Romans 6:19

after the manner of men More lit., humanly. He apologizes, so to speak, for using the peculiarly earthly image of the slave-market to enforce a truth of the most exalted spiritual dignity; namely, the necessary conformity of the wills of the justified to the will of God.

because of the infirmity of your flesh i.e., because you are "weak" to apprehend spiritual truth, as being still "in the flesh;" affected by that element of your nature which (besides being the stronghold of sin) is always the antithesis of "the spirit." This is his reason for going so low for his metaphor; for boldly depicting their state of justification as one also of slavery. No illustration less harshwould convey the full reality of obligationto their minds.

to uncleanness and to iniquity Two main aspects of sin. "Iniquity "is lit., and better, lawlessness. The first of the two words means, the craving for evil as such; the second, the hatred of holy restraint as such.

unto iniquity Lit., again, unto lawlessness; i.e. "with the result of lawless acts on the lawless principle." See 1 John 3:4, where the Gr. precisely means, "sin and lawlessness are convertible terms."

servants The word is, of course, emphatic in both parts of the verse.

righteousness See notes above on Romans 6:16-18, in favour of still referring this word to justification, the "gift of righteousness" (see on ch. Romans 5:17) regarded as the new motivein the life of the justified; the new power which was to use their "members" as its "weapons" against sin. (See on Romans 6:13.)

unto holiness Lit., and better, unto sanctification. The Gr. noun indicates rather a process than a principle or a condition. (So too Hebrews 12:14.) The result of the new "bondage" was to be a steady course of purification; a processof self-denial, watchfulness, and diligent observance of the holy will of the God of Peace.