What does it mean to be “under sin”?

Explanation:

Paul says that all, including Jews and Greeks, are under sin. We can deduce what it means to be under sin by considering what Paul says about being under sin in other passages in Romans. For example, in Romans 6:12–23 he characterizes sin as a master who rules over his slaves. ⁴ There he explains that the one who is under sin is a slave to sin, which leads to death (Romans 6:16), and when the believer was a slave to sin, he was free in regard to righteousness (Romans 6:20). Likewise, when Paul says in Romans 3:9 that everyone is under sin, he means that aside from the grace of God in Jesus Christ, all are enslaved to the power of sin.

Counterargument:

Paul in Romans 6:12 refers to sin not as a power in the world under which one is enslaved, but as an aspect of the individual. That is, sin is a force not outside but inside the individual. We can deduce this because Paul says as much in Romans 6:12, exhorting the Romans not to let sin reign in their mortal bodies. The preposition in indicates that sin is a power that resides in the individual, not a force in the world. Thus, to be under sin is to be enslaved to one’s own passions, not some impersonal force.

Response to counterargument:

This view does not disagree that sin is in the individual. Still, Paul does personify sin as a force that controls both Jews and Greeks. For example, in Romans 6:6 he refers to our body of sin being brought to nothing so we would no longer be enslaved to sin. In other words, sin has the power to enslave us, but through Christ it is possible to escape the power of sin. So sin is in a person, and has the power to control a person, but through Christ the power of sin can be escaped.

Explanation:

We can detect what Paul means when he says that all are under sin because the noun behind sin is in the accusative case. When the noun following the preposition ὑπό (under) is in the accusative case, the meaning of the preposition has to do with being under the control of or under the power of the accusative noun that follows. ⁵ The noun that follows is sin, so Paul is saying that all are under the power, or control, of sin.

Counterargument:

While it might be that Paul is saying all are under the power, or control, of sin, this does not explain what sin is. The question is not whether we are under the power or control of sin, but what it means to be under the power or control of sin. Does it mean that all are under the power of Satan? Or that all are under the power of an impersonal force in the world? Unfortunately, this argument does not tell us.

Response to counterargument:

Paul has already introduced several terms that characterize sin. These include unrighteousness (Romans 1:18, Romans 1:29; Romans 1:2), uncleanness (Romans 1:24), that which is bad (Romans 2:9), transgression of the law (Romans 2:23), unfaithfulness (Romans 3:3) and bad things (Romans 3:8). So to be under the control of sin is to be under the power of something that produces unrighteousness, uncleanness, that which is bad, transgressions of the law, unfaithfulness, and bad things. ⁶

It is hard to see what the weakness of this view might be. By using the accusative case, Paul clearly indicates that we are under the control, or power, of sin. And he has already explained that sin has to do with wickedness, following the flesh, unrighteousness, and so on in Romans 1:1–2:29.

Explanation:

In Romans 1:18–2:29, Paul explained the universal condemnation of all humans. The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness (Romans 1:18). And this wrath is reserved not for the Gentile only but for the Jew and the Greek, for God shows no partiality. ⁹ Thus, both the Gentiles and the Jews are condemned before the judgment seat of God, which is to say that all are under sin. Thus, to be under sin is to be under God’s righteous condemnation. ¹⁰

Counterargument:

This argument has it that when Paul says all are under sin, he is saying that all are under the condemnation of God. It rightly notices that in Romans 1:18–2:29, Paul explains that both Jews and Gentiles are under God’s condemnation. It then suggests that to be under God’s condemnation is to be under sin, which is what Paul means in Romans 3:9. Unfortunately, for this argument, we cannot conclude from the fact that all are under God’s condemnation that to be under sin is to be under God’s condemnation. For it could be because all are under sin, all are condemned by God. That is, Paul is not reiterating the fact that all are under God’s condemnation when he says all are under sin. Rather, he is explaining why all people are condemned by God. All people are condemned by God because all are under sin.

Response to counterargument:

This counterargument suggests that, while being under sin might imply that one is condemned by God, being under sin is not the same as being condemned by God. Rather, being under sin is being controlled by some internal authority that ensures one will reject God and act wickedly, and since one rejects God and acts wickedly, one is condemned by God. We agree with the thrust of this counterargument. What we say is that in Romans 1:18–2:29, Paul explains that everyone is condemned by God. And in Romans 3:9 Paul explains why, which is that everyone is under sin, that is, controlled by the power of sin,

The weakness of this view is that it confuses what Paul writes with the implication of what he writes. Paul says we are all under sin, which implies that we are all condemned by God. By mixing up what Paul says with what he implies, this view slightly misses the mark.