Romans 6:14 - Exposition

For sin shall not have dominion over you; for ye are not under law, but under grace . As to the force of the future here, οὐ κυριεύσει , see what was said under Romans 6:5 . Here also no more seems, at first sight, to be meant than that God, if we respond to his grace, will not let sin have dominion over us; we shall, in fact, if we are willing, be enabled to resist it. " Invitos nos non coget [peccatum] ad serviendum tibi " (Bengel). And the reason given is suitable to this meaning: "For ye are not under law" (which, while it makes sin sinful and exacts its full penalty, imparts no power to overcome it), "but under grace" (which does communicate such power). Thus understanding the verse, we see the distinction between βασιλευέτω in Romans 6:12 and κυριεύσει here. In Romans 6:12 we are exhorted not to let sin reign; we are to own no allegiance to it as a king whose rule we must obey. But it still will try to usurp lordship over us—in vain, however, if we resist the usurpation: οὑ κυριεύσει ἡμῶν . The sense thus given to the verse is what its own language and the previous context suggest. But Romans 6:15 , which follows, suggests a different meaning. "What then? shall we sin, because we are not under law, but under grace?" Such a question could not arise on the statement of the preceding verse, if its meaning were understood to be that grace will enable us to avoid sin; it rather supposes the meaning that grace condones sin. Hence, in Romans 6:15 at least, a different aspect of the difference between being under law and being under grace seems evidently to come in; namely, this—that the principle of law is to exact complete obedience to its behests; but the principle of grace is to accept faith in lieu of complete obedience. If, then, ἁμαρτία ὑμῶν ου) κυριεύσει in Romans 6:14 is to be understood in agreement with this idea, it must mean, "Sin, though it still infects you, shall not lord it over you so as to bring you into condemnation.'' Calvin has a good note on the verse. He allows the first of the expositions of it given above to be " una quae caeteris prohabilius sustineri queat ." But he thinks that Romans 6:15 , following, requires the other, and he concludes thus: " Vult enim nos consolari apostolus, ne animis fatiscamus in studio bene agendi, propterea quod multas imperfectiones adhuc in nobis sentiamus. Uteunque enim peccati aculeis vexemut, non petest tamen nos subigere, quia Spiritu Dei superiores reddimur: deinde in gratia constituti, sumus liberati a rigida Legis exactione ." It may be that the apostle, when he wrote Romans 6:14 , meant what the previous context suggests, but passed on in Romans 6:15 to the other idea in view of the way in which his words might be understood. In what follows next ( Romans 6:15-23 ) is introduced the second illustration (see former note), drawn from the human relations between masters and slaves. It comes in by way of meeting the supposed abuse of the statement of Romans 6:14 ; but it serves as a further proof of the general position that is being upheld. The word κυριεύσει in Romans 6:14 suggests this particular illustration. We being under grace, it had been said, sin will not be our master, whence the inference was supposed to be drawn that we may sin with impunity, and without thereby subjecting ourselves to the mastery of sin. Nay, it is replied, but it will be our master, if in practice we consent to be its servants.