But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse highlights that the "fruit" of sin isn't just shame, but a deeper lack of any true, lasting advantage or satisfaction. Paul is reminding believers that the things they once did, and are now embarrassed by, never actually produced anything good or beneficial in the long run.
But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul is contrasting the former life of slavery to sin with the new life of service to God. He's reminding believers of the ultimate outcome of their sinful past—shame and death—to highlight the profound difference and benefit of their present reality in Christ.
Paul throws out a powerful rhetorical question: what did you really get out of your old life in sin? The answer is stark, and it's not pretty.
Paul is drawing on the real-life experience of his readers. He's asking them to honestly look back at their pre-Christian days. What was the ultimate outcome of living for sin?
A Harvest of Shame
He highlights two immediate results:
Paul isn't just dwelling on the negative. By contrasting the results of sin, he's setting up a powerful argument for the superior outcomes of living for Christ.
This verse, while focused on the negative harvest of sin, is part of a larger argument Paul is building in Romans 6. He's contrasting the old life with the new life believers now have in Christ.
Two Paths, Two Ends
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The question isn't just about avoiding bad things; it's about actively choosing the 'good' things that lead to life, empowered by the Holy Spirit.
Understand the original words
karpos · Greek Noun
In a biblical context, this refers to the outcome, result, or moral harvest produced by a person’s way of life and spiritual state. It reflects the evidence of one's inner character and relationship with God or sin.
thanatos · Greek Noun
A state of spiritual separation from God, originating in the fall of man. It encompasses physical demise, spiritual alienation, and ultimate eternal separation from God's presence as a result of transgression.
This passage directly echoes the 'fruit' metaphor, emphasizing that the outcome of our actions, whether good or bad, is determined by what we sow, directly aligning with Paul's point about the destructive 'fruit' of sin.
Jeremiah 17:9-10This passage speaks to the deceptive and ultimately ruinous nature of the human heart apart from God, which is the source of the 'fruit' Paul describes as leading to shame and death.
Proverbs 14:12This verse presents a concise parallel to Romans 6:21, stating that ways that seem right to a person can lead to death, highlighting the hidden dangers and deceptive ends of sin.
1 Peter 4:2-3Peter, writing to scattered believers, also points to the shame and destructive nature of past sinful lives lived for the will of the Gentiles, mirroring Paul's reflection on the 'fruit' of sin.
Matthew 7:13Jesus' teaching on the two ways, one leading to life and the other to destruction, provides a powerful backdrop to Paul's argument here about the ultimate destination of sinful living.
barnesRomans 6:21: "What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death."
What fruit, then ... - What reward, or what advantage. This is an argument drawn from the experience of Christians respecting the indulgence of sinful passions. The question discussed throughout this chapter is, whether the gospel plan of justification by faith leads to indulgence in sin? The argument here is drawn from the past experience which Christians have had in the ways…
bengelRomans 6:21: "What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death."
Romans 6:21 . Τίνα οὖν καρπὸν εἴχετε τότε , ἐφʼ οἷς νῦν ἐπαισχύνεσθε ) This whole period has the force of a negative interrogation. He says, that the righteous have their fruit unto holiness; but he does not consider those things which are ‘unfruitful’ [ ἄκαρπα ] worthy of the name of fruit .— Ephesians 5:11 . He says, therefore, those things which now cause you to feel ashame…
The verse highlights that the "fruit" of sin isn't just shame, but a deeper lack of any true, lasting advantage or satisfaction. Paul is reminding believers that the things they once did, and are now embarrassed by, never actually produced anything good or beneficial in the long run.
Paul is contrasting the former life of slavery to sin with the new life of service to God. He's reminding believers of the ultimate outcome of their sinful past—shame and death—to highlight the profound difference and benefit of their present reality in Christ.
Paul is contrasting the former life of slavery to sin with the new life of service to God. He's reminding believers of the ultimate outcome of their sinful past—shame and death—to highlight the profound difference and benefit of their present reality in Christ.
"But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death." — The verse highlights that the "fruit" of sin isn't just shame, but a deeper lack of any true, lasting advantage or satisfaction. Paul is reminding believers that the things they once did, and are now…
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Last reviewed October 2026