What Kind of Death Is Romans 6:23 Referring To?

Romans 6:23 teaches that “the wages of sin is death.” Does this refer to physical death, spiritual death, or something else? Today, W. Robert Godfrey conveys the meaning and significance of this important passage.

NATHAN W. BINGHAM: Joining us this week is one of our Teaching Fellows, Dr. W. Robert Godfrey. Dr. Godfrey, what kind of death is referenced in Romans 6:23?

DR. W. ROBERT GODFREY: Well, I’m sure, as our listeners know, Romans 6:23 says, “The wages of sin is death and the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ.” And I think when you put death next to life in that verse, we really see what kind of death Paul is talking about. That the word eternal can modify not only life but can also modify death there. So the wages of sin is eternal death. Now, we can rightly see in Scripture that it’s appropriate to say the wages of sin is physical death. Death came into the world as a result of sin. But I think what Paul is saying at the end of Romans 6 is much more serious. That the ultimate fruit of sin in the life of a creature of God is not just physical death, but eternal death, separated from the love of God in hell.

So Paul is making a very, very strong statement there. And of course, what he wants to be saying in many ways is that if you want to earn your way, you’re going to end up dead. And the only hope of life, eternal life, is to receive the gift of God, which is life in Jesus Christ.