Romans 6 · Verse 22

Romans 6:22

But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
Romans 6:22, King James Version

Romans 6:22 in other translations

BSBBut now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the fruit you reap leads to holiness, and the outcome is eternal life.
WEBBut now, being made free from sin and having become servants of God, you have your fruit of sanctification and the result of eternal life.
ASVBut now being made free from sin and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto sanctification, and the end eternal life.
YLTAnd now, having been freed from the sin, and having become servants to God, ye have your fruit--to sanctification, and the end life age-during;
DARBYBut now, having got your freedom from sin, and having become bondmen to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end eternal life.
BBEBut now, being free from sin, and having been made servants to God, you have your fruit in that which is holy, and the end is eternal life.
WebsterBut now being made free from sin, and having become servants to God, ye have your fruit to holiness, and the end everlasting life.

What does Romans 6:22 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
22. But now--as if to get away from such a subject were unspeakable relief. being made free from Sin, and become servants to God--in the absolute sense intended throughout all this passage. ye have--not "ought to have," but "do have," in point of fact. your fruit unto holiness--"sanctification," as in Ro 6:19; meaning that permanently holy state and character which is built up out of the whole "fruits of righteousness," which believers successively bring forth. They "have their fruit" unto this, that is, all going towards this blessed result. and the end everlasting life--as the final state of the justified believer; the beatific experience not only of complete exemption from the fall with all its effects, but of the perfect life of acceptance with God, and conformity to His likeness, of unveiled access to Him, and ineffable fellowship with Him through all duration.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 22. But now. Under the Christian plan of justification.

Being made free from sin. Being delivered from its dominion, and from bondage; in the same manner as before conversion they were free from righteousness, Rom 6:20.

Ye have your fruit unto holiness. The fruit or result is holiness. This service produces holiness, as the other did sin. It is implied here, though not expressly affirmed, that in this service, which leads to holiness, they received important benefits, as in the service of sin they had experienced many evils.

And the end. The final result--the ultimate consequence will be. At present this service produces holiness; hereafter it will terminate in everlasting life. By this consideration the apostle states the tendency of the plan of justification, and urges on them the duty of striving after holiness.

Everlasting life. Jn 3:36. This stands in contrast with the word death in Ro 6:21, and shows its meaning. One is just as long in duration as the other; and if the one is limited, the other is. If those who obey shall be blessed with life for ever, those who disobey will be cursed with death for ever. Never was there an antithesis more manifest and more clear. And there could not be a stronger proof than the word death, in Rom 6:21, refers not to temporal death, but to eternal punishment. For what force would there be in the argument on the supposition that temporal death only is meant? The argument would stand thus, "The end of those sins is to produce temporal death; the end of holiness is to produce eternal life!" Will not temporal death be inflicted, it would be immediately asked, at any rate? Are Christians exempt from it? And do not men suffer this, whether they become Christians or not? How, then, could this be an argument bearing on the tenor of the apostle's reasoning? But admit the fair and obvious construction of the passage to be the true one, and it becomes plain. They were pursuing a course tending to everlasting ruin; they are now in a path that shall terminate in eternal life. By this weighty consideration, therefore, they are urged to be holy.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 22 But now being made free from sin - As being free from righteousness is the finished character of a sinner, so being made free from sin is the finished character of a genuine Christian. And become servants to God - They were transferred from the service of one master to that of another: they were freed from the slavery of sin, and engaged in the service of God. Fruit unto holiness - Holiness of heart was the principle; and righteousness of life the fruit.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Romans 6:21-23

The pleasure and profit of sin do not deserve to be called fruit. Sinners are but ploughing iniquity, sowing vanity, and reaping the same. Shame came into the world with sin, and is still the certain effect of it. The end of sin is death. Though the way may seem pleasant and inviting, yet it will be bitterness in the latter end. From this condemnation the believer is set at liberty, when made free from sin. If the…

Read the full comment on Romans 6:21-23 →

Romans 6:22 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

νυνὶnuniNowG3570
δὲdehoweverG1161
ἐλευθερωθέντεςeleutherōthenteshaving been set freeG1659
ἀπὸapofromG575
τῆςtēs<the>G3588
ἁμαρτίαςhamartiassinG266
δουλωθέντεςdoulōthenteshaving become slavesG1402
δὲdenowG1161
τῷtō<the>G3588
θεῷtheōto GodG2316
ἔχετεecheteyou haveG2192
τὸνtontheG3588
καρπὸνkarponfruitG2590
ὑμῶνhumōnof youG4771
εἰςeisuntoG1519
ἁγιασμόν,hagiasmonsanctification,G38
τὸto<the>G3588
δὲdenowG1161
τέλοςtelosthe endG5056
ζωὴνzōēn[is] lifeG2222
αἰώνιον.aiōnioneternal.G166

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Romans 6:22

  • 1 Peter 2:16

    As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.

  • Romans 6:18

    Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

  • Romans 8:2

    For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

  • Galatians 5:13

    For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

  • John 8:32

    And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

  • Isaiah 54:17

    No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.

  • 1 Corinthians 7:22

    For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord’s freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ’s servant.

  • Romans 6:14

    For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

  • 1 Peter 1:9

    Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

  • Galatians 5:22

    But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

  • Galatians 1:10

    For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

  • Romans 6:21

    What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
But now.
14,18; 8:2; Joh 8:32; 2Co 3:17; Ga 5:13
become.
7:25; Ge 50:17; Job 1:8; Ps 86:2; 143:12; Isa 54:17; Da 3:26; 6:20
Ga 1:10; Col 4:12; Tit 1:1; Jas 1:1; 1Pe 2:16; Re 7:13
ye have.
Ps 92:14; Joh 15:2,16; Ga 5:22; Eph 5:9; Php 1:11; 4:17; Col 1:10
and the end.
21; Nu 23:10; Ps 37:37,38; Mt 13:40,43; 19:29; 25:46; Joh 4:36

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Romans 6:21

    What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.

  • Romans 6:22

    But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

  • Romans 6:23

    For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Read all of Romans 6

Romans 6:22 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Mas ahora, librados del pecado, y hechos siervos á Dios, tenéis por vuestro fruto la santificación, y por fin la vida eterna.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		– Mais maintenant, ayant été affranchis du péché et asservis à Dieu, vous avez votre fruit dans la sainteté et pour fin la vie éternelle.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Jetzt aber, von der Sünde freigemacht und Gottes Sklaven geworden, habt ihr eure Frucht zur Heiligkeit, als das Ende aber ewiges Leben.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Nunc vero liberati a peccato, servi autem facti Deo, habetis fructum vestrum in sanctificationem, finem vero vitam æternam.