An Exegetical And Theological Study Of Romans 6:6

Chapter I: Introduction

God desires every child of His to be holy. This is clearly expressed at least three times in the New Testament as follows: "... He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him" (Eph. 1:4). "... For this is the will of God, your sanctification (1 Thess. 4:3). "... You shall be holy, for I am holy" (1Pet. 1:16). Because holy living is such a high priority to God the Christian is compelled to understand the doctrine of sanctification, both as regarding the process of being made holy as well as the position for all those who have placed their faith in Christ as Lord and Savior.

1. The Importance of Romans 6:6 to the Doctrine of Sanctification

Throughout the history of the church numerous Bible scholars, as well as some missionaries, have emphasized Romans 6:1-14, and, in particular, Romans 6:6, as not only basic to the understanding of the doctrine of sanctification but also fundamental as the basis upon which this doctrine rests. One contemporary scholar observes the following:

In the first fourteen verses of chapter six, Paul discusses the basis of sanctification as union with Christ in death and resurrection. In verse 6, the key verse of the section, the apostle speaks of the crucifixion of the old man as a past fact so that the body of sin might be annulled.¹

Other commentators, referring to the union of the believer with Christ, have similarly concluded that: "... The essential condition of spiritual power is union with Christ;"² "... identification with Christ is the most profound truth in the New Testament." "... I do not know³ of any doctrine that is more comforting or more helpful to the child of God than the scriptural doctrine of co-crucifixion with Christ."⁴ The written testimony of Hudson Taylor, the great missionary to China, confirms the importance of the doctrine of union with Christ described in Romans 6:1-14. He wrote as follows:

I prayed, agonized, fasted, strove, made resolutions, read the Word more diligently, sought more time for meditation, but all without avail. Every day, almost every hour, the consciousness of sin oppressed me... I thought that holiness was to be gradually attained by diligent use of the means of grace... When my agony of soul was at its height, a sentence in a letter from dear McCarthy was used to remove the scales from my eyes, and the spirit of God revealed to me the truth of our oneness with Jesus... ⁵

Other writers, including the founder of Dallas Theological Seminary, have related the importance of these verses to the doctrine of sanctification. Chafer wrote: "This passage is the key to the possibility of a 'walk in the Spirit.'"⁶ Another noted Bible teacher summarizes the importance of Romans 6:1-14 as follows: "When this great portion of the epistle is understood and acted upon, schools of teaching on sanctification will disappear and the Christian will live his life on the God-appointed level."⁷

A church leader in China wrote these words: "Romans six lays the foundation for the Christian deliverance from sin."⁸ The significance of verse six to Romans chapter six and the doctrine of sanctification is observed by one Australian commentator who wrote as follows: "Undoubtedly Romans 6:6 has been the main battlefield in the disagreement of holiness theories."⁹

From these remarks by scholars, missionaries, and Christian leaders around the world we can conclude that an understanding of Romans 6:6 is vital, not only to comprehend the doctrine of sanctification but also to living the Christian life.

2. The Present-Day Confusion over the Doctrine of Sanctification

A variety of views face the modern Christian concerning the spiritual life. One writer, after researching the current theories, observes the following:

The Christian Church is exposed to a plethora of approaches that go far beyond a simple difference in terminology and reflect a basic disagreement in what the Scriptures teach on the subject of sanctification. For example, among the popular approaches, there is ... sanctification by emotionalism, sanctification by self-renunciation, sanctification by confession, sanctification by 'filling by faith,' sanctification by legalism, sanctification by 'reckoning,' and sanctification by Transaction Analysis.¹⁰

In light of the significance of the subject as the basis for fruitful Christian living as well as because of the confusion among Christians in our day, a careful exegesis and theological study are warranted. It is vital for living an abundant life, full of purpose, potential, and joy as God intended. Romans 6:6 provides a compelling life principle for every Christian rooted in the foundational truth that we have been united with Christ.

3. The Importance of the Doctrine of Identification to Christian Counseling

In recent years truths related to Romans 6:1-14 have been referenced increasingly in counseling situations with considerable success. For example, Charles R. Solomon incorporated Grace Fellowship International on May 29, 1969, as a counseling ministry to Christians. As a result of learning and experiencing the truth of identification with Christ, he was so greatly helped with his psychological problems that he left a prestigious position in the industry to offer counsel to other Christians.¹¹ His two first books describe the scriptural basis of his counseling approach which assumes that the basic premise the person who meets our needs is the Lord Jesus Christ -- not a human therapist. He calls the discipline "Spirituotherapy."¹² He records twenty-three cases in which people with serious mental problems have been helped.¹³

The Approach to the Thesis

In chapter one, I reflect on the need for and approach to the thesis. In chapter II the central verse of the thesis, Romans 6:6, is considered, in the light of Paul's letter to the Christian Church in Rome. Paul hoped to visit the congregation for the first time on his way to Spain. In chapter 3, Romans 6:6 is studied in greater depth within the context of Romans 6:1-14, the section of the letter related to Paul's argument. In chapter 4, Romans 6:6 is exegeted with special attention to the immediate context and meaning of the determinative clauses and words.

In the final chapter, the historical, contextual, and lexical considerations about the phrase, "our old man," are studied to understand the meaning of the phrase "to put to death 'our old man.'" The theological implications of the study are presented in chapter 6, particularly, as they relate to the doctrine of sanctification and its essential role in the life of every Christian and the process of counseling of other people.