Albert Barnes Commentary Romans 6:1

"What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?" — Romans 6:1 (ASV)

Romans Chapter 6

Introduction

The argument commenced in this chapter is continued through the next two. The general design is the same—to show that the scheme of justification which God had adopted does not lead people to sin but, on the contrary, to holiness. This is introduced by answering an objection (Romans 6:1). The apostle pursues this subject with various arguments and illustrations, all tending to show that the design and effect of the scheme of justification was to produce the hatred of sin, and the love and practice of holiness. In this chapter, the argument is mainly drawn from the following sources:

1. From the baptism of Christians, by which they have professed to be dead to sin and to be bound to live to God (Romans 6:2–13).
2. From the fact that they were now the servants of God, and under obligation, by the laws of servitude, to obey him (Romans 6:15–20).
3. From their former experience of the evil of sin, from its tendency to produce misery and death, and from the fact that by the gospel they had been made ashamed of those things, and had now given themselves to the pure service of God.

By these various considerations, he repels the charge that the tendency of the doctrine was to produce licentiousness, affirming instead that it was a system of purity and peace.

The argument is continued in the next two chapters, further showing the purifying tendency of the gospel.

What shall we say then? This is a way of presenting an objection. The objection refers to what the apostle had said in Romans 5:20. What shall we say to such a statement as that where sin abounded, grace did much more abound?

Shall we continue in sin? If sin has been the occasion for grace and favor, should we not continue in it and commit as much sin as possible, so that grace might abound?

The apostle proceeds to answer this objection, showing that this conclusion does not follow and proving that the doctrine of justification does not lead to it.