Not Under Law, but Under Grace
Not Under Law, but Under Grace 1. The rhetorical question that begins this section (shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace?) is quite similar to the one in 6:1. In verse 1 the potential error was sinning more to experience more grace, while here it is sinning freely because grace has replaced law. Paul anticipates a possible misunderstanding of his statement in verse 14 that we “are not under law, but under grace.” Some might interpret the absence of law to mean they are free to do whatever they want, and the presence of grace to mean God will understand and forgive whatever they do. People today often have this same low opinion of the seriousness of sin, thinking that forgiveness is easy to obtain. Paul responds as he did in 6:1, By no means! This assumption is terribly wrong. Once more Paul appeals to a commonly known truth (cf. vv. 3, 6, 9), this time to a frequent occurrence in the ancient world, selling oneself into slavery to avoid debt. It has been es...