Romans 6:7Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

And further on the Apostle explains this still more, saying: "For he who has died has been freed from sin." The Apostle says this about every man. Just as the dead man is freed from sin by the very fact that he lies dead, so also is the one who has come forth from Baptism. He has already died once, and therefore he must forever remain dead to sin. Therefore, if you died in Baptism, remain dead, because everyone who has died can no longer sin. But if you sin, you dishonor the gift of God.

He says this of the whole man. As one who has died has been freed from sin, that is, delivered and set free, so you also, who have been baptized and have died to sin, must remain dead.

The one who receives Baptism is freed, released into liberty, and cleansed from all sins, not only those in deeds and words, but also from passionate thoughts.

For who has ever seen a dead man defile another's bed, or stain his hands with murder, or do anything else unfitting?

God restrained transgression by introducing death and causing sin to cease. He set an end to it by the dissolution of the flesh that takes place in the earth, so that man, having one day ceased to live for sin and having died to it, might live for God.

The Apostle Paul writes, "He who has died is free from sin" (Rom 6:7), not in the sense that all the dead are justified. If that were so, then all the impious and lawless, after departing this life, would be recognized as justified. On the contrary, since every man, when his evil activity ceases, no longer commits sin and appears as though dead to evil deeds, he is rightly no longer called a sinner but righteous. Therefore let us understand what is written in this way: he who has died to sin, since he no longer commits sin, is justified.

"He who has died has been freed," literally, "has been justified," dedikaiotai, from sin, because he has already borne the punishment appointed by the Law for sin (Gen 3:17). Otherwise: as a slave is a slave only until death and by death is freed from the master's power, and as a dead man ceases and cannot sin, so the baptized man, who has died to sin, is freed from the power of sin. He ceases to sin and ought not to sin.

The Apostle further develops the likeness of Christ's death on the Cross, burial, and Resurrection by applying it to them in this way. Christ suffered and died on the Cross. So also "our old man" must be "crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be abolished" (Rom 6:6). That is, our passions must be crucified, so that the realm of sensuality, where sinful passions usually rage and boil, may be abolished. "That we should no longer be slaves of sin," the Apostle explains, "for he who has died has been freed from sin" (Rom 6:7).

Having unfolded the general teaching on the justification of all believers, the Apostle draws from it the teaching on the Christian life.

After showing the complete incongruity of remaining in sin under the pretext of expecting still greater grace, which the Hebrews wrongly expected and still expect even now, the Apostle Paul teaches that, with the annulment of death for sin, Christians, as those who live a new life, have died to sin.

This death of theirs was accomplished in baptism. Having been immersed in the water, they were buried together with Christ. Having risen, just as He rose from death to life, they rose together with Him. Thus they were made like Him in death and resurrection.

He confirms what was said before by an example. Just as a dead man shows no movement at all, so one who has died to sin in the font of baptism must not permit any sinful action.

Only, what appears in the dead by physical necessity must be manifested in one who has died to sin by free resolve of the will and by diligence.

“Freed,” dedikaiotai, means justified, released by judicial order. To the one justified, the judge says: You are free. Nothing binds you.

So before baptism we are held in the bonds of sin like slaves. After baptism we appear free from these bonds, because we come out of the font with hatred for sin and love for righteousness.