Romans 6:16
in Romans 6Do you not know that when you offer yourselves as obedient slaves, you are slaves to the one you obey, whether you are slaves to sin leading to death, or to obedience leading to righteousness?
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Know ye not, that to whom ye present yourselves as servants unto obedience, his servants ye are whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
KJV
Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
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This verse in Romans 6
Commentary
12 notes on this verseTo whom ye yield yourselves - Can you suppose that you should continue to be the servants of Christ if ye give way to sin? Is he not the master who exacts the service, and to whom the service is performed? Sin is the service of Satan; righteousness the service of Christ. If ye sin ye are the servants of Satan, and not the servants of God. The word δουλος, which we translate servant, properly signifies slave; and a slave among the Greeks and Romans was considered as his master’s property, and he might dispose of him as he pleased.
This site's exposition
Shall we sin
on Romans 6:15-16
Verse 15 puts the objection a second time and answers it as flatly as verse 2. The one a person obeys is the one whose slave he is. Verse 16 names two masters, sin leading to death and obedience leading to righteousness.
This site's exposition
you are slaves to the one you obey
Barnes notes that Paul answers from the known laws of slavery. Chrysostom points to the shame of it, for these slaves offered themselves of their own accord. Theodoret sets beside it the Lord's saying that no one can serve two masters.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
Paul warns us not to say one thing and do another, so that when we are said to be servants of God we should be found by our actions to be servants of the devil. He proclaims that we are servants of the one whose …
A commentator
Theodoret of CyrusINTERPRETATION OF THE LETTER TO THE ROMANS · Written before 458.
proposed
Righteousness and sin are mutually incompatible. As the Lord himself said in the holy Gospel: "No man can serve two masters."
I do not, he would say, mention hell as yet, nor that great punishment, but the shame it is in this world, when ye become slaves, and slaves of your own accord too, and sin's slaves, and when the wages are such as a second death. For if before baptism, it wrought death of the body, and the wound required so great attendance, that the Lord of all came down to die, and so put a stop to the evil; if after so great a gift, and so great liberty, it seize thee again, while thou bendest down under it willingly, what is there that it may not do? Do not then run into such a pit, or willingly give thyself up. For in the case of wars, soldiers are often given up even against their will. But in this case, unless thou desertest of thyself, there is no one who will get the better of thee. Having then tried to shame them by a sense of duty, he alarms them also by the rewards, and lays before them the wages of both; righteousness, and death, and that a death not like the former, but far worse. For if Christ is to die no more, who is to do away with death? No one! We must then be punished, and have vengeance taken upon us forever. For a death preceptible to the senses is not still to come in this case, as in the former, which gives the body rest, and separates it from the soul. "For the last enemy, death, is destroyed," whence the punishment will be deathless. But not to them that obey, for righteousness, and the blessings springing from it, will be their rewards.
A commentator
Origen of AlexandriaCOMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS · Written before 253.
proposed
"Do you not know that to whomever you present yourselves as servants to obey, you are the servants of him whom you obey, whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto justice? But thanks be to God, that you were the servants of sin, but you have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine into which you have been delivered. And being freed from sin, you have been made the servants of justice."
The Medieval Church1 voice
Then he proves that it is not difficult for us not to sin. Consider, he urges, in your mind which is better: to be slaves of sin, having surrendered to it of your own will (this is what "you yield" means), and to receive as …
4 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
In the same fashion he answers here, God forbid that we should sin, because we have been set free from the law; because if we were to sin, we would once more be reduced to the slavery of sin. Hence, he continues, know you not …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Our obeying the laws of sin will be an evidence against us that we belong to that family on which death is entailed. As, on the contrary, our obeying the laws of Christ will evidence our relation to Christ's family. He argues from their former sinfulness,
Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Know ye not ... - The objection noticed in Rom 6:15, the apostle answers by a reference to the known laws of servitude or slavery, Rom 6:16-20, and by showing that Christians, who had been the slaves of sin, have now become the servants of righteousness, and were therefore bound by the proper laws of servitude to obey their new master: as if he had said, “I assume that you know: you are acquainted with the laws of servitude; you know what is required in such cases.” This would be known to all who had been either masters or slaves, or who had observed the usual laws and obligations of servitude. To whom ye yield yourselves - To whom ye give up yourselves for servitude or obedience. The apostle here refers to voluntary servitude; but where this existed, the power of the master over the time and services of the servant was absolute. The argument of the apostle is, that Christians had become the voluntary servants of God, and were therefore bound to obey him entirely. Servitude among the ancients, whether voluntary or involuntary, was rigid, and gave the master an absolute right over his slave, Luk 17:9; Joh 8:34; Joh 15:15. To obey. To be obedient; or for the purpose of obeying his commands. To whom ye obey - To whom ye come under subjection. That is, you are bound to obey his requirements. Whether of sin - The general law of servitude the apostle now applies to the case before him. If people became the servants of sin, if they gave themselves to its indulgence, they would obey it, let the consequences be what they might. Even with death, and ruin, and condemnation before them; they would obey sin. They give indulgence to their evil passions and desires, and follow them as obedient servants even if they lead them down to hell. Whatever be the consequences of sin. […]
The words behind it
21 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| οὐκ | ouk | Not | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| οἴδατε | oidate | know you | ||
| ὅτι | hoti | that | G3754 → | 1292 times |
| ᾧ | ho | to whom | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| παριστάνετε | paristanete | you yield | G3936 → | 41 times |
| ἑαυτοὺς | he'autous | yourselves | G1438 → | 322 times |
| δούλους | doulous | [as] slaves | G1401 → | 129 times |
| εἰς | eis | for | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| ὑπακοήν, | hupakoen | obedience, | G5218 → | 14 times |
| δοῦλοί | douloi | slaves | G1401 → | 129 times |
| ἐστε | este | you are | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| ᾧ | ho | to him whom | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| ὑπακούετε, | hupakouete | you obey, | G5219 → | 21 times |
| ἤτοι | etoi | whether | G2273 → | |
| ἁμαρτίας | hamartias | of sin | G266 → | 173 times |
| εἰς | eis | to | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| θάνατον | thanaton | death | G2288 → | 120 times |
| ἢ | e | or | G2228 → | 342 times |
| ὑπακοῆς | hupakoes | of obedience | G5218 → | 14 times |
| εἰς | eis | to | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| δικαιοσύνην; | dikaiosunen | righteousness? | G1343 → | 92 times |
οὐκNot
oukG3756 →1664 times
οἴδατεknow you
oidate
ὅτιthat
hotiG3754 →1292 times
ᾧto whom
hoG3739 →1405 times
παριστάνετεyou yield
paristaneteG3936 →41 times
ἑαυτοὺςyourselves
he'autousG1438 →322 times
δούλους[as] slaves
doulousG1401 →129 times
εἰςfor
eisG1519 →1755 times
ὑπακοήν,obedience,
hupakoenG5218 →14 times
δοῦλοίslaves
douloiG1401 →129 times
ἐστεyou are
esteG1510 →2333 times
ᾧto him whom
hoG3739 →1405 times
ὑπακούετε,you obey,
hupakoueteG5219 →21 times
ἤτοιwhether
etoiG2273 →
ἁμαρτίαςof sin
hamartiasG266 →173 times
εἰςto
eisG1519 →1755 times
θάνατονdeath
thanatonG2288 →120 times
ἢor
eG2228 →342 times
ὑπακοῆςof obedience
hupakoesG5218 →14 times
εἰςto
eisG1519 →1755 times
δικαιοσύνην;righteousness?
dikaiosunenG1343 →92 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Joshua 24:15But if it is unpleasing in your sight to serve the LORD, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods…
it leads to
- 1 Kings 18:21
Then Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him. But if Baal is God, follow him.” But the people did…
- John 6:67–68
So Jesus asked the Twelve, “Do you want to leave too?”
- Ruth 1:15–16
“Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods; follow her back home.”
- 1 Kings 18:21
Through
Matthew 6:24No one can serve two masters: Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and…
it leads to
- 1 John 2:15–16
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
- Luke 16:13
No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and…
- James 4:4
You adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever chooses to be a friend of the world renders himself an enemy of God.
- 1 Timothy 6:9–10
Those who want to be rich, however, fall into temptation and become ensnared by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction.
- Joshua 24:15
But if it is unpleasing in your sight to serve the LORD, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods…
- 1 John 2:15–16
Where this verse is studied
By subject
Obedience35 verses
On this page
About Romans
This page draws on 12 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrosiaster, COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES; John Chrysostom, Homily on Romans 11; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Origen of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS; Theodoret of Cyrus, INTERPRETATION OF THE LETTER TO THE ROMANS; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Romans and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Romans.