Romans 6:1-2
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Paul poses a deliberately provocative question to confront a dangerous misunderstanding of grace. The real issue isn't just about continuing in sin, but the twisted logic that seeks to produce more grace by increasing sin. This isn't a mere theoretical problem; Paul addresses it as a serious objection that needs a firm rebuttal.
Paul has just explained how God's grace overflows even where sin abounds, leading to justification by faith. This profound truth, however, could be dangerously misinterpreted by some as a license to keep sinning, believing that more sin would simply showcase God's grace even more spectacularly. The question posed in this verse is the natural, albeit flawed, objection that arises from this potential misunderstanding of divine grace.
Imagine you've just heard the most amazing news: God's grace is so powerful it can overcome even your biggest sins! What if someone twisted that to mean you could just keep sinning?
Paul anticipates a dangerous misunderstanding of his teaching on grace. He's just explained how God's grace abounds far more than sin (Romans 5:20). Some might hear this and think, 'Great! If sin makes grace look even better, maybe I should keep sinning to give God more opportunities to show off His grace!' This is what we call an 'Antinomian' objection – suggesting that God's grace frees us from any obligation to obey His moral law.
Paul calls this idea out immediately. He's not saying sin is good; he's saying God's grace is greater than any sin. This is like saying a doctor's amazing healing ability means you should deliberately get sick to showcase their skill – it's a ridiculous misuse of good news!
Paul's answer to the 'keep sinning' idea is a resounding 'God forbid!' But why is continuing in sin so unthinkable for a believer?
Paul explains that believers have died to sin. This isn't just about being forgiven for past sins; it's a profound identification with Christ's death. When Jesus died on the cross, He dealt a death blow to the power of sin in the lives of those who trust Him.
So, if we are 'dead to sin,' how can we possibly go on living in it? It's like asking a dead person to run a marathon – it's impossible and nonsensical. Our union with Christ in His death means we are no longer enslaved to sin's dominion. Our new life in Christ is a life lived away from sin's control and towards God's righteousness.
Understand the original words
hamartia · Greek Noun
The Greek noun often refers to acts of disobedience or missing the moral mark of God's law. In a theological sense, it describes both the sinful nature inherited from Adam and the resulting acts of rebellion against God's will.
charis · Greek Noun
God’s unmerited favor, kindness, and enabling power toward those who deserve judgment. It is the active, transforming operation of God’s love that saves the believer and sustains their ongoing sanctification.
pleonazō · Greek Verb
The Greek verb refers to the state of increasing or overflowing in abundance. Theologically, it describes the counter-intuitive reality that as human rebellion increases, God’s reach of mercy increases even more.
apothnēskō · Greek Verb
Paul addresses a pressing, practical question that arose from the core of his gospel: if God's amazing grace covers even the worst sins, why not keep on sinning to get more of that grace? This reveals how early believers, especially those coming from pagan backgrounds, wrestled with the implications of God's unmerited favor.
Early 1st century AD
Expansion of Roman Empire
The Roman Empire, under emperors like Augustus and Tiberius, was at its height of power, influencing culture, law, and governance across the Mediterranean world.
c. AD 30-33
Crucifixion of Jesus Christ
Jesus of Nazareth was crucified in Jerusalem under the Roman prefect Pontius Pilate. This event is central to Christian theology, signifying atonement for sins.
c. AD 30-60
Early Spread of Christianity
Following Jesus's resurrection and ascension, his apostles, including Paul, began spreading the Christian message throughout the Roman Empire, establishing communities in major cities.
c. AD 57-59— this verse
Paul's Letter to the Romans
The Apostle Paul, while in Corinth or Cenchreae, wrote his Epistle to the Romans, addressing theological questions and practical concerns of the church in Rome.
This passage questions if the law, which reveals sin, would make us enemies of God, similar to how Romans 6:1 asks if abundant grace means we should continue in sin.
1 Peter 2:16Peter warns against using freedom in Christ as a 'cloak for evil,' which directly echoes Paul's concern in Romans 6:1 about misinterpreting grace.
Jude 1:4This verse speaks of people who 'pervert the grace of our God into sensuality,' showing the very real historical tendency to abuse God's grace, which Paul addresses in Romans 6:1.
Romans 5:20Romans 6:1 directly arises from the preceding verse where Paul states 'where sin abounded, grace abounded all the more,' setting up this critical question about the implications of abundant grace.
Colossians 2:11-12This passage describes believers as having been 'circumcised with a spiritual circumcision' and 'buried with him in baptism,' illustrating the death to sin that Paul references as a reason *not* to continue living in it.
bengelRomans 6:1: "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?"
Romans 6:1 . Ἐπιμενοῦμεν ; shall we continue? ) Hitherto he treated of the past and the present: now he proceeds to treat of the future; and the forms of expression are suited to those, which immediately precede, whilst he speaks respecting the ‘abounding’ of grace. In this passage the continuing in sin is set before us; in the 15th verse, the going back to sin, which had been overcome. The man, who has obtai…
clarkeRomans 6:1: "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?"
Shall we continue in sin - It is very likely that these were the words of a believing Gentile, who - having as yet received but little instruction, for he is but just brought out of his heathen state to believe in Christ Jesus - might imagine, from the manner in which God had magnified his mercy, in blotting out his sin on his simply believing on Christ, that, supposing he even gave way to the evil propensiti…
Paul poses a deliberately provocative question to confront a dangerous misunderstanding of grace. The real issue isn't just about continuing in sin, but the twisted logic that seeks to produce more grace by increasing sin. This isn't a mere theoretical problem; Paul addresses it as a serious objection that needs a firm rebuttal.
Paul has just explained how God's grace overflows even where sin abounds, leading to justification by faith. This profound truth, however, could be dangerously misinterpreted by some as a license to keep sinning, believing that more sin would simply showcase God's grace even more spectacularly. The question posed in this verse is the natural, albeit flawed, objection that arises from this potential misunderstanding of divine grace.
Paul has just explained how God's grace overflows even where sin abounds, leading to justification by faith. This profound truth, however, could be dangerously misinterpreted by some as a license to keep sinning, believing that more sin would simply showcase God's grace even more spectacularly. The question posed in this verse is the natural, albeit flawed, objection that arises from this potential misunderstanding of divine grace.
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The Greek verb signifies the cessation of biological life, but in this context, it metaphorically denotes a definitive, existential break from a previous authority or way of life. For the believer, it signifies the end of their identification with the fallen, sinful state.
c. AD 64
Great Fire of Rome and Persecution
Emperor Nero blamed Christians for the Great Fire of Rome, initiating the first major state-sponsored persecution of Christians within the empire.
"What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?" — Paul poses a deliberately provocative question to confront a dangerous misunderstanding of grace. The real issue isn't just about continuing in sin, but the twisted logic that seeks to produce more…
