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Romans 8
New Catholic Bible
Romans 8
New Catholic Bible
The Spirit of God Dwells in Christians[a]
Chapter 8
There Is No Longer Any Condemnation. 1 Hence, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. 3 That which the Law, weakened by the flesh, was unable to do, God has done. By sending his own Son in the likeness of our sinful nature as a sin offering, he condemned sin in the flesh 4 so that the righteous requirements of the Law[b] might be fulfilled in us who live not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
Animated by the Spirit and Rendered Children of God.[c] 5 Those who live according to the flesh fix their attention on the things of the flesh, while those who live according to the Spirit set their thoughts on spiritual things. 6 The desires of the flesh result in death, but the desires of the Spirit result in life and peace. 7 Indeed, the desires of the flesh will be hostile to God, for they do not submit to the Law of God, nor could they do so. 8 Those who live according to the flesh can never be pleasing to God.
9 You, however, do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not possess the Spirit of Christ cannot belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, then even though the body is dead as a result of sin, the Spirit is alive in you because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, then the one who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit that dwells in you.[d]
12 Consequently, brethren, we are not debtors to the flesh and obliged to live according to the flesh. 13 If you do live according to the flesh, you will die. However, if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
14 [e]Those who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. 15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery leading to fear; rather, you received the Spirit of adoption, enabling us to cry out, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our Spirit that we are children of God. 17 And if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, provided that we share his sufferings so that we may also share his glory.
18 The Future Glory That Shall Be Revealed.[f] I consider that the sufferings we presently endure are not worth comparing with the glory to be revealed in us. 19 Indeed, creation itself eagerly awaits the revelation of the children of God. 20 For creation was subjected to frustration, not of its own choice but by the will of the one who subjected it, in the hope 21 that creation itself will be freed from its slavery to corruption and share in the glorious freedom of the children of God.
22 As we know, the entire creation has been groaning in labor pains until now— 23 and not only creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait for our adoption as children, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in hope we were saved. Now to see something does not involve hope. For why should we hope for what we have already seen? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet see, then we wait for it with patience.
26 In the same way, even the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs that cannot be put into words. 27 And the one who searches hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.
28 We know that God makes all things work together for good for those who love him[g] and who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son so that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
31 Who Can Separate Us from the Love of Christ? What then can we say in response to all this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He did not spare his own Son but gave him up for all of us. How then can he fail also to give us everything else along with him?
33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who acquits. 34 Who will condemn? Christ Jesus, who died, or rather rose again, who is at God’s right hand and intercedes for us?[h] 35 Who then can separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or the sword? 36 As it is written,
“For your sake we are being slain all day long;
we are treated like sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, throughout all these things we are conquerors because of him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth,[i] nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Footnotes
- Romans 8:1 In the experience of the love of God there are three dominant elements: the life of the Spirit (vv. 5-13), the sure realization of being children of God (vv. 14-17), and the certainty of future glory (vv. 18-30). This ascending description ends with a triumphant hymn to the unfailing love of the Lord (vv. 31-39).
- Romans 8:4 Righteous requirements of the Law: although the Law is not a means of salvation, it still plays a role in the life of a believer as a moral guide, obeyed out of love for God and by the power of the Holy Spirit. This marks the fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecy of the New Covenant (Jer 31:33ff).
- Romans 8:5 What is the Christian life in its deepest reality? Paul thinks of all that the Holy Spirit inaugurates in the existence of the believer. He is the Spirit of the Father and of Christ, dwells in every Christian, and is a source of spiritual life for each. We can look upon him as the soul of the Church. He is the power of a progressive transformation, which culminates in the resurrection of the body. In a privileged moment—that of prayer—believers grasp their new state as children of God. Thus, believers escape from the flesh, i.e., an orientation to and a realization of a life without future and without accomplishment (see Gal 5:16-25).
- Romans 8:11 For the connection between the Resurrection of Christ and that of believers, see 1 Cor 6:14; 15:20, 23; 2 Cor 4:14; Phil 3:21; 1 Thes 4:14.
- Romans 8:14 Because of the Holy Spirit’s presence in them, Christians possess a new life as well as a new relationship with God. They have become adopted children of God and heirs through Christ, sharing both in his sufferings and in his glory.
- Romans 8:18 The exalting perspective of salvation is expanded to the dimensions of the universe. Paul takes up a Biblical idea: the cosmos is linked with the fate of humankind, cursed then redeemed. All creation prepares for the new world (v. 22). Paul beautifully sketches the proofs of this movement that is nearing its fulfillment:
(1) the presentiment of the universe whose Creator and Lord is Christ (vv. 19-22); (2) the firm hope of believers transformed through Baptism and urged to seize fully that which—even here below—the Spirit inaugurates in them (vv. 23-25); (3) the very prayer by which the Spirit inspires this grand aspiration (vv. 26-27); and finally (4) the will of God, whose love embraces believers in order to associate them with the risen and glorified Christ, so that they may be in the image of his Son, who is himself the perfect image of the Father (see Col 1:15) (vv. 28-30). - Romans 8:28 We know that God makes all things work together for good for those who love him: some manuscripts have: “We know that all things work together for good to those who love God.”
- Romans 8:34 The reasons why no one can condemn us who are God’s elect are three: (1) Christ died for us; (2) Christ is alive and seated at God’s right hand, a position of awesome power; and (3) Christ himself makes intercession for us.
- Romans 8:39 In the terms angels . . . principalities . . . height . . . depth Paul is perhaps speaking of spiritual entities that were considered to be intermediaries between God and humanity.
Romans 8
New International Version
Romans 8
New International Version
Life Through the Spirit
8 Therefore, there is now no condemnation(A) for those who are in Christ Jesus,(B) 2 because through Christ Jesus(C) the law of the Spirit who gives life(D) has set you[a] free(E) from the law of sin(F) and death. 3 For what the law was powerless(G) to do because it was weakened by the flesh,[b](H) God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh(I) to be a sin offering.[c](J) And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement(K) of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.(L)
5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires;(M) but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.(N) 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death,(O) but the mind governed by the Spirit is life(P) and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God;(Q) it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh(R) cannot please God.
9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh(S) but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you.(T) And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ,(U) they do not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you,(V) then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life[d] because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead(W) is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies(X) because of[e] his Spirit who lives in you.
12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it.(Y) 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die;(Z) but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body,(AA) you will live.(AB)
14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God(AC) are the children of God.(AD) 15 The Spirit(AE) you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again;(AF) rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.[f] And by him we cry, “Abba,[g] Father.”(AG) 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit(AH) that we are God’s children.(AI) 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs(AJ)—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings(AK) in order that we may also share in his glory.(AL)
Present Suffering and Future Glory
18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.(AM) 19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God(AN) to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it,(AO) in hope 21 that[h] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay(AP) and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.(AQ)
22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning(AR) as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit,(AS) groan(AT) inwardly as we wait eagerly(AU) for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies.(AV) 24 For in this hope we were saved.(AW) But hope that is seen is no hope at all.(AX) Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.(AY)
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit(AZ) himself intercedes for us(BA) through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts(BB) knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes(BC) for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good(BD) of those who love him, who[i] have been called(BE) according to his purpose.(BF) 29 For those God foreknew(BG) he also predestined(BH) to be conformed to the image of his Son,(BI) that he might be the firstborn(BJ) among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined,(BK) he also called;(BL) those he called, he also justified;(BM) those he justified, he also glorified.(BN)
More Than Conquerors
31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things?(BO) If God is for us,(BP) who can be against us?(BQ) 32 He who did not spare his own Son,(BR) but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge(BS) against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns?(BT) No one. Christ Jesus who died(BU)—more than that, who was raised to life(BV)—is at the right hand of God(BW) and is also interceding for us.(BX) 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?(BY) Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?(BZ) 36 As it is written:
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors(CB) through him who loved us.(CC) 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[k] neither the present nor the future,(CD) nor any powers,(CE) 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God(CF) that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.(CG)
Footnotes
- Romans 8:2 The Greek is singular; some manuscripts me
- Romans 8:3 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit; also in verses 4-13.
- Romans 8:3 Or flesh, for sin
- Romans 8:10 Or you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive
- Romans 8:11 Some manuscripts bodies through
- Romans 8:15 The Greek word for adoption to sonship is a term referring to the full legal standing of an adopted male heir in Roman culture; also in verse 23.
- Romans 8:15 Aramaic for father
- Romans 8:21 Or subjected it in hope. 21 For
- Romans 8:28 Or that all things work together for good to those who love God, who; or that in all things God works together with those who love him to bring about what is good—with those who
- Romans 8:36 Psalm 44:22
- Romans 8:38 Or nor heavenly rulers
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