Certainly not!
This phrase is a strong rejection of the idea that believers should continue in sin. It reflects Paul's emphatic denial of the notion that grace might encourage sinful behavior. The Greek phrase "mē genoito" is often translated as "God forbid" or "By no means," indicating a vehement opposition. This reflects the seriousness with which Paul addresses the issue of sin in the life of a believer, emphasizing that grace is not a license to sin.

How can we who died to sin
The concept of dying to sin is central to Paul's theology. It signifies a definitive break from the power and dominion of sin, achieved through union with Christ in His death and resurrection. This is a spiritual reality for believers, symbolized in baptism (Romans 6:3-4). The idea of dying to sin is also connected to the broader biblical narrative of transformation and renewal, as seen in passages like 2 Corinthians 5:17, where believers are described as new creations in Christ.

live in it any longer?
Living in sin implies a habitual, ongoing practice of sinning, which is incompatible with the new life in Christ. The rhetorical question underscores the absurdity of continuing in sin after having been set free from its power. This aligns with the call to holiness found throughout Scripture, such as in 1 Peter 1:15-16, where believers are urged to be holy as God is holy. The transformation expected of believers is a reflection of the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, who empowers them to live righteously.

1. Paul the Apostle
The author of the Book of Romans, Paul is addressing the believers in Rome, providing theological insights and practical guidance for living a Christian life.

2. Roman Christians
The recipients of the letter, they were a diverse group of Jewish and Gentile believers living in the heart of the Roman Empire, facing various cultural and spiritual challenges.

3. Sin
A central theme in this passage, sin is personified as a power or force from which believers have been set free through Christ.

4. Death to Sin
A metaphorical event that occurs when a believer accepts Christ, symbolizing a break from the power and dominion of sin.

5. New Life in Christ
The event and process of living a transformed life through the power of the Holy Spirit, as believers are called to walk in newness of life.Understanding Our Identity in Christ
As believers, we must recognize that our identity is now in Christ, and we are no longer slaves to sin. This understanding is foundational for living a victorious Christian life.

The Reality of Spiritual Transformation
The death to sin is not just a metaphor but a spiritual reality. Believers are called to live out this transformation daily, relying on the Holy Spirit for strength and guidance.

Living Out Our New Life
Practical holiness is the natural outflow of our new identity. We are called to actively resist sin and pursue righteousness, reflecting Christ in our actions and attitudes.

The Importance of Community and Accountability
Engaging with a community of believers provides support and accountability, helping us to live out our commitment to Christ and resist the temptations of sin.

Continuous Renewal of the Mind
Regular engagement with Scripture and prayer is essential for renewing our minds and aligning our thoughts with God's truth, enabling us to live in the freedom from sin that Christ provides.(2) That are dead.--Rather, that died. It is well to bear in mind Dr. Lightfoot's remarks on the importance of keeping the strict aorist sense as opposed to that of the perfect (i.e., the single past action as opposed to the prolonged or continued action) in passages such as this. "St. Paul regards this change--from sin to righteousness, from bondage to freedom, from death to life--as summed up in one definite act of the past; potentially to all men in our Lord's passion and resurrection, actually to each individual man when he accepts Christ, is baptised into Christ. Then he is made righteous by being incorporated into Christ's righteousness, he dies once for all to sin, he lives henceforth for ever to God. This is his ideal. Practically, we know that the death to sin and the life to righteousness are inchoate, imperfect, gradual, meagerly realised even by the most saintly men in this life; but St. Paul sets the matter in this ideal light to force upon the consciences of his hearers the fact that an entire change came over them when they became Christians--that the knowledge and the grace then vouchsafed to them did not leave them where they were--that they are not, and cannot be, their former selves--and that it is a contradiction of their very being to sin any more. It is the definiteness, the absoluteness of this change, considered as an historical crisis, which forms the central idea of St. Paul's teaching, and which the aorist marks. We cannot, therefore, afford to obscure this idea by disregarding the distinctions of grammar; yet in our English version it is a mere chance whether in such cases the aorist is translated as an aorist" (On Revision, p. 85). These remarks will form the best possible commentary upon the passage before us. It may be only well to add that the change between the position of the first Christians and our own involves a certain change in the application of what was originally said with reference to them. Baptism is not now the tremendous crisis that it was then. The ideal of Christian life then assumed is more distinctly an ideal. It has a much less definite hold upon the imagination and the will. But it ought not therefore to be any the less binding upon the Christian. He should work towards it, if he cannot work from it, in the spirit of Philippians 3:12-14.

It would be well for the reader to note at once the corrections suggested in the rendering of this verse by Dr. Lightfoot's criticism:--In Romans 6:4, "we were buried" for "we are buried;" in Romans 6:6, "the old man was crucified" for "is crucified;" in Romans 6:8, "if we died" for "if we be dead."

Verse 2. - God forbid! (Μὴ γένοιτο: St. Paul's usual way of rejecting an idea indignantly). We who (οἵτινες, with its proper meaning of being such as) died (not, as in the Authorized Version, "are dead." The reference is to the time of baptism, as appears from what follows) to sin, how shall we live any longer therein! The idea of dying to sin in the sense of having done with it, is found also in Macrob., 'Somn. Scip.,' 1:13 (quoted by Meyer), "Mori etiam dicitur, cum anima adhuc in corpora constituta corporeas illecebras philosophia docente contemnit et cupiditatum dulces insidias reliquasque omnes exuit passiones."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Absolutely not!
γένοιτο (genoito)
Verb - Aorist Optative Middle - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1096: A prolongation and middle voice form of a primary verb; to cause to be, i.e. to become, used with great latitude.

How {can we}
πῶς (pōs)
Adverb
Strong's 4459: Adverb from the base of pou; an interrogative particle of manner; in what way?; also as exclamation, how much!

who
οἵτινες (hoitines)
Personal / Relative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3748: Whosoever, whichsoever, whatsoever.

died
ἀπεθάνομεν (apethanomen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural
Strong's 599: To be dying, be about to die, wither, decay. From apo and thnesko; to die off.

to sin
ἁμαρτίᾳ (hamartia)
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 266: From hamartano; a sin.

live
ζήσομεν (zēsomen)
Verb - Future Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural
Strong's 2198: To live, be alive. A primary verb; to live.

in
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

it
αὐτῇ (autē)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Feminine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

any longer?
ἔτι (eti)
Adverb
Strong's 2089: (a) of time: still, yet, even now, (b) of degree: even, further, more, in addition. Perhaps akin to etos; 'yet, ' still.


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NT Letters: Romans 6:2 May it never be! (Rom. Ro)