Romans 6 20

Romans 6:20 kjv

For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.

Romans 6:20 nkjv

For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.

Romans 6:20 niv

When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness.

Romans 6:20 esv

For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.

Romans 6:20 nlt

When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right.

Romans 6 verses

Romans 6 20 Meaning

Romans 6:20 succinctly describes the pre-conversion state of humanity. Before coming to faith in Christ, individuals are under the dominion of sin, serving it as an absolute master. In this bondage, they are effectively "free from righteousness"—meaning righteousness has no claim or influence over them, nor do they live in accordance with God's just standards. Their choices and actions are not constrained by righteous principles, thus demonstrating their enslavement to sin. This is a "freedom" to act unrighteously without accountability to a higher moral standard.

Romans 6 20 Context

Romans 6:20 is embedded within Paul's comprehensive argument about sanctification and the believer's new identity in Christ, following his profound exploration of justification by faith in earlier chapters. Chapter 6 specifically addresses the potential misinterpretation that grace allows for continued sin (Rom 6:1). Paul firmly refutes this idea by demonstrating that believers have died to sin and been raised to new life in Christ through their baptismal union (Rom 6:2-14).

From verse 15, Paul transitions to the powerful imagery of slavery, arguing that one cannot be a "slave of sin" and simultaneously live righteously. He presents a stark dichotomy: one serves either sin, which leads to death, or obedience, which leads to righteousness. Verse 20 vividly portrays the pre-conversion condition, establishing the starting point from which believers have been freed. Historically, slavery was a deeply understood societal reality in the Roman world, making Paul's analogy immediately relatable and impactful for his original audience, illustrating total allegiance and lack of personal autonomy when serving a master, whether sin or God.

Romans 6 20 Word analysis

• For (γὰρ - gar): A connective particle indicating explanation or a logical consequence, introducing a clarification of the previous statement about the two masters.

• when (ὅτε - hote): A temporal conjunction, specifying a past condition or period.

• you were (ἦτε - ēte): Imperfect indicative, highlighting a continuous past state of being.

• slaves (δοῦλοι - douloi): Plural of δοῦλος (doulos), meaning "slave" or "bondservant." This term signifies absolute ownership, lacking personal rights, freedom, or choice. It implies that every action, thought, and desire was subject to this master. It's a deep and involuntary servitude, not a mere contractual service.

• of sin (τῆς ἁμαρτίας - tēs hamartias): "Sin" (ἁμαρτία - hamartia) is depicted as a personified master, a power, not just individual acts. The genitive case here shows possession – sin owns those it enslaves, demonstrating its pervasive control over the unregenerate heart.

• you were free (ἐλεύθεροι - eleutheroi): Plural of ἐλεύθερος (eleutheros), meaning "free" or "unfettered." Paradoxically, this freedom describes a release from a specific claim, not general liberation.

• in regard to righteousness (τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ - tē dikaiosynē): The dative case with "free" implies "free from" or "divorced from" righteousness. "Righteousness" (δικαιοσύνη - dikaiosynē) refers to conformity to God's standards, moral uprightness. This phrase does not mean they had moral freedom, but that righteousness had no power over them, they had no obligation to it, and their lives bore no fruit of it.

• "For when you were slaves of sin": This phrase precisely defines the spiritual identity and allegiance before Christ. It paints a picture of being entirely controlled by sin, without any true will or ability to resist its commands. It underlines the absence of genuine autonomy, as choices were fundamentally shaped by this pervasive influence.

• "you were free in regard to righteousness": This phrase creates a powerful paradox. While bound to sin, they experienced a peculiar "freedom"—freedom from the demands or influence of righteousness. It highlights that the unconverted heart has no desire for or adherence to God's holy standards; indeed, such standards are disregarded. Righteousness had no hold, no claim, no mastership over their lives, allowing sin to reign supreme without contest from moral obligation.

Romans 6 20 Bonus section

The "freedom from righteousness" highlighted in this verse can be seen not only as an absence of righteous living but also as an unhindered ability to choose unrighteousness. In the context of humanity's fallen state, this means the individual's conscience, though it may bear a general sense of right and wrong, is ultimately suppressed or warped by the pervasive dominion of sin. This "freedom" is not liberative but rather facilitates a deeper plunge into sin, leading inevitably to death (Rom 6:23). It challenges any notion of an inherent human capacity to achieve righteousness apart from God's transforming grace. The starkness of this imagery also emphasizes the radical break and profound transformation that occurs at conversion—a spiritual emancipation from one master to serve another.

Romans 6 20 Commentary

Romans 6:20 stands as a profound theological declaration of the state of fallen humanity before conversion. It employs the powerful metaphor of slavery to convey an absolute spiritual reality: every person outside of Christ is utterly enslaved to sin. This is not merely a description of occasional misdeeds, but a condition of complete subjugation, where sin acts as a master dictating will and action. The tragic irony lies in the accompanying "freedom"—a chilling "freedom from righteousness." This means the unconverted person, while chained to sin, experiences no obligation, no inner demand, and no genuine capacity to conform to God's just and holy standards. Righteousness simply has no claim over them.

This state is marked by an absence of desire for God's will and an inability to truly please Him, even in efforts to do good works. The individual, in this spiritual bondage, acts entirely apart from divine righteousness, often pursuing desires that appear as freedom but ultimately deepen their captivity to sin. This verse effectively contrasts the absolute allegiance previously given to sin with the new allegiance demanded by Christ (Rom 6:18, 22), setting the stage for the transformative power of the Gospel. It underscores the complete inadequacy of human effort to break free from sin's grip and live righteously without divine intervention.