Paul's Admonitions
Based Upon Good News,
in Romans 6:12-23
By Jonathan Mitchell

Based upon the Good News which Paul presents to us in Rom. 5 through 6:11, he now turns to giving admonitions to his listeners concerning how they should be living, because of the Obedience of Jesus Christ and His Faithfulness to the Father, and to all of humanity. The New Reality of God's Kingdom had been inaugurated in, and as, the New Creation (2 Cor. 5:17) which Jesus, the Last Adam, brought when He arose from the midst of dead folks. In John 1, we read:

9. He was the True and Genuine Light Who is continuously (repeatedly; progressively) enlightening (giving light to) every person (or: all humanity) continuously (repeatedly; progressively; constantly; one after another) coming into the world (or: the ordered system of culture, religion, economics and government; aggregate of humans; or: the cosmos) (or: It was the real Light, progressively coming into the world {organized system and aggregate of humanity}, which is progressively shedding light on and illuminating every human). [cf Isa. 49:6]

In the economy of God and His dealing with humanity, the old things had passed away, and new things had come into being. It was His plan of making all things, and all humanity,new (Rev. 21:5, JMNT). So, let us unpack Paul's instructions, beginning with Rom. 6:12.

12. Do not, then, let the Sin to continue reigning (or: Therefore, stop allowing the failure, the mistake, or the deviation from the goal [= the old age] to continue on the throne ruling as king) within your mortal body, [leading] into the continual listening in submissive obedience to its [= the body's] earnest desires (or: full rushing emotions, passions or lusts). [cf Gal. 5:16]

Paul's audience is the called-out community, in Rome, who were expected to already be believers, folks having been given faith, who had the power of the Spirit to comply with his admonition. Yet, considering his universal message in Rom. 5:15-21, might not unbelievers, upon perchance hearing this admonition, become alive to the Light and have faith come into them from hearing this Word (Rom. 10:17)? But let us return to those whose "order in the procession" had brought them to being made alive (1 Cor. 15:22-23)

Because of our new position and existence of being "in Christ," the reign of the Death and the Sin (i.e., the prior condition of humanity, until the exaltation of Christ to the throne where He now reigns, and we are there, seated with Him) being ended, we now have the power and ability of, and from, the Holy Spirit, as we are instructed in Eph. 2:5-6,

"even US, being continuously dead ones by (or: in; to; with) the results and effects of stumblings aside (wrong steps; offences), He made alive together by (or: joins us in common life with, for and in) the Christ - by Grace and joyous favor you continually exist, being folks having been delivered (rescued and saved, so that you are now safe; made whole)! - and He jointly roused and raised (or: suddenly awakens and raises) [us] up, and caused [us] to sit (or: seats [us]) together within the things situated upon [thus, above] the heavens within and in union with Christ Jesus."

These verses in Ephesians address the same topics of our passage here, in Romans 6: resurrection and the rule of the corporate Christ - which together are no longer subject to the rule of the Sin and the Death.

If we pick up Paul's thoughts of Rom. 4:13-16 (re: works of the Law), and connect those with how he here associates being "under Law" with "sin" NOT continuing with exercising mastery, in vs. 14 below, then perhaps the alternate rendering, above, "Therefore, stop allowing the failure... to continue on the throne ruling as king" might be speaking to the Jews, or any Judaizers, within the Roman community, about not letting the Law govern them. The Law was a part of the old creation which "failed" to deliver humanity from the Sin and the Death. In Rom. 5:20, we saw that the Law's purpose was to cause the Sin to increase. It then stands to reason that "the continual listening in submissive obedience to [the mortal body's] earnest desires (or: its full rushing of emotions, passions and lusts)" would be in association with the Law and its solidarity with the passionate desires of the mortal body of the individual and/or the corporate body of the Circumcision folks.

13. Also, stop constantly placing your members (or: body parts) alongside (providing and presenting them) [as; to be] tools (or: instruments; weapons) of injustice (of disregard for what is right; with a view to activities discordant to the Way pointed out; from [the old age]); but rather, you folks at once place yourselves alongside for disposal to God (or: stand yourselves with God, at [His] side; by and in God, present yourselves; set yourselves alongside [each other], for God; [cf 12:1, below]) as it were being folks continually ALIVE, forth from out of the midst of dead ones, and your members [as; to be] tools (or: instruments) of eschatological deliverance, in the Way pointed out by God (or: from rectification, in God; of justice and solidarity, for God; of being turned in the right direction, to God; which are a flowing-together of rightwised relationships with God),

Paul uses the same verb place alongside in Rom. 12:1,

"Consequently, brothers, I am repeatedly calling you folks alongside to exhort, implore and encourage you, through God's compassions to stand your bodies alongside (or: to set or place your bodies beside) [the] Well-pleasing, Set-apart (Holy; Different-from-the-usual), Living Sacrifice by God (or: in God; for God; to God; with God), [this being] your sacred service which pertains to thought, reason and communication (or: your reasoned and rational service; the logical and Word-based service from you folks)."

This equates to place yourselves alongside for disposal to God, or to the other options:
a) stand yourselves with God, at [His] side
b) by and in God, present yourselves
c) set yourselves alongside [each other], for God.
Even the old customs of the Law are now "activities [that are] discordant to the Way [that is now] pointed out" in the new arrangement. The old life - whether of Jews or of Gentiles - was a tool of injustice, because of human weakness and the lack of power in the Law.

In contrast, we are to place ourselves as folks that have been resurrected, and our members of the community (our people) as tools or instruments of justice and solidarity, for God - because we have been placed in the Way pointed out in God, and this having been done BY God. The members of our communities have been turned in the right direction: to God; and now we enjoy the inheritance of the Promise, which is rightwised covenant relationships - with God and with others. Rightwised covenant relationships involve ethics - right behavior. We have been set into the Way of the Messiah to produce His fruit that has tangible and observable results for those among whom we live our lives.

As to the clause, "as it were being folks continually alive forth from out of the midst of dead ones," Kirk quotes C.E.B Cranfield as saying that these words "underline the fact that it is a resurrection that is in mind, and make it abundantly clear that Paul does think that the people he is addressing have already been raised from the dead in some sense" (ibid p 117).

14. for it then follows that, your sin (your failure in missing the target; "derangement of your human nature" - Schleiermacher) will not continue exercising mastery (or: You see, deviation from the goal shall not exert ownership and rule as your lord), for you folks are not under Law (or: do not exist being subject to [Torah] or custom), but rather, under Grace (or: but, in contrast, [are] subject to the Act which produced joy and happiness, which was granted as a Favor).

Now he returns to the indicative, for a moment, stating the facts about our new existence in His resurrected Life. Our corporate failure, any missing of the target or our individual sin, will no longer continue to exercise mastery, rule as our lord, or exert ownership over us, for the situation has changed: people are no longer under Law. Paul's correlation between sin's lordship and existence under the Law tells the story of the old arrangement. Humanity (for the Gentiles are now included in the new arrangement - Eph. 2:15) is now, in extreme contrast, under Grace. We are under the rule of the Act (the obedience and faithfulness of Jesus Christ - Rom. 5:19b) which produced happiness, and which was granted as a favor to us (to humanity). Paul's arguments in the letter to the Galatians will inform this statement here. As Gal. 5:1 says,

"For freedom, Christ immediately set us free (or: [The] Anointed One at once frees us in, to, for and with freedom)! Keep on standing firm, therefore, and do not again be habitually held within a yoke of slavery (or: a cross-lever [of a pair of scales] whose sphere is bondage)."

As you can see in the parenthetical expansion, the term "law" also meant "custom," as well as being a technical term for the Torah. John L. Berquist points out that in early Judaism,

"[L]aw existed in both oral and written form. The law had begun during monarchic Israel or earlier as an oral body of information about how communities should deal with certain problems.... literacy rates were so low that written law made little sense for most people. Laws were customs rather than written statements demanding adherence to the letter" (Judaism in Persia's Shadow, A Social and Historical Approach, Fortress Press, 1995 p 137).

Paul was saying that Grace has brought a release from even what had been ethnic customs. It was truly a new arrangement, and it is a situation and a condition of existence which had come into being. A person's belief does not make this condition. God has made a new creation.

15. What, then? Should we (May we; Can we) occasionally sin (miss the target; fail; deviate), because we are not under law (subject to [Torah], a code, or custom), but rather under Grace (subject to the ACT yielding joyous Favor)? Certainly not (May it not come to be or happen)!

This is a variation of the rhetorical question of Rom. 6:1, only here he uses the aorist tense of the verb to sin, and adds the fact of not being under law, which equates for the Jew as not being subject to the Torah and its customs. This was good news for the Gentiles as well as for the Jews. But again, he passionately affirms that this does not give license for living without ethics - which would amount to behavior void of love. In the next verse he points out that such behavior would bring folks back into slavery to the Sin, once again. Here, Paul mixes an indicative with an admonition... which stands to reason, for Paul's indicatives (stated facts) always lead to admonitions for Christ-like behavior. We are not under Law, but this does not equate to giving us a license to sin.

16. Have you folks not seen, and thus know (Are you not aware), that to whom (for whom; or: in what) you habitually place yourselves alongside, presenting and providing yourselves as slaves into submissive, attentive, and obedient, hearing, you folks are, and continue being, [his or its] slaves - to whom you habitually submit in obedient hearing (or: in what, or for which, you consistently pay attention) - whether of failure (of sin; of missing the target; of deviation; from derangement) [leading] into Death, or, of submissive, attentive, and hearing, obedience, into a flowing together of eschatological Liberty of Rightwised relationship in the Way pointed out (or: into the midst of rectified [covenant] justice and uprightness, from being turned in the right direction [i.e., toward Christ]; or: to rightness).

Now he returns to indicatives regarding behavior, and here, we can hear an echo of Gal. 5:13,

"For you folks were called upon the foundation of (on the basis of; for the purpose of) freedom, [my] brothers. Only not (or: Just not) the freedom [which is leading] into a starting point (or: unto an opportunity, occasion or incentive; to a base of operation) for (to; in; by; with) the flesh [comment: = circumcision with the flesh ordinances and ceremonial laws of Judaism; or: = personal license for the estranged human nature], but to the contrary, through the Love [agape] be continuously slaving for one another (serving and performing the duties of a slave to each other)."

And furthermore, we can also hear the teaching from Jesus speaking through Paul,

"No one continues being able (has habitual power) to continue being, or performing as, a slave for two owners (lords; masters). You see, he will either proceed in hating (or: regarding with ill will) the one and will continue loving the different one, or he will continue holding firmly to and having instead the one, and will proceed despising (having a negative attitude and disposition toward) the different one..." (Mat. 6:24).

This is fact which implies behavior.

"There has been a change of kurioi [masters; lords; owners], and the Christian... has become a 'slave of Christ'" (Fitzmyer, Jerome Biblical Comm., ibid p 310; brackets mine)

The character of the ethic for the new arrangement is "submissive, hearing obedience," which is another way of saying "faithful loyalty," which is an effect of being placed "into fair and equitable dealings of rightwised relationship in the Way pointed out ([covenant] justice)." Witherington points out that "Rome was the slave capital of the empire, a place where more domestic slave labor was used than probably anywhere else in Mediterranean crescent" (ibid p 170).

17. But Grace [is] by God (or: Now [this is] happiness granted as Favor in God): that you folks were existing, continuing to be slaves of the Sin (slaves from that Failure; slaves belonging to The Missing the target), yet now you submissively hear and pay attention, so as to obey - from out of heart! - [the] type of instruction (or: chiseled form, and imprinted pattern, of teaching) into the midst of which you folks are (or: at one point were) given over (transferred; delivered; committed; passed on).

Paul has used the word grace in 5:2, 15, 17, 20, 21; 6:1, 14 and 15. To now render this same word as "thanks," and render the noun God, in the dative, as "to God," making Paul speak a word of thanksgiving to God, seems inconsistent with its contextual use up to this point in his arguments. The change in lords and the transfer from being "slaves of the Sin" to now being submissive to the Word of Christ all came about in the "Grace by God" - or, the "happiness granted as a favor IN God." Note, also, that the attentive obedience came "from out of the heart" - echoes from Rom. 2:15, 29 and 5:5 - showing the effects of a change of heart.

The final clause has been considered to involve "a difficult phrase... in the Greek text," as we read in Fitzmyer, who continues,"The crucial word is 'typos,' which fundamentally means the 'visible impression'.... But it was also used to designate 'a compendious, terse presentation' of a subject (Plato, Rep. 414a, 491c). Coupled with didaches (teaching), it would seem to be used by Paul in this sense..." (ibid).

But as well as something that had been "hammered out" for them, I suggest that Paul is referring to the instruction as something that was solid, and which had been imprinted on their hearts, as in Heb. 8:10 and 10:16 - references to Jer. 31:31 and the new arrangement/covenant.

Fitzmyer offers us another insight, in regard to given over:

"In this case, the verb 'handed over' would not refer to the transmission of traditional doctrine (cf 1 Cor. 11:23; 15:3), but to the transfer of slaves from one master to another, without any pejorative connotation (cf 1 Cor. 5:5; Rom. 1:24)" - ibid

Campbell (ibid p 499ff) notes that Paul is inferring that the Roman Christians had already been given the true instruction and that he is here affirming their submissive attention and obedience to it. He reasons that we should thus conclude that Paul's arguments here in this letter would not be new to them, but instead they are crafted to encourage them to stay with what their HEART knows to be true and to pay no heed to the false teacher(s) of a different gospel. Campbell argues that "the previous debates in Jerusalem are about to arrive in Rome, with the arrival of the false teachers there" (ibid p 504), suggesting that the issues that Paul is addressing are the same ones that had also come up later in Syrian Antioch, then in Galatia, in Philippi (cf Phil. 3:2-19), and were soon to be in Rome.

18. Now, being set free (or: liberated from bondage), away from the Sin (the Failure; this Error and the Derangement of our nature), you folks are (or: were suddenly) enslaved in this joint flow of eschatological Deliverance unto covenant participation in solidarity for rightness (or: to the Way pointed out; for this justice, uprightness and rectified dealings; by the Well-ordered, Righteous Existence; for this Rightwised, Liberated relationship).

Another indicative, which leads unto an implied admonition: they are enslaved to a new existence that has corporate goals (covenant participation in solidarity for rightness, and justice).

Freed from slavery, into a new slavery which is, in fact, true freedom. Yet the responsibility to justice, fair and equitable dealings, well-ordered, righteous living, and rightwised relationships that mean covenantal behavior - are not to be taken lightly. Paul says that grace, by God and in God, has transferred us to another Lord, to be enslaved to Him.

"This verse makes explicit the idea contained in the foregoing verses, and indeed in the whole chapter. For the first time Paul speaks of Christian liberty, which from now on becomes an operative notion (6:20, 22; 7:3; 8:2, 21; cf Gal. 2:4; 3:28; 4:22-32; 5:1, 13). In reality, he has been speaking of some form of Christian freedom ever since 5:12" (Fitzmyer, ibid p 311).

Wright paraphrases the last phrase, which I render "to justice (etc.)," as "to God's covenant purposes," (ibid p 111) and this gets the idea across. I chose the idea of justice as Paul's primary meaning, because of his commitment to ethics within the community and as regards how the community interacts with the society that surrounds it. His strong metaphor of enslavement rather shouts at his audience the place of importance that fair treatment of other people holds in his message of the good news. Being enslaved means a whole-life commitment to justice in the world, and a lifetime of living in the Way pointed out with participation and solidarity in the new arrangement (covenant).

19. I am speaking humanly (= based upon human interactions and affairs) because of the weakness or sickness of your flesh (or: = your limited, human condition; or: = the self that had been distorted by the System): for even as you folks presented (placed and provided alongside) your members [as; being] slaves by (for; in; to; with) the Uncleanness and by (for; to; in) the Lawlessness, [leading] into (or: resulting in being in the midst of) that Lawlessness (or: in one illegal act to [another] illegal act), in this manner (thus), NOW, you folks must place (provide; present) your members alongside [as] slaves in (at the disposal of), and by, the eschatological Deliverance of this Way pointed out for Rightwisedness, and to this flowing together in inclusion, with a view to, and [leading] into a quality and sphere of being set-apart (or: unto the midst of holy consecration and a state of being sacredly different).

Once again, indicative which leads directly to the imperative: "NOW, you must..."

Paul clarifies for them that he has been using a human, societal illustration (cf Gal. 3:15) when he is speaking of their being slaves. He knows by personal experience (cf Gal. 4:13) that the weakness or sickness of the flesh normally amounts to what he terms slavery, but what we, today, might call addictions, lack of character or weakness of will-power. In vs. 21, below, he points to their shame and embarrassment concerning what he terms here as their involvement in the Uncleanness and the/that Lawlessness. He does not point to any specifics, but apparently indicates that he was aware of their former behavior and lifestyles. He is most likely speaking in regard to the Gentiles of the community, but it is not beyond possibility that some of the Jews had been drawn into some aspects of Roman society, of which they were now ashamed.

But human weakness does not deter the work of the cross or the work of the Holy Spirit, so as to keep folks from hearing the message of goodness, ease and well-being which sets them free from slavery to the flesh. But being set free from our past now allows us to "place [our] members alongside [as] slaves of the Way pointed out" (and Paul is a chief example of this: from persecutor of the called-out folks to being emissary to the nations with the message of Christ).

The string of prepositional phrases which I have rendered "by (for) the lawlessness, [leading] into that Lawlessness (or: in one illegal act to [another] illegal act)" have been variously translated or paraphrased by different translators. The idea may be what Wright offers as "to one degree of lawlessness after another" (ibid p 111). Or, it might be an idiom of progression, as offered by the NRSV, "to greater and greater iniquity." Barclay's version is similar to both Wright's and the NRSV.

But Paul's use of the definite article (which originally also functioned as a demonstrative pronoun - A.T. Robertson, A Grammar of the Greek NT In the Light of Historical Research, p 754ff) falls here amidst personifications of sin, death, etc., and perhaps he is speaking in general terms of all shameful (and thus lawless or illegal) acts of humanity's slavery to the Failure which progressively sank people deeper and deeper into the collective sewer of that Lawlessness (or, human independence) that co-existed with the Sin.

The new kind of slavery brings us into the quality and sphere of being set-apart; it leads us into a holy consecration and a state of being sacredly different (a core idea of "holiness").

20. For when you folks were existing being slaves of the Sin (slaves from this Failure; slaves of deviation from the Goal), you were existing [as it were] being free (independent and not bound) in relation to, and with respect to, this flowing together in eschatological Deliverance of rectification for the Way pointed out (= being not owned by the rightwised, covenant relationships of upright fairness, rightness and justice). [cf Ps. 19:13]

Paul rehearsed to them the facts of their previous condition.

As Jesus said, you cannot be a slave to two masters at the same time. Enslavement to one is freedom from the other. So when they were in the slavery from the failure of Adam, they had no responsibilities to keep the covenant. When being slaves of the deviation, they were not accountable to rightwised relationships that characterize the new arrangement, but they were also free from the peaceable fruit that came with the Spirit of God inhabiting their midst.

21. What fruit, then, were you having (did you used to hold or possess) at that time, upon which [situation or condition] you folks now continue to be completely ugly, disfigured, disgraced, and so ashamed and embarrassed? For, indeed, the outcome (the end; the goal; the fruition; the consummation; the completion; the destiny) of those things [is] death.

He asks them to remember and examine their former ways of life, and the result that ensued.

And so, what fruit did they produce in the former arrangement and condition? All they produced was death - the characteristic fruit of the life of the first Adam. All that they had was death. Their so-called honor was in reality shame. They were in need of God's covering and cleansing. They were in need of Christ's Life - of resurrection.

22. But NOW, being folks set free from the Sin (away from the Failure, Error, the Missing the target, and from this Derangement), yet being enslaved by (to; in; for) God, you folks continue having (habitually hold and possess) your fruit (or: the Fruit from you folks) [growing] into the sphere, and unto the quality, of being set-apart (into a process of making sacredly different). Now the outcome (goal, end and destiny) [of this is] LIFE which belongs to, is proper to, pertains to, and is connected to, the Age [of Messiah] (eonian life; Life of, and for, the ages).

Again, the indicative, stating their current situation from being in Christ, and the new enslavement in God, with the Life which is connected to the Age of Messiah.

Now all has changed: the Messiah has come and has overcome death, via resurrection, and has set at liberty the captives, the slaves, the dead. The new situation is that they continue (presently) having - holding, possessing - fruit unto the quality and sphere of being set-apart. Their lives are now producing a sacred difference. Being set free from the Sin, and being enslaved by God - and for God - as well as in God and to God, now the outcome - the destiny - that has entered in to our existence is "life which belongs to, is proper to, pertains to and is connected to the Age of the Messiah." It is eonian life, resurrection life, the Life of Christ where our life is hidden with the Christ, within the midst of God (Col. 3:3).

"Now THIS is (or: exists being) eonian life (living existence of and for the ages; life pertaining to the Age [of Messiah]): namely, that they may progressively come to intimately and experientially know You, the only true and real (genuine) God - and Jesus Christ" (John 17:3).

23. For you see, the subsistence pays (the ration monies and allowances) of the Sin (from this missing the target, which is The Derangement) [are] Death, but God's Grace-effect (or: the result of the gracious Gift of, and from, God; the effect of this Favor, which is God,) [is] LIFE which belongs to, and is connected to, this [new] Age (eonian life; "the life of the new aeon" - Anders Nygren) within Christ Jesus, our Owner (or: in union with Anointed Jesus, our Lord).

Paul ends this section with another indicative: the ration monies from the Sin, contrasted to the results of the gracious Gift, which is God!

He switches metaphors from "fruit" to "subsistence pay (as that which soldiers received)," or ration money, an allowance. The Sin both produces and pays death. This is what Adam passed on to us. The Law intensified and increased the failure, the deviation and the missing of the Target (which was to be an image-bearer of God). But that is not the end of the story. God's grace-effect - the result of the joyous and gracious gift of, and from, God, along with the favor which IS God - is and brings life. This life is the life that was and is in the Seed that was planted in death. It is now resurrection life that has sprung up from out of the midst of our subsistence pay that the Sin rationed to us. This life belongs to the Age of the Messiah. The eonian life is connected to this Age of the Messiah, and this Age, along with its Life, is within Christ Jesus, our Owner. It is being "in union with the Anointed Jesus, our Lord." Sanders insightfully points out that,

"The basic insight was that the believer becomes one with Christ Jesus, and that THIS effects a transfer of lordship and the beginning of a transformation.... one participates in salvation by becoming one person with Christ.... [and yet] the experience of being 'in Christ' was not the same as the experience of being 'in Israel'.... [for] following the law does not result in being found in Christ.... Christ has put an end to the law and provides a different righteousness from that provided by Torah obedience (Rom. 10:2-4)" (ibid p 549-50; brackets mine).

Such Good News.

Jonathan

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