Romans 6:13
What does Romans 6:13 mean?
A plain-English look at Romans 6:13 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Romans 6:13 means
Paul now gives the positive alternative to sin’s reign: do not hand over your bodily members as tools for unrighteousness; instead, present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments for righteousness. This is consecration—placing ourselves at God’s disposal. Our hands, eyes, tongue, and mind become tools for good because we belong to the living God. The motive is identity: we are alive from the dead. The Christian does not merely avoid evil; he actively offers himself for God’s purposes. In doing so, we align with the new creation life we have in Christ and find our powers redirected toward holiness.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000neither present your members unto sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves unto God, as alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
KJV
King James Version · 1611Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901neither present your members unto sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves unto God, as alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949And do not give your bodies to sin as the instruments of wrongdoing, but give yourselves to God, as those who are living from the dead, and your bodies as instruments of righteousness to God.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862neither present ye your members instruments of unrighteousness to the sin, but present yourselves to God as living out of the dead, and your members instruments of righteousness to God;
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752Neither yield ye your members as instruments of iniquity unto sin: but present yourselves to God, as those that are alive from the dead; and your members as instruments of justice unto God.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890Neither yield your members instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but yield yourselves toGod as alive from among [the] dead, and your members instruments of righteousness toGod.
Context
Flowing from the prohibition of verse 12, verse 13 gives a twofold command: refuse sin’s use of your body, and present yourself to God. It emphasizes the concrete, embodied nature of obedience and the new status of believers as “alive from the dead.” Verse 14 will summarize with a promise about sin’s broken dominion under grace. After this, Paul anticipates a new misunderstanding about grace (verse 15) and begins the slavery metaphor that fills the rest of the chapter (verses 16–23).
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- 2 Corinthians 10:4
(for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the casting down of strongholds);
- Proverbs 12:18
There is that speaketh rashly like the piercings of a sword; But the tongue of the wise is health.
- 1 Corinthians 6:9
Or know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with men,
- James 3:5
So the tongue also is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how much wood is kindled by how small a fire!
- Romans 6:11
Even so reckon ye also yourselves to be dead unto sin, but alive unto God in Christ Jesus.
- 2 Corinthians 5:15
and he died for all, that they that live should no longer live unto themselves, but unto him who for their sakes died and rose again.
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