Romans 6:20
in Romans 6For when you were slaves to sin, you were free of obligation to righteousness.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For when ye were servants of sin, ye were free in regard of righteousness.
KJV
For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
⋯
This verse in Romans 6
Commentary
13 notes on this verseYe were free from righteousness - These two servitudes are incompatible; if we cannot serve God and Mammon, surely we cannot serve Christ and Satan. We must be either sinners or saints; God’s servants or the devil’s slaves. It cannot be as a good mistaken man has endeavored to sing: - “To good and evil equal bent, I’m both a devil and a saint.” I know not whether it be possible to paint the utter prevalence of sin in stronger colors than the apostle does here, by saying they were Free from righteousness.
This site's exposition
free of obligation to righteousness
on Romans 6:20-21
Slaves to sin were free of obligation to righteousness, and verse 20 states that plainly. Verse 21 asks what fruit came of it, the things these readers are now ashamed of, with death as the outcome. The shame itself marks a standard that has changed.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
It is clear that whoever is free of God is a slave of sin. For as long as he sins he goes away from God and comes under sin.
A commentator
Origen of AlexandriaCOMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS · Written before 253.
proposed
"For when you were slaves of sin, you were free with respect to righteousness. What fruit therefore did you have then in those things of which you are now ashamed? For their end is death. But now, having been freed from sin and made slaves to God, you have your fruit unto sanctification, and the end, eternal life."
Now what he says is somewhat of this kind, When ye lived in wickedness, and impiety, and the worst of evils, the state of compliance ye lived in was such that ye did absolutely no good thing at all. For this is, "ye were free from righteousness." That is ye were not subject to it, but estranged from it wholly. For ye did not even so much as divide the manner of servitude between righteousness and sin, but gave yourselves wholly up to wickedness. Now, therefore, since ye have come over to righteousness, give yourselves wholly up to virtue, doing nothing at all of vice, that the measure you give may be at least equal. And yet it is not the mastership only that is so different, but in the servitude itself there is a vast difference. And this too he unfolds with great perspicuity, and shows what conditions they served upon then, and what now. And as yet he says nothing of the harm accruing from the thing, but hitherto speaks of the shame.
He who serves the devil is free from God, but he who being freed serves God is free from the devil. As a result it is apparent that a false liberty could have been had from a defect of the human will but that a …
The Medieval Church1 voice
Then he assigns the reason for this teaching, saying, for when you were the servants. In regard to this he does two things: first, he presents a reason for the teaching; second, he proves something he had presupposed, at for the wages of sin is …
6 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
When you lived in vices, he says, you were estranged from righteousness; at that time you did not submit to it, you did not at all wish to serve it, and you freed yourselves from it. Therefore now too, serving righteousness, do not submit to …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
When ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness - In all reason, therefore, ye ought now to be free from unrighteousness; to be as uniform and zealous in serving God as ye were in serving the devil.
Nay, your having been so formerly tends much to the magnifying of divine mercy and grace in the happy change. God be thanked that the former sinfulness is such a foil and such a spur to your present holiness." [2.] You have yielded your members servants to uncleanness, and to iniquity unto iniquity,
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
For when ye were the servants of sin,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
For when ye were the servants--"were servants" of Sin, ye were free from--rather, "in respect of" Righteousness--Difficulties have been made about this clause where none exist.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Ye were free from righteousness - That is, in your former state, you were not at all under the influence of righteousness. You were entirely devoted to sin; a strong expression of total depravity. It settles the question; and proves that they had no native goodness. The argument which is implied here rather than expressed is, that now they ought to be equally free from sin, since they had become released from their former bondage, and had become the servants of another master.
The words behind it
10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ὅτε | hote | When | G3753 → | 103 times |
| γὰρ | gar | for | G1063 → | 1039 times |
| δοῦλοι | douloi | slaves | G1401 → | 129 times |
| ἦτε | ete | you were | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| τῆς | tes | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἁμαρτίας, | hamartias | of sin, | G266 → | 173 times |
| ἐλεύθεροι | eleutheroi | free | G1658 → | |
| ἦτε | ete | you were | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| τῇ | tea | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δικαιοσύνῃ. | dikaiosune | from righteousness. | G1343 → | 92 times |
ὅτεWhen
hoteG3753 →103 times
γὰρfor
garG1063 →1039 times
δοῦλοιslaves
douloiG1401 →129 times
ἦτεyou were
eteG1510 →2333 times
τῆς<the>
tesG3588 →19766 times
ἁμαρτίας,of sin,
hamartiasG266 →173 times
ἐλεύθεροιfree
eleutheroiG1658 →
ἦτεyou were
eteG1510 →2333 times
τῇ<the>
teaG3588 →19766 times
δικαιοσύνῃ.from righteousness.
dikaiosuneG1343 →92 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
5 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
John 8:34Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.
it leads to
- Romans 6:16
Do 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…
- 2 Peter 2:19
They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves to depravity. For a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him.
- Proverbs 5:22
The iniquities of a wicked man entrap him; the cords of his sin entangle him.
- 1 John 3:8–10
The one who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the very start. This is why the Son of God was revealed, to destroy the works of the…
- Romans 6:12
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its desires.
- Romans 6:16
Where this verse is studied
About Romans
This page draws on 14 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; Frederic Godet, Commentary on St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Romans 12; 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; Prosper of Aquitaine, GRACE AND FREE WILL 9.5; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Romans and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Romans.