Romans 6:20–23
Paul: the old way ended in death; set free, the end is eternal life, God's gift
Study it word by word20For when you were slaves of sin, you were free with regard to righteousness.
21What fruit then did you have at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.
22But now, having been set free from sin and made slaves to God, you have your fruit for sanctification, and the end, eternal life.
23For the pay of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in the Messiah Jesus our Lord.
In its context
18and, having been set free from sin, you were made slaves to righteousness.
19I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to iniquity for iniquity, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness for sanctification.
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Its words in the original
- δοῦλοιdouloi· slave
Slave: someone who belongs to a master and serves him.
- ἦτεēte· be
Be, exist.
- ἁμαρτίαςhamartias· sin
Sin: missing the mark, failing God and what he commands.
- ἐλεύθεροιeleutheroi· free
Free.
- δικαιοσύνῃdikaiosynēi· righteousness
Righteousness: what is right before God, and living by it.
- καρπὸνkarpon· fruit
Fruit; also the result of what someone does.
- εἴχετεeichete· have
Have, possess, hold.
- τότεtote· then
Then, at that time.
- ἐπαισχύνεσθεepaischynesthe· be ashamed
Be ashamed of.
- τέλοςtelos· end
End, completion; "to the end", fully. Also tax.
- θάνατοςthanatos· death
Death.
- νυνὶnyni· now
"Now", "at this moment"; a stronger form of "now".
- ἐλευθερωθέντεςeleutherōthentes· set free
Set free, free; bring out of slavery.
- δουλωθέντεςdoulōthentes· enslave
Enslave, make a slave; in the passive, be enslaved, be bound.
- θεῷtheōi· God, god
God. In the plural or in another sense, "gods".
- ἁγιασμόνhagiasmon· sanctification
Sanctification: being set apart for God and made holy.
- ζωὴνzōēn· life
Life; the true life that God gives.
- αἰώνιονaiōnion· eternal
Eternal: belonging to God's age and without end.
- ὀψώνιαopsōnia· wages
Wages, pay, a soldier's pay.
- χάρισμαcharisma· gift
Gift: a free gift of God's grace, including the abilities he gives for serving others.
- ΧριστῷChristōi· Messiah
Messiah: literally "anointed", the king or envoy God consecrates with oil. It is a title, not a surname; in Hebrew, mashiach.
- ἸησοῦIēsou· Jesus
Jesus, the Greek form of the Hebrew Yehoshua (Joshua), which means "YHWH saves". It is the name the angel told Joseph to give him (Matthew 1:21).
- κυρίῳkyriōi· Lord, lord
Lord, master, owner. Said of God, the Lord; in Old Testament quotations it stands for the name YHWH.