Romans 6:15 kjv
What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
Romans 6:15 nkjv
What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!
Romans 6:15 niv
What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means!
Romans 6:15 esv
What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!
Romans 6:15 nlt
Well then, since God's grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not!
Romans 6 15 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Rom 6:14 | For sin shall not have dominion over you... | Foundation for this verse |
| John 8:34 | Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin." | Defines slavery to sin |
| John 8:36 | So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. | Freedom through Christ |
| Gal 5:1 | For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. | Freedom in Christ |
| 1 Cor 15:57 | But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. | Victory over sin |
| Heb 2:14-15 | ...that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. | Liberation from spiritual bondage |
| 1 Peter 4:2 | so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer by human lusts but by the will of God. | Living according to God's will |
| Col 3:3 | For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. | Death to sin, new life |
| Eph 4:22-24 | ...put off the old self, which belongs to your former conduct and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. | Putting off the old, putting on the new |
| Acts 20:24 | But I do not account my life of any consequence to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. | Purpose of life in Christ |
| Phil 3:14 | I press on toward the goal to win the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. | Pressing towards the heavenly calling |
| 1 John 3:6 | No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who sins has either seen him or known him. | Continual sin is incompatible with abiding in Christ |
| 1 John 5:18 | We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him. | New birth and protection from evil |
| Rom 8:1-2 | There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. | Freedom from condemnation |
| 1 Cor 6:19-20 | Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you have been bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body. | Redemption and rightful ownership |
| Lev 27:29 | "No one devoted by the ban, from humanity, may be ransomed. He shall surely be put to death." (Interpretation: consecration to God means total belonging) | Consecration to God |
| Josh 6:18 (allusion) | But you, keep yourselves from the devoted things, lest if you consume any devoted thing, you make the devoted things accursed, bringing the ban on the camp of Israel. | Avoiding things devoted to destruction |
| Ex 20:5 | You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God... | Warning against serving other powers |
| 1 Sam 15:22 | And Samuel said, "Has the Lord as great a delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obedience to the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams." | Emphasis on obedience |
| Ps 19:13 | Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression. | Prayer against dominion of presumptuous sins |
Romans 6 verses
Romans 6 15 Meaning
This verse asserts that believers are no longer under the dominion of sin. It poses a rhetorical question, emphatically denying the possibility of being enslaved by sin when one has been liberated by God.
Romans 6 15 Context
Romans chapter 6 addresses the paradox of believers living in sin yet being dead to sin through Christ's sacrifice. Paul has established that baptism symbolizes identification with Christ's death and resurrection. This means believers are no longer slaves to sin but are alive to God. He clarifies that this spiritual reality does not give license to continue sinning. Rather, just as one would not offer their limbs to sin after dying to sin, believers should present their bodies as instruments of righteousness. Verse 15 flows from this argument, stating that since believers are not under the law but under grace, they are not under sin's dominion.
Romans 6 15 Word Analysis
- ou (οὐ): "not." A primary negation, indicating absolute absence.
- ei (εἰ): "if." Introduces a hypothetical condition.
- ekousate (ἐξέθετε): This is a misunderstanding; the text reads "you have been handed over" or "delivered over" (e.g., translated as "yield yourselves" or "submit"). The correct word would be something like paradidomi (παραδίδωμι) or hexeite (ἔχετε). The verse actually says, "Do we sin because we are not under law but under grace?"
- Assuming the verse in question is Romans 6:15, the critical word is peomartheste (ἐμαρτυρήθητε), meaning "testified," or rather hexeite (ἔχετε), "have" or "hold." Let's re-evaluate based on the provided verse fragment.
- Romans 6:15 states: "What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace?"
- Ti (Τί): "What?" Introduces an inquiry, often a conclusion drawn from previous arguments.
- oun (οὖν): "therefore." Connects the present question to the preceding teaching.
- hamartenomen (ἁμαρτήσωμεν): "Shall we sin?" (future indicative of hamartano). This is a deliberative question, expressing the possibility of continued sinning.
- hoti (ὅτι): "because" or "since." Introduces the reason for the potential action.
- ouk (οὐκ): "not." The negative particle.
- este (ἐστέ): "you are." The second person plural present indicative of eimi (to be).
- hupo (ὑπὸ): "under." Denotes subjection or dominion.
- nomon (νόμον): "law." Specifically, the Mosaic Law in this context.
- alla (ἀλλά): "but." A strong adversative conjunction.
- charin (χάριν): "grace." Divine favor and power.
- Word Group Analysis: The structure "ou este hupo nomon alla charin" (not under law but under grace) is central. This opposition is key: law represents a system of human obligation leading to condemnation, while grace represents God's unmerited favor and power that enables righteous living.
Romans 6 15 Bonus Section
The rhetorical question in verse 15 highlights a potential misunderstanding of the New Covenant. It was crucial for Paul to clarify that the abrogation of the Law's requirement for justification did not nullify morality or God's commands. Instead, it redirected believers to live not by external legalistic control, but by the internal power of the Holy Spirit, gifted through God's grace in Christ. This freedom from the curse of the Law leads to a deeper, Spirit-led obedience. The emphasis shifts from external adherence to internal transformation, making genuine righteousness possible and desirable.
Romans 6 15 Commentary
Paul poses a question that some might infer from his teaching: if believers are no longer bound by the Law, does this mean they can sin freely? He immediately refutes this notion. Being "under grace" means being under the dominion of God's favor and empowering Spirit, not sin. It's a transition from the bondage of sin and the condemnation of the Law to a new life of liberty and obedience empowered by divine grace. This grace is not a license for sin but the very means by which believers are enabled to live righteously.