What fruit had you then in those things whereof you are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
What.
Romans 7:5 For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.
Proverbs 1:31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
Proverbs 5:10-13 Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth; and thy labours be in the house of a stranger; …
whereof.
Ezra 9:6 And said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens.
Job 40:4 Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth.
Job 42:6 Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.
for the.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 1:32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
Deuteronomy 17:6 At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death.
from the things of which you are now ashamed?
Shame here indicates a moral and spiritual awakening. In the Greco-Roman world, honor and shame were significant cultural values. Conversion to Christianity often led to a new understanding of what is honorable and shameful, contrasting sharply with previous pagan lifestyles. This transformation is a common theme in Paul's letters, where he emphasizes the renewal of the mind (Romans 12:2) and the rejection of former sinful behaviors (Ephesians 4:22-24).
The outcome of those things is death.
This phrase underscores the ultimate consequence of sin, which is spiritual death, as opposed to eternal life offered through Christ (Romans 6:23). The concept of death here is not merely physical but also spiritual separation from God. This aligns with the biblical narrative from Genesis, where sin leads to death (Genesis 2:17). Paul contrasts this with the life-giving power of Christ, who offers redemption and eternal life, fulfilling the prophetic promises of a Savior who conquers death (Isaiah 25:8, 1 Corinthians 15:54-57).
Paul begins with a piercing question: “What fruit did you reap at that time…?” (Romans 6:21). He is taking believers on a trip down memory lane to their pre-conversion days.
• “Fruit” pictures results, payoff, the visible harvest of a way of life (cf. Matthew 7:16–18; Galatians 6:7–8).
• “At that time” recalls the season when we were, as Romans 6:20 puts it, “slaves to sin,” free from righteousness yet utterly bound to rebellion (Ephesians 2:1–3).
• Paul’s question is rhetorical; everyone knows the yield was rotten. Any sense of pleasure was short-lived, never satisfying (Hebrews 11:25).
“…from the things of which you are now ashamed?” The Spirit-wrought contrast is striking. What once seemed normal or even enjoyable now produces shame.
• Conversion changes our appetite and our evaluation of the past (2 Corinthians 5:17).
• Shame here is not crippling guilt but healthy, Spirit-given revulsion toward sin’s defilement (James 4:8–9).
• The very acts that once advertised “freedom” are now recognized as slavery—clear evidence of a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26–27).
“The outcome of those things is death.” Paul moves from subjective feeling (shame) to objective fact (death).
• Sin’s payday is always death—physical, spiritual, and, if unrepented, eternal (Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:14–15).
• Even before physical death, sin erodes everything it touches: relationships, purpose, inner peace (Proverbs 14:12; Isaiah 59:2).
• The wording stresses inevitability: every unchecked sinful path terminates at the same graveyard, no exceptions (James 1:15).
Romans 6:21 calls believers to look honestly at sin’s past harvest: no lasting fruit, only shame, and a destination of death. Remembering that empty crop fuels gratitude for Christ’s rescue and motivates present holiness, because the only harvest worth reaping is the eternal life God freely gives in His Son (Romans 6:22–23).
(21) For.--(You had no fruit) for. &c. Some put the question at "then." "What fruit had ye therefore (omitted in the Authorised version) at that time? Things of which ye are now ashamed; for their end is death." But the construction of the Authorised version is probably best.