligation. Calvin goes on to explain: “It must be observed, that no one can be a servant to righteousness except they are first liberated by the power and kindness of God from the tyranny of sin. So Christ Himself testifies, ‘If the Son shall free you, you shall be free indeed.’¹⁴ What are then our preparations by the power of free will, since the commencement of what is good proceeds from this manumission,¹⁵ which the grace of God alone effects?”

John Bengel tells us that it is evident why Paul frequently mentions the gift of the Holy Spirit while proving that justification is by faith alone. He does so to counter the argument of those who are in doubt or error who see justification as a consequence of righteousness. Since righteousness flows from faith, adoption accompanies righteousness. Then, by the gift of the Holy Spirit comes the cry, Abba, Father, and with newness of life, follows upon adoption. However, faith and righteousness may not be clearly evident or perceived by our senses, so the gift of the Holy Spirit produces very conspicuous and prominent effects.¹⁶ Also, the surpassing excellence of these fruit conclusively prove that the works of mankind are worthless in securing justification.¹⁷

Adam Clarke also sees fit to offer a paraphrase. He says that this verse should be read as follows: “But thanks be to God that, although you were the servants of sin, nevertheless you have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine that was delivered unto you; or, that mold of teaching into which you were cast.” Clarke notes that the Apostle does not thank God that they were sinners, but that, although they used to be, they were now the recipients of a Gospel they believe and obey. The Hebrew phrase in Isaiah is exactly the same as that of the Apostle here: “On that day you will say: ‘I thank you, Adonai, because, although you were angry at me, your anger is now turned away; and you are comforting me.”¹⁸ Clarke then points out that the term: “Being then made free from sin,” is a term that refers to the freeing of slaves by their masters. As such, they were redeemed from the slavery of sin, and then became servants of righteousness. This introduces another figure of speech in which both sin and righteousness are personified. Says Clarke: “Sin can prohibit no good and profitable work; righteousness can require none that is unjust or injurious.”¹⁹

Robert Haldane reveals that some were saying in his day the same thing the opponents of Paul were saying back in his day. That is, since sinning gives God’s grace the opportunity to shine, then the more we sin, the greater glory God receives for His unending grace. Haldane notes that the Apostle Paul expresses his thankfulness to God that those who had been slaves of sin but were now servants of righteousness. For someone to suppose that sin could never be a matter to be thankful for, is on Haldane’s mind. He writes that this is: “The most palpable error, that could not be more remote from the meaning of this passage.” For Haldane, Christian compliance is obedience from the heart, while submission to sin is by force. In fact, any attempt at compliance by an unconverted person is agreement produced by some motive of fear, self-interest, or pressure, and not from the heart. Says Haldane: “Nothing can be more convincing evidence of the truth of the Gospel than the change which, in this respect, it produces on the mind of the believer. Nothing but almighty power could at once transform a person from the love of sin to the love of holiness.”²⁰

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

Dr. Robert R. Seyda

EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

CHAPTER SIX (Lesson XV)

At this point, Martin Luther asks the question: “How can anyone resist the attack of sin and passion?”¹ He explains: You can keep sin from having dominion over you and denying it any victory by simply not yielding to it. Sin cannot control you unless you give it permission to do so. In other words, neither sin nor Satan has enough power over any Christian to make them do anything they are unwilling to do, no matter how fiercely and he may assail and tempt them. The old adage, “The devil made me do it,” belongs to the unbeliever, not the believer.

German scholar John Bengel speaks of the benefits of those who willingly submit to what is right. He states that Paul is pointing out that when anyone is willing to become a servant, then obedience is expected as a consequence.² He also notes that the Greek word eis (“to” or “unto”) used here, is best understood as “submitting” and occurs twice in this verse. That’s why absolute obedience should be taken in a positive sense. Not only that, but claims of righteousness can be promptly claimed by those who act obediently. Says Bengel: “Righteousness unto life is the antithesis of death.³”⁴

Adam Clarke reminds us that in order to be considered a sinner one must be living under the law. But since believers are no longer judged by the law, does this mean anything they do that is clearly against God’s word and the teachings of Christ no longer labeled sin? Of course not! But Clarke then asks: “Shall we abuse our high and holy calling because we are not under the law which makes no provision for pardon, but are under the Gospel which has opened the fountain to wash away all sin and defilement? Shall we sin because grace abounds? Shall we do evil that good may come of it?”⁵ Clarke cautions that we must not think this way. Rather, while the Law may condemn but not forgive, the Grace of God convicts and pardons when such forgiveness is sought with true repentance. Clarke then says: “Can you suppose that you should continue to be the servants of Christ if you living in sin?” We all know that the person to whom we submit ourselves for service is the real master. Sinners are in the service of Satan, while saints are in the service of Christ. Therefore, if you surrender yourself to sin, you become the servant of Satan, and no longer the servant of God.⁶

Robert Haldane offers his insight on what Paul says here. He notes that Paul has been trying to prove that the doctrine of free justification by faith without works gives no one the license to continue living in sin. Just the contrary. The death of Jesus Christ for sinners and His resurrection for their justification allows them to walk freely and willingly on the highway of holiness.⁷ We see that in verses 12 and 13, Paul urged believers to accept their duty of obedience to God. Then, in verse 14, that God’s blessings would give them strength to stay obedient, Paul then proceeded to caution them not to abuse this offer of grace. Says Haldane: “If a man voluntarily sins, on the pretext that he is not under the law, but under grace, it is proof that the grace of God is not in him. ‘Whosoever is born of God does not commit sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin because he is born of God.’⁸”⁹

Albert Barnes also comments on this combination of righteousness and death being the consequence of obedient servitude. For Barnes, since the same law covers holiness, then the person who becomes the servant of holiness will feel bound by the law to obey it and keep it. Barnes also notes that this expression of holiness is contrasted with death, No doubt this signifies that the person who voluntarily submits to a life of holiness, will feel bound to maintain it until their justification and life are complete and eternal. As Barnes sees it, this proposition is based on what the Christian understands as the very nature of obligation. He would obey Him to Whom he has devoted himself. Then Barnes remarks that some might see this as implying that justification is the effect of obedience. However, obedience does not signify justification no more than works suggests faith. When Paul speaks here of righteousness, he is talking about personal holiness. This shows that while service to sin leads to death, obedience to God results in holy living and eternal life. Barnes agrees with Haldane¹⁰ who said: “Death is the wages of sin, but life is not the wages of obedience.¹¹”¹²

Charles Hodge wants us to know that works are not the basis for our justification because we are justified freely by God’s grace. However, we are not at liberty to sin without fear and without restraint. That would mean that the doctrine of salvation by grace gives license to unrestrained indulgence in all kinds of evil. Some have made it their point of objection to the doctrine of free grace for ages. And the fact that some objected to Paul’s teachings on that point proves that his doctrine is that which they are so passionately against today.¹³ Hodge goes on to make the point that sinners have no choice who they will serve, for as children of Adam they are servants to Satan. But a born-again Christian does choose whom they wish to serve. So Paul’s question then is, “Why serve Satan, when the wages of such service is death?” Don’t be a fool. Serve God because the gift received for such service is everlasting life.

Frédéric Godet makes an important point here. If we understand that sin is the first master we are naturally subject to from infancy, then its yoke must be broken in order to live for God. This can only happen through faith. Every believer must keep in mind that if they ever make one concession to sin, they would place themselves again under its dominion. This would also put them back on the road they walked in their old life, and that ultimately will lead to death. But Godet makes it clear: “The word death here cannot denote physical death, for the servants of righteousness die as well as the servants of sin… The matter in question, therefore, is death in the sense of moral corruption, and consequently of separation from God here and hereafter; such is the abyss which sin digs ever more deeply, every time that man, nay, that the believer, even gives himself over to it.”¹⁴

Theologian Karl Barth has much to say on this subject, and it is worth reading. But his conclusion is: The person who has been freed by God’s grace can no more adjust himself comfortably to a life of sin than the sinner can play around with grace as an option when needed. They both exist at the same time, yet they do not cohabit. The sinner has no interest in grace, just as the believer should have no curiosity for sin. Each possibility of grace does not exist to serve sin. Barth goes on to say that from both emerges a power for obedience. They are not like a teeter-totter or seesaw. When we were servants of sin, we did not fear that grace might conceivably take over our lives. Writes Barth: “Under sin’s authority we were already sold and given in to it. Much more obvious would be this incompatibility if we were servants unto obedience to God. The two slaveries are, therefore, altogether mutually exclusive, and a man’s existence in Adam cannot be congruous with his existence in Christ… Because we are under grace and not under law, we are not free to sin and are confronted with all either – or, which no bridge can span.”¹⁵

F. F. Bruce also discusses the role obedience plays. Paul takes his narrative in verse 1 about living in sin, and rewords it in verse 14 by saying “No!” This implies that people who talk like this have no understanding of what divine grace actually means. Believers who live under grace live their lives in Christ. And life in Christ exhibits a spontaneous and willing obedience to the Father’s will. Therefore, life in Christ will be characterized by the same obedience Christ had to His Father’s will. Says Bruce: “‘Love and do as you please’ is a maxim which, in those who have God’s love poured into their hearts by the Holy Spirit, can only result in their doing those things which please God. To treat being ‘under grace’ as an excuse for sinning is a sign that one is not really ‘under grace’ at all. Obedience, which leads to righteousness. One might have expected ‘… leads to life’, to balance the preceding sin, which leads to death, but righteousness (justification) and life are two sides of the same coin.¹⁶”¹⁷

Verses 17-18: In the past, you were slaves to sin because sin controlled you. But thank God, you have now obeyed with all your heart the teachings God has given you. You were made free from sin, and now you are slaves to what is right.

In this section let us ask the question: Was the Apostle Paul complimenting the believers in Rome for their complete faith and trust in Christ, or was he having to remind them of what they initially believed but now have doubts about? It seems clear that Paul is referencing the past by saying that at one time they “were” slaves to sin. But that’s over. That’s why they should have confidence that whom the Son sets free, remains free.

Paul is equally thankful that the Corinthians were no longer doing things that were wrong. He said: “In the past, some of you were like that. But you were washed clean, you were made holy, and you were made right with God in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”¹⁸ He told the Ephesians: “God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us new people so that we would spend our lives doing the good things He had already planned for us to do.”¹⁹ But Paul’s greatest joy was his own testimony: “In the past, I insulted Christ. As a proud and violent man, I persecuted His people. But God gave me mercy because I did not know what I was doing. I did that before I became a believer. But our Lord gave me a full measure of His grace. And with that grace came the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.”²⁰

So with that liberation from the Law’s condemnation, all believers are then free to offer their unconditional love and dedication to the one who redeemed and saved them. To do otherwise, would be the greatest form of disrespect, contempt, and rudeness. The Apostle Peter explains the benefits of being entirely dedicated to the truth: “You have made yourselves pure by obeying the truth. Now you can have true love for your brothers and sisters.”²¹ Not only that, but Peter goes on to say: “Even those who have refused to accept God’s teaching will be persuaded to believe because of the way you live. You will not need to say anything.”²²

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

Dr. Robert R. Seyda

EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

CHAPTER SIX (Lesson XV)

Reformer Martin Luther put a particular twist on how the desire to do wrong can end up benefiting the believer. He says that since all things work together for good to them who love God,¹ then any temptation a person may encounter to commit a sinful deed or have impure thoughts only ends up making the believer’s soul all the more pure and their mind all the more certain. In the same way then, the temptation of pride should make the believer even more humble. The invitation for inactivity should make us all the more industrious. Greed should make us all the more generous. Anger makes us all the more gentle. Gluttony makes us all the more moderate. Says Luther: “In this way, temptation turns out to be a great blessing. Sin will indeed rule in our mortal body if we yield to it, but we must resist it and make it our servant.”² To this, we add that Luther was implying that as righteousness fights back against unrighteousness, the end result will leave the believer’s heart, mind, and body more sanctified than ever.

John Calvin seems to have the same view when he said that it appears to him that Paul was offering here a special consolation by which the faithful are to be strengthened. That way, they will not faint in their efforts to become more holy. It is done by their becoming more aware of their weaknesses. Paul exhorted them to devote all their bodily members to the service of righteousness. But as they carry on with the wounds left by their sinful nature, they cannot help but walk with a limp. Says Calvin: “The meaning is now clear. The Apostle wanted to comfort us, lest we should become weary in trying. It comes from striving to do what is right because we still find in ourselves many imperfections. However, no matter how much we may be harassed by the stings of sin, it cannot yet overcome us, for we are enabled to conquer it by the Spirit of God.”³

Robert Haldane sums up his thoughts on what Paul says here by saying that the assurances given to believers that sin will not have rule over them cannot be fully appreciated unless you are one of those who are unresponsive to sin and alive to God. Each believer who is convinced of this will feel motivated to stay on course and not be distracted by sin. Such blessed assurance will put their minds at ease knowing that sin cannot have dominion over them. That is quite the opposite from looking for any reason, excuse, or pretext to allow living in sin to continue. Says Haldane: “On the contrary, they are thereby bound by every consideration of love and gratitude to serve God, while, by the certain prospect of final victory, they are encouraged to persevere, in spite of all difficulties and opposition, either from within or from without.”⁴

Albert Barnes makes an interesting point by saying that if justification came with no attachments of surrender and submission to check evil tendencies, that would leave every believer to the ravages of uncontrolled passions. They would have no motivation to abandon their sins. That is why grace comes with mercy because it is designed to help the believer subdue sin and destroy its influence so they can move on to being sanctified tools and vessels of God’s Spirit.⁵

Charles Hodge also advises that we should all yield ourselves to God because sin has no right to dictate our destiny. The believer is not engaged in some hopeless struggle. What they are fighting for is a complete victory over that which is trying to enslave them. Says Hodge: It is a joyful confidence which the Apostle expresses here that the power of sin has been effectually broken, and the triumph of holiness effectually secured by the work of Christ.”⁶

Jewish scholar David Stern speaks of how a Jew would see what Paul says here about no longer being under the Law. He points to Paul’s use of this phrase in Galatians 3:23. The Greek word “nomos,” literally means, “law.” It is often translated as “Torah” in the Jewish New Testament.⁷ But here it must be rendered “legalism,” which is defined in Romans 3:20 as perverting the Torah into a system of rules for earning God’s praise without trusting, loving, or communing with God the Giver of the Torah. He goes on to explain about what it means to be “under legalism” and “under grace.” He notes that the Greek word “hypo,” is translated twice here in Chapter 6 as “under.” It means: “controlled by”⁸ or “in subjection to.”⁹ This makes it possible to use the slavery metaphor in the following verses.

Then David Stern asks in what sense are believers “in subjection to” grace? He replies that it can be seen in the sense of accepting Yeshua’s “yoke,” which is “easy” and “light” to “restful.”¹⁰ This is in contrast with the weary “harness” of legalism.¹¹ Therefore, being “under grace” involves a relationship that, because of the nature of grace, does not have the usual oppressive characteristics of slavery. Says Stern: “God’s people are to live within the framework of Torah, but they are not in subjection to legalism. God’s giving Torah was itself an act of grace which the New Testament compares with His sending Yeshua. God’s people, the people who are in a trust relationship with Him, are and always have been under grace and under Torah, but never under legalism.”¹²

Another Jewish Bible scholar offers his view. For him this verse is often stripped by commentators of its context, thereby promoting the erroneous doctrine of, “grace verse law.” As he sees it, Paul is telling the Gentile believers to follow God’s ways as taught in Torah, and not the way of the world because they are now under grace. For him, the term “not under law” does not mean, “not having to follow God’s Torah.” Such an idea would be considered heresy by a Jewish rabbi such as the Apostle Paul and would contradict many New Testament Scriptures.¹³ The Hebrew word “Torah” is misunderstood when translated into English as “Law.” It actually means, “set of instructions.” Even though it is often used as a reference to the Ten Commandments, or the first five books of the Bible, it is, in fact, the whole Old Testament.

Verses 15-16: So what should we do? Should we sin because we are under grace and not under law? Certainly not! Surely you know that you become the slaves of whatever you give yourselves to. Anything or anyone you follow will be your master. You can follow sin, or you can obey God. Submitting to sin brings spiritual death, but submitting to God results in being right with Him.

Once again, the Apostle Paul perceives a retort from his critics who think that by eliminating the Law from having any influence in a believer’s life, that this gives them the right and freedom to live any way they want. His opposition to such thinking was expressed in his letter to the Corinthians: “Dear friends, we have these promises from God. So we should make ourselves pure – free from anything that makes our body or our soul unclean. Our respect for God should make us try to be completely holy in the way we live.”¹⁴ Paul seems to be referencing the same idea of taking advantage of grace in his letter to the Galatians when he rejected any thought that the freedom we receive from Christ has unintentionally made us all sinners.¹⁵

Apparently Titus faced a similar problem and so Paul wrote to him: “The free gift of eternal salvation is now being offered to everyone; and along with this gift comes the realization that God wants us to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures and to live good, God-fearing lives day after day, looking forward to that wonderful time we’ve been expecting, when His glory shall be seen—the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. He died under God’s judgment against our sins so that He could rescue us from constantly falling into sin and make us His very own people, with cleansed hearts and real enthusiasm for doing kind things for others.”¹⁶

Now Paul hammers the proverbial last nail in the coffin as to what happens whenever a person yields their will to another. This was the dilemma Joshua faced, and the reason why he challenged the people to chose once and for all who they were going to serve.¹⁷ As it was then it is the same today. The choice is given to the individual. Jesus made this very clear when He said: “You cannot serve two masters at the same time. You will hate one and love the other, or you will be loyal to one and not care about the other.”¹⁸

The problem with many who desire servanthood with Christ is that they still have not taken themselves out of the market that deals in selfish interests. Many worked hard as slaves of sin, impurity, and lawlessness, now their only desire is to take it easy as freed slaves in Christ. Before, they were only too willing to put out for the devil and sacrifice anything to get their thrill; but now they are unresponsive to the needs of the Kingdom and will give no time at all to do the work that needs to be done. The fundamental problem is not that Christ refused to pay the highest price to redeem them, but that they refuse to let Him get full interest on the investment in their lives that He bought with His own blood.

Early church scholar Theodore tries to explain what he understands Paul is saying to the Jews. It is the whole purpose of the law to explain what we should and should not do. If we choose to live outside the confines of the law, there is nothing to stop us from doing what we like. But when we accept what the Law says about right and wrong, then we start living under the law. So what Paul says here easily applies to us. What Paul expresses here may seem contradictory because it looks like since we are free of sin we are no longer under the law. But, says Theodore: “He does not mean that the outpouring of grace has given us license to sin.”¹⁹ This is another way of saying that before we were converted our sins were against the law, but the law offered no forgiveness. After we become believers, then our sins are against God’s grace, who in His mercy, offers us forgiveness through the power of the blood in the sacrifice of Christ.