Does Romans 6:23 refer to spiritual death or physical death?
3 views
Taking a look at Romans 6:23's use of death. Is it referring to physical death or spiritual death?
- 00:05
- So, does Romans 6 .23 refer to spiritual death or physical death? The verse says,
- 00:11
- For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our
- 00:16
- Lord. This verse can be legitimately interpreted to mean both spiritual and physical death.
- 00:23
- However, notice the context. Notice that it is saying that it speaks of what is called the wages of sin is death and then it speaks of eternal life.
- 00:33
- It talks about sin in relation to eternal life so it would be spiritual death and spiritual life. Eternal life means that a person has a saving relationship with God and will not face eternal damnation.
- 00:45
- Consider what Jesus said in Matthew 25 .46, He says, And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.
- 00:54
- And also John 3 .16, For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
- 01:03
- So in these two verses along with many others like this, eternal life is contrasted with eternal punishment and perishing.
- 01:13
- Therefore, it would seem natural to say that the primary meaning of the text in Romans 6 .23 is speaking of spiritual death, the separation that occurs from our sin.
- 01:24
- Now, we also have to notice that Isaiah 59 .2 says that our sin causes a separation between us and God.
- 01:32
- First John 3 .4 speaks of the issue of sin being lawlessness, breaking the law of God.
- 01:37
- So when we sin, there is a definite spiritual consequence, separation from God, Isaiah 59 .2.
- 01:44
- But also, we have to understand that Romans 5 .12 says that sin entered the world through Adam and death spread to all men because all sinned.
- 01:52
- It is talking there both physical and spiritual death. So anyway, Romans 6 .23 can legitimately be interpreted to include both spiritual and physical death when it speaks of the wages of sin is death.