God’s Word Translation
Romans 6:17
17You were slaves to sin. But I thank God that you have become wholeheartedly obedient to the teachings which you were given.
Romans 6:17 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
- New International Version (NIV)But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance.
- English Standard Version (ESV)But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed,
- New King James Version (NKJV)But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.
Context of Romans 6:17
15Then what is the implication? Should we sin because we are not controlled by God’s laws but by God’s favor? That’s unthinkable! 16Don’t you know that if you offer to be someone’s slave, you must obey that master? Either your master is sin, or your master is obedience. Letting sin be your master leads to death. Letting obedience be your master leads to God’s approval. You were slaves to sin. But I thank God that you have become wholeheartedly obedient to the teachings which you were given. 18Freed from sin, you were made slaves who do what God approves of. 19I’m speaking in a human way because of the weakness of your corrupt nature. Clearly, you once offered all the parts of your body as slaves to sexual perversion and disobedience. This led you to live disobedient lives. Now, in the same way, offer all the parts of your body as slaves that do what God approves of. This leads you to live holy lives.
Read all of Romans 6Romans 6:17 word by word
χάρις δὲ τῷ θεῷ ὅτι ἦτε δοῦλοι τῆς ἁμαρτίας, ὑπηκούσατε δὲ ἐκ καρδίας εἰς ὃν παρεδόθητε τύπον διδαχῆς.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Butδέde · thenG1161
- Godὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- be thankedχάριςcharis · graceG5485
- thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
- ye wereεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- the servantsδοῦλοςdoulos · slaveG1401
- of sinἁμαρτίαhamartia · sinG266
- ye have obeyedὑπακούωhupakouō · to obeyG5219
- fromἐκek ex · out fromG1537
- the heartκαρδίαkardia · heartG2588
- ·εἰςeis · towardG1519
- that formτύποςtupos · mark/exampleG5179
- of doctrineδιδαχήdidachē · teachingG1322
- whichὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
- was delivered youπαραδίδωμιparadidōmi · to deliverG3860
Cross-references for Romans 6:17
- Romans 1:8First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for every one of you because the news of your faith is spreading throughout the whole world.
- 1 Chronicles 29:12Riches and honor are in front of you. You rule everything. You hold power and strength in your hands, and you can make anyone great and strong.
- Ezra 7:27⌞I, Ezra, said:⌟ Thanks be to the Lord God of our ancestors. He put this into the king’s mind to make the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem beautiful.
- Matthew 11:25At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for hiding these things from wise and intelligent people and revealing them to little children.
- Acts 11:18When the others heard this, they had no further objections. They praised God by saying, “Then God has also led people who are not Jewish to turn to him so that they can change the way they think and act and have eternal life.”
- Acts 28:15Believers in Rome heard that we were coming, so they came as far as the cities of Appius’ Market and Three Taverns to meet us. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and felt encouraged. So we finally arrived in the city of Rome.
- 1 Corinthians 1:4I always thank God for you because Christ Jesus has shown you God’s good will.
- Ephesians 1:16I never stop thanking God for you. I always remember you in my prayers.
- Philippians 1:3I thank my God for all the memories I have of you.
- Colossians 1:3We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, in our prayers for you.
- 1 Thessalonians 1:2We always thank God for all of you as we remember you in our prayers.
- 1 Thessalonians 3:9We can never thank God enough for all the joy you give us as we rejoice in God’s presence.
- 2 Thessalonians 1:3We always have to thank God for you, brothers and sisters. It’s right to do this because your faith is showing remarkable growth and your love for each other is increasing.
- 2 Timothy 1:3I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day when I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience as my ancestors did.
- Philemon 1:4⌞Philemon,⌟ I always thank my God when I mention you in my prayers because
- 2 John 1:4I was very happy to find some of your children living in the truth as the Father has commanded us.
Commentaries on Romans 6:17
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin - This verse should be read thus: But thanks be to God that, although ye were the servants of sin, nevertheless ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine that was delivered unto you; or, that mould of teaching into which ye were cast. The apostle does not thank God that they were sinners; but that, although they were such, they had now received and obeyed the Gospel. The Hebrew phrase, Isaiah…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17But God be thanked - The argument in this verse is drawn from a direct appeal to the feelings of the Roman Christians themselves. From their experience, Paul was able to draw a demonstration to his purpose, and this was with him a ground of gratitude to God. That ye were - The sense of this passage is plain. The ground Of the thanksgiving was not that they had been the slaves of sin; but it is, that notwithstanding this, or although they had been thus…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-20Verses 16-20 Every man is the servant of the master to whose commands he yields himself; whether it be the sinful dispositions of his heart, in actions which lead to death, or the new and spiritual obedience implanted by regeneration. The apostle rejoiced now they obeyed from the heart the gospel, into which they were delivered as into a mould. As the same metal becomes a new vessel, when melted and recast in another mould, so the believer has become a…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of Sin--that is, that this is a state of things now past and gone. but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you--rather, "whereunto ye were delivered" (Margin), or cast, as in a mould. The idea is, that the teaching to which they had heartily yielded themselves had stamped its own impress upon them.Read the comment
Topics related to Romans 6:17
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Romans 6
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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