Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. New Living Translation When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right. English Standard Version For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. Berean Standard Bible For when you were slaves to sin, you were free of obligation to righteousness. Berean Literal Bible For when you were slaves of sin, you were free from righteousness. King James Bible For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. New King James Version For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. New American Standard Bible For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in relation to righteousness. NASB 1995 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. NASB 1977 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. Legacy Standard Bible For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. Amplified Bible When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness [you had no desire to conform to God’s will]. Christian Standard Bible For when you were slaves of sin, you were free with regard to righteousness. Holman Christian Standard Bible For when you were slaves of sin, you were free from allegiance to righteousness. American Standard Version For when ye were servants of sin, ye were free in regard of righteousness. Aramaic Bible in Plain English For when you became Servants of sin, you became free from righteousness. Contemporary English Version When you were slaves of sin, you didn't have to please God. Douay-Rheims Bible For when you were the servants of sin, you were free men to justice. English Revised Version For when ye were servants of sin, ye were free in regard of righteousness. GOD'S WORD® Translation When you were slaves to sin, you were free from doing what God approves of. Good News Translation When you were the slaves of sin, you were free from righteousness. International Standard Version For when you were slaves of sin, you were "free" as far as righteousness was concerned. Literal Standard Version for when you were servants of sin, you were free from righteousness. Majority Standard Bible For when you were slaves to sin, you were free of obligation to righteousness. New American Bible For when you were slaves of sin, you were free from righteousness. NET Bible For when you were slaves of sin, you were free with regard to righteousness. New Revised Standard Version When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. New Heart English Bible For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. Webster's Bible Translation For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. Weymouth New Testament For when you were the bondservants of sin, you were under no sort of subjection to Righteousness. World English Bible For when you were servants of sin, you were free from righteousness. Young's Literal Translation for when ye were servants of the sin, ye were free from the righteousness, Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context The Wages of Sin…19I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to escalating wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness. 20For when you were slaves to sin, you were free of obligation to righteousness. 21What fruit did you reap at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? The outcome of those things is death.… Cross References Matthew 6:24 No 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 money. 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 righteousness? Treasury of Scripture For when you were the servants of sin, you were free from righteousness. the servants. Romans 6:16,17 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? … John 8:34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. from. Jump to Previous Bondmen Bondservants Control Free Regard Righteousness Servants Sin Slaves Sort SubjectionJump to Next Bondmen Bondservants Control Free Regard Righteousness Servants Sin Slaves Sort SubjectionRomans 6 1. We may not live in sin;2. for we are dead unto it; 3. as appears by our baptism. 12. Let not sin reign anymore; 18. because we have yielded ourselves to the service of righteousness; 23. and because death is the wages of sin. Verses 20-23. - For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness (more literally, to righteousness; i.e. ye were not in any bondage to righteousness). What fruit had ye then (i.e. when you were formerly slaves of sin) in those things whereof ye are now ashamed?, for the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and made servants to God, ye have your fruit unto sanctification; and the end life eternal. For the wages of sin is death; but the free gift of god is life eternal in Christ Jesus our Lord. The logical connection with the previous context of the above series of verses, beginning with ver. 20, as well as the sequence of thought running through them (intimated by the particles γὰρ σῦν, and δὲ), is not at once obvious. It seems to be as follows: the γὰρ in ver. 20 introduces a reason for the exhortation of ver. 19, παραστήσατε, etc. But ver. 20 is not in itself the reason, being only an introduction to the statement of it in the verses that follow. The drift of the whole passage seems to be this: Yield ye your members to the sole service of righteousness; for (ver. 20) ye were once in the sole service of sin, owning no allegiance to righteousness at all; and (ver. 21) what fruit had ye from that service? None at all; for ye know that the only end of the things ye did then, and of which ye are now ashamed, is death. But (ver. 22) your new service has its fruit: it leads to your sanctification now, and in the end eternal life. Authorities, however, both ancient and modern, are divided as to the punctuation, and consequent construction, of ver. 21. In the Vulgate and the Authorized Version (as in the interpretation given above) the stop of interrogation is placed after "ashamed;" the answer, none, being understood, and "for the end," etc., being the reason why there is no fruit The other way is to take the question as ending at "had ye then," and "those things whereof," etc., as the answer to it, and for the end, etc., as the reason why they are ashamed. Thus: "What fruit had ye then (when you were free from righteousness)? The works (or pleasures) of which you are now ashamed were the only fruit; you are ashamed of them now; for their end is death." The latter interpretation is defended by Alford on the ground that it is more consistent "with the New Testament meaning of καρπός, which is 'actions,' the ' fruit of the man' considered as the tree, not 'wages' or 'reward,' the 'fruit of his actions.'" This is true. But, on the other hand, it may be argued that such use of the word καρπός by St. Paul is always in a good sense; he usually regards sin as having no fruits at all; to the fruit of the Spirit is opposed, not any fruit of a different character, but the works (ἔργα) of the flesh (Galatians 5:19, 22); and in Ephesians 5:11 (again in opposition to the fruit of the Spirit) he speaks of the unfruitful works (ἔργοις τοῖς ἀκάρποις) of darkness. Thus the idea of ver. 21, understood as in the Authorized Version, seems closely to correspond with that of the passage last cited. "The things of which ye are now ashamed," in ver. 21, are "the works of darkness" of Ephesians 5:11; and in both places they are declared to have no fruit. Sin is a barren tree, and only ends in death. Cf. what was said above with respect to εἰς τὴν ἀνομίαν and εἰς ἁγιασμόν in ver. 19. It is true, however, that the expression in the next chapter, καρποφορῆσαι τῷ θανάτῳ (Romans 7:5), in opposition to καρποφορήσωμεν τῷ Θεῷ, in some degree weakens the force of the above argument. We observe, lastly, on ver. 23, that to the "wages" of sin (ὀψώνια , used usually to denote a soldier's pay) is opposed "free gift" (χάρισμα for sin earns death as its due reward; but eternal life is not earned by us, but granted us by the grace of God. As to the phrase, δουλωθέντες τῷ Θεῷ, in ver. 22, it can be used without the need of any such apology as seems to be implied in ver. 19 (according to the meaning of the verse that has been preferred) for speaking of our becoming slaves to righteousness. For we do belong to God as his δοῦλοι, and to Christ, having been "bought with a price" (cf. 1 Corinthians 7:23); and St. Paul at the beginning of his Epistles often calls himself δοῦλος Ξριστοῦ (cf. also Luke 17:10). But it does not follow that our service should be the service of slaves; it may be a free, willing, enthusiastic obedience notwithstanding; we obey, not because we are under bondage to obey, but because love inspires us (cf. Galatians 4:6, etc., "Because ye are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no longer a servant, but a son").
Greek Forγὰρ (gar) Conjunction Strong's 1063: For. A primary particle; properly, assigning a reason. when Ὅτε (Hote) Adverb Strong's 3753: When, at which time. From hos and te; at which too, i.e. When. you were ἦτε (ēte) Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist. slaves δοῦλοι (douloi) Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural Strong's 1401: (a) (as adj.) enslaved, (b) (as noun) a (male) slave. From deo; a slave. to sin, ἁμαρτίας (hamartias) Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular Strong's 266: From hamartano; a sin. you were ἦτε (ēte) Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist. free of obligation ἐλεύθεροι (eleutheroi) Adjective - Nominative Masculine Plural Strong's 1658: Free, delivered from obligation. Probably from the alternate of erchomai; unrestrained, i.e. not a slave, or exempt. to righteousness. δικαιοσύνῃ (dikaiosynē) Noun - Dative Feminine Singular Strong's 1343: From dikaios; equity; specially justification. Links Romans 6:20 NIVRomans 6:20 NLT Romans 6:20 ESV Romans 6:20 NASB Romans 6:20 KJV Romans 6:20 BibleApps.com Romans 6:20 Biblia Paralela Romans 6:20 Chinese Bible Romans 6:20 French Bible Romans 6:20 Catholic Bible NT Letters: Romans 6:20 For when you were servants of sin (Rom. Ro) |
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