For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
What does Romans 6:23 mean?
The pleasure and profit of sin do not deserve to be called fruit. Sinners are but ploughing iniquity, sowing vanity, and reaping the same.
Key themes
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Keep this verse inside Romans 6:21-23 and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin - The word translated here "wages" οψωνια opsonia properly denotes what is purchased to be eaten with bread, as fish, flesh, vegetables, etc. (Schleusner); and thence, it means the pay of the Roman soldier, because formerly it was the custom to pay the soldier in these things. It means hence, what a man earns or deserves; what is his proper pay, or what he merits. As applied to sin, it means that death is what sin deserves; what will be its proper reward. Death is thus called the wages of sin, not because it is an arbitrary, undeserved appointment, but (1) Because it is its proper desert.
Key words
- the hire of armies
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the hire of armies.
- the gift of God
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the gift of God.
- the hire of armies
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the hire of armies.
- the gift of God
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the gift of God.
Context in Romans 6
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Romans 6 belongs to the middle movement of the book, especially the section often described as justification and Abraham. Romans is Paul’s fullest sustained exposition of sin, grace, righteousness, faith, Israel, the Spirit, and transformed life in Christ. Read this chapter with the wider themes of justification, grace, and faith in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
Related topics
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Bible verses about eternal life
Core passages on everlasting life, union with Christ, resurrection hope, judgment, and the promise of life beyond death.
Passages on the nature of sin, its consequences, God's judgment, repentance, and the way of forgiveness through Christ.
Passages on trusting God, receiving Christ, persevering without sight, and the relation between faith and lived obedience.
Key passages on God's unmerited favour, the grace of Christ, salvation by grace through faith, and how grace transforms the way believers live.