Romans 6:18

Rom 6:18. Ἐλευθερωθέντες, being made free) It will be of use to have this connected view of the plan of the apostle, up to the point which it has now reached:—

From this view, it is evident why Paul, in proving justification by faith alone, against those who are in doubt or error, makes frequent mention of the gift of the Holy Spirit, and of the other things, which follow as the consequences of justification. As righteousness flows from faith; adoption [sonship] accompanies righteousness; the gift of the Holy Spirit, with the cry, Abba, Father, and with newness of life, follows upon adoption; but faith and righteousness are not in themselves clearly perceived by sense; whereas the gift of the Holy Ghost produces very conspicuous and prominent [standing out palpable] effects; comp. [God] bare them witness [giving them the Holy Ghost] Act 15:8. Farther, the surpassing excellence of these fruits, most effectually proves the worthlessness of men’s works.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Rom_6:18. But, freed from sin, ye have become servants of righteousness. This is not to be regarded as the conclusion from the two premisses, Rom_6:16-17 (Rückert, Reiche), because οὖν is not used, and because substantially the same thought was already contained in Rom_6:17. Paul rather expresses once more the happy change in his readers just described; and does so in a thoughtfully chosen antithetical form, no longer however dependent on ὁτι, but independent and thus more emphatic (hence a colon is, with Lachmann, to be inserted before ἐλευθ.). But he leaves the reader to draw for himself the conclusion, namely: this μὴ γένοιτο is therefore fully justified.

The δέ is the autem of continuation; the transition, however, is not from activity (ὑπηκούσατε) to passiveness (Hofmann, comp Th. Schott), for the latter is already given in παρεδόθητε, but from the state of the case expressed in Rom_6:17 to a striking specification, in a more precise form, of the revolution in the relation of service, which was accomplished in them.

ἀπὸ τ. ἁμαρτ.] that is, from the relation of slavery to it.

ἐδουλ. τῇ δικαιοσ.] ye have been placed in the slave-relation to righteousness; a representation of the complete dependence on the moral necessity of being righteous, implied in conversion. On the dative comp 1Co_9:19; Tit_2:3; 2Pe_2:19. This slavery, where the δικαιοσύνη is the mistress, is consequently the true moral freedom (ἐλευθεροπρεπὲς δὲ ἡ ἀρετή, Plat. Alc. I. p. 135 C.). Comp the similar paradox in 1Co_7:22.

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Rom 6:18 . There is no absolute independence for man; our nature requires us to serve some master.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Rom_6:18

Being made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. This verse may be regarded as the conclusion from what precedes, de& being used for ou]n: Being freed then from sin, etc.; or it may be connected immediately with Rom_6:17, a comma instead of a period intervening: Ye have obeyed the form of doctrine, having been freed, etc. The latter is better. Freed by the grace of God from sin as a despotic master, ye became the servants, ἐδουλώθητε, ye were made slaves to righteousness. It was not license, but a change of masters, that they had experienced. This being the case, it is impossible they should serve sin; they have now another master. A manumitted slave does not continue subject to his former master. Absurdum est, ut post manumissionem quis in servitutis conditione maneat. Observandum, quomodo nemo possit justitiae servire nisi Dei potentia et beneficio prius a peccati tyrannide liberatus. Calvin. To the same effect our Lord says: If the Son make you free, ye shall be free indeed. Joh_8:36. This subjection to righteousness is perfect liberty. It is the subjection of the soul to God, reason, and conscience, wherein true liberty consists. This being the case, the apostle in the following verse explains the reason why he used a figure apparently so incongruous, in speaking of the relation of the believer to righteousness.

Charles Hodge — Commentary on Romans (1835), First Corinthians (1857), and Ephesians (1856) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Being then--"And being"; it is the continuation and conclusion of the preceding sentence; not a new one.

made free from Sin, ye became the servants of--"servants to"

Righteousness--The case is one of emancipation from entire servitude to one Master to entire servitude to another, whose property we are (see on Rom 1:1). There is no middle state of personal independence; for which we were never made, and to which we have no claim. When we would not that God should reign over us, we were in righteous judgment "sold under Sin"; now being through grace "made free from Sin," it is only to become "servants to Righteousness," which is our true freedom.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 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 can enjoin no good and profitable work; righteousness can require none that is unjust or injurious.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

18. And having been made free from sin, etc. The meaning is, “It is unreasonable that any one, after having been made free, should continue in a state of bondage; for he ought to maintain the freedom which he has received: it is not then befitting, that you should be brought again under the dominion of sin, from which you have been set at liberty by Christ.” It is an argument derived from the efficient cause; another also follows, taken from the final cause, Ye have been liberated from the bondage of sin, that ye might pass into the kingdom of righteousness; it is hence right that you should wholly turn away from sin, and turn your minds wholly to righteousness, into the service of which you have been transferred.”

It must be observed, that no one can be a servant to righteousness except he is 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.” (John 8:36.)

What are then our preparations by the power of free will, since the commencement of what is good proceeds from this manumission, which the grace of God alone effects?

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(18) Ye became the servants.—Comp. “Whose service is perfect freedom,” adopted from St. Augustine.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

18. Being then, &c.] This verse is a brief summary, in more direct terms, of the previous two verses. The emphasis is the reality, and immediateness, of the new servitude.—“Then:”—better, But. A slight contrast of thought is indicated, between the willingness of the obedience (Rom_6:17), and the consequent obligation.

righteousness] See last note on Rom_6:16. The same reference of the word will hold good both here and there. The practical meaning thus is that pardon, as conveyed in the Divine justification, is now the (as it were) Master, the possessor of the obedience of the will; in other words, the ruling principle and motive.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Being then made free from sin,.... Not from a sinful nature; nor from a corrupt heart; nor from vain thoughts; nor from sinful words; nor from sinful actions altogether; but from the damning power of sin: sin brought all men under a sentence of condemnation; Christ has bore the execution of this sentence in himself for his people; hence, as considered in him, they are free from it; and such as are born again have passed from death to life, and shall never enter into condemnation: likewise, such persons are free from the guilt of sin; men are in a legal sense arraigned for sin, accused of it, and being convicted, are pronounced guilty before God; and awakened souls have a sense of it in themselves; but the blood of Christ sprinkled on their consciences frees them from it; though fresh sins committed bring fresh guilt, which requires the continual application of the blood of Jesus for pardon and cleansing: but what is chiefly designed here is freedom from the servitude of sin, as appears from the context. Now God's elect are not released voluntarily by their former masters; nor is their freedom obtained by their own power and will; but it is of God, Father, Son, and Spirit; and the Gospel is generally the means of it, and happy are those persons who are blessed with it! They are rid of a bad master; are freed from the worst of bondage; will be no more servants, as before; are delivered from the power, and out of the kingdom of darkness; are heirs of heaven, and shall enjoy the glorious liberty of the children of God: and for the time present are

become the servants of righteousness; servants to God, whose Gospel they obey; servants to Christ, whose righteousness they submit to; and servants to the law of righteousness, as held forth by Christ; they give up themselves to a course and life of righteousness, in which there are true honour, peace, and pleasure.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

Ver. 18. Versus est planus, saith Pareus.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

“Being then made free from sin.” That is, as a master. You are not under its dominion; you are no longer its slaves. They were made free, as a servant is who is set at liberty, and who is, therefore, no longer under obligation to obey.

Ye became the servants ... - You became voluntarily under the dominion of righteousness; you yielded yourselves to it; and are therefore bound to be holy; compare the note at Joh 8:32.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Made free from sin; i.e. the servitude of sin; having received a manumission from that hard and evil master, you have given tap yourselves to a better and more ingenuous service.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Being then set free from sin - We may see the apostles method thus far at one view: - Chap. Ver.

1. Bondage to sin chap. iii, 9

2. The knowledge of sin by the law; a sense of God's wrath; inward death chap. iii, 20

3. The Revelation of the righteousness of God in Christ through the gospel chap. iii, 21

4. The center of all, faith, embracing that righteousness chap. iii, 22

5. Justification, whereby God forgives all past sin, and freely accepts the sinner chap. iii, 24

6. The gift of the Holy Ghost; a sense of chap. v, 5, God's love new inward life ver. 4

7. The free service of righteousness ver. 12

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

sin

Sin. (See Scofield "Rom 3:23").

The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Our apostle goes on to put the Romans in mind of their past state by nature, and of their present state by grace; they were once the servants of sin, but now free from sin, and made by Christ servants of righteousness: All believers are made free by Christ for service, not one free from serving; to be free to serve is infinitely better than to be free from service; such as are by Christ freed from sinful servitude, are best fitted for, and most obliged to spiritual service.

Learn hence, That such as are recovered from sin to God, should shew the reality of their change, by being as zealous in the ways of holiness, as before they were earnest in the ways of sin. Shall we not do as much for God as for sin and Satan! Is not he a better master, his work better service, and his wages a better reward?

Lord, shall we not with as much zeal and vigour serve thee, as ever we served our lusts, those imperious exactors of our time and strength? Oh, had we the faculties and powers of angels, yet would our service for thee fall infinitely short of our obligations to thee!

Observe, next, How the apostle doth not barely urge the necessity of serving Christ in our regenerate state, but does enforce the proportion which our service now ought to bear to the disservice formerly done in our carnal state: As ye have yielded your members servants to iniquity,; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness.

Observe lastly, The great dignation and gracious condescension of Christ, that he should accept those members of ours as instruments of his service, which have been employed in the devil’s service.

"Oh blessed Jesus! wilt thou come into that vile heart of mine, which was once the seat of Satan, where he has ruled, and every unclean lust been harboured? Oh holy Spirit! shall that body be thy temple to dwell in now, which has been so often defiled with lust and vomit heretofore? Shall that tongue ever praise him in heaven, which has blasphemed him by oaths and horrid imprecations here on earth!"

One would have expected, that Christ should rather have said, "Vile wretch? Satan has had the use and service of thy body, and all its members, from thy childhood and youth, unto this day; thy will has been his throne, thy memory his storehouse, and all thy members his tools and instruments to sin against me; thou didst indeed dedicate all these to my service and glory in thy baptism, but thou hast employed all these in Satan’s service for many years past: However, if now thou art willing to yield those very members unto righteousness and to holiness, which formerly were servants unto uncleanness, I will both accept them and reward thee for them."

William Burkitt's Expository Notes on the New Testament (1700–1703) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

18. “And having been made free from sin, you became slaves unto righteousness.” The stupendous fact of your wonderful deliverance out of Satanic slavery, which means brutality here and damnation hereafter, and have been transformed into the slaves of God, which means the highest freedom in the universe, i. e., the very delectable and glorious liberty of God himself, is a grand source of thanksgiving to God. Hence the apostle opens this sentence with a shout of triumph, proceeding with a beautiful rehearsal of the glorious transformation, culminating in entire sanctification which really makes you the slave of righteousness, i. e., perfectly subservient to righteousness, having not the slightest affinity for unrighteousness.

William B. Godbey, Commentary on the New Testament (1896–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

and being made free from sin, ye became servants of righteousness .

J. W. McGarvey (with Philip Y. Pendleton), Commentaries on the New Testament (The Fourfold Gospel, 1914; Acts; and the epistles) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

18. Being made free from sin. When we died to sin, and were buried into Christ (verse 3). Hence, being no longer sin's servants, we become servants of righteousness.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

18. ἐδουλώθητε τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ. The correct antithesis which was avoided in Rom 6:16 is now given, because the sense in which ἡ δικ. is to be taken has been made clear in the preceding sentence; Art. = the righteousness of GOD revealed in Christ.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

18.] The dilemma solved for them by reference to the matter of fact: that they were once servants of sin, but on receiving the gospel, obeyed its teaching: and consequently were freed from the service of sin, and became the servants of righteousness:—and this in the form of a thanksgiving to God (1Co 1:14) whose work in them it was.

There is a stress on ἦτε as referring to a state past. So Eph 5:8: on account of which stress apparently the μέν, which would naturally follow it, is omitted.

18. ἐλενθ … δικαιοσ.] And (this verse is closely united with the foregoing; Rückert, Reiche, and Meyer think that it might be stated as a syllogistic conclusion, of which the dilemma is the major, and the fact of ver. 17 the minor) being freed from sin, ye were enslaved (see on next verse) to righteousness.

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.