Who’s In Charge? Romans 6:15 – 23

Paul mentions slavery in this passage. Slavery in his day was much different than what we imagine. In Paul’s day, 35 – 40% of the populace of Rome were slaves. To equate the Roman slave with the relationship between employer/employee is to miss the idea completely. An employee puts in a prescribed amount of work, then is free to pursue his own agenda. The Roman slave did not have a choice to obey his own will. He was subject for life, barring any outside intervention. He owed his master his time, his labor, his life, his total obedience, and his absolute loyalty. The master’s influence secured the slaves’ total obedience. Keep that in mind as Paul discusses who is in charge in the life of the follower of Jesus.