Romans 6:17 (DRB)

Passage

But thanks be to God, that you were the servants of sin but have obeyed from the heart unto that form of doctrine into which you have been delivered.

Nearby Context

Romans 6:15 What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid!

Romans 6:16 Know you not that to whom you yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants you are whom you obey, whether it be of sin unto death or of obedience unto justice.

Romans 6:17 But thanks be to God, that you were the servants of sin but have obeyed from the heart unto that form of doctrine into which you have been delivered.

Romans 6:18 Being then freed from sin, we have been made servants of justice.

Romans 6:19 I speak an human thing, because of the infirmity of your flesh. For as you have yielded your members to serve uncleanness and iniquity, unto iniquity: so now yield your members to serve justice, unto sanctification.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "thanks", "servants", "obeyed", "heart", "form", "doctrine", "been", and "delivered". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "thanks" and "servants", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 16's "Know you not that to whom you..." into verse 18's "Being then freed from sin we have...", so "thanks" and "servants" belong inside that flow. In Romans context, the local focus is righteousness by faith, union with Christ, life in the Spirit, and God's covenant faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "thanks" and "servants" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.