Romans 7:5 kjv
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.
Romans 7:5 nkjv
For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death.
Romans 7:5 niv
For when we were in the realm of the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for death.
Romans 7:5 esv
For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death.
Romans 7:5 nlt
When we were controlled by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death.
Romans 7 5 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | New Testament |
| Romans 6:13 | Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. | Contrasting former and present state |
| Romans 8:8 | So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. | Direct statement on flesh |
| Galatians 5:17 | For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. | Flesh vs. Spirit conflict |
| Galatians 5:19-21 | Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. | Manifest works of the flesh |
| Colossians 1:21 | And you, that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled. | Alienation by wicked works |
| John 3:6 | That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. | Distinction of flesh and spirit |
| Titus 3:3 | For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. | Past state of being in the flesh |
| Ephesians 2:1-3 | And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. | Walking in the flesh, past state |
| 1 John 2:16 | For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. | Lusts of the flesh |
| Romans 7:14 | For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. | Personal state in the flesh |
| Romans 7:18 | For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. | Incapacity of the flesh |
| Romans 7:23 | But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. | Internal conflict in the flesh |
| Romans 3:20 | Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. | Law's inability to justify |
| Genesis 6:5 | And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. | Humanity's fallen state |
| Jeremiah 17:9 | The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? | Depravity of the human heart |
| Romans 7:6 | But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. | Deliverance from the law |
| Romans 6:14 | For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. | Not under law, but under grace |
| John 8:36 | If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. | Freedom in Christ |
| 1 Corinthians 15:56 | The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. | Sin and the Law |
| Hebrews 12:1 | Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, | Running the race, sin |
| 2 Corinthians 3:6 | Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. | Letter vs. Spirit |
Romans 7 verses
Romans 7 5 Meaning
This verse explains that when humanity was controlled by its sinful nature (the flesh), its actions, though possibly appearing good or moral, were ultimately unproductive towards pleasing God. These actions were motivated by the flesh and thus led to spiritual death, a separation from God. The flesh's desires are in opposition to God's will, making any works stemming from it futile in achieving righteousness or eternal life.
Romans 7 5 Context
Romans chapter 7 vividly portrays the struggle between the believer's inner self and the law. Paul, speaking in the first person, describes his own past experience, emphasizing the grip of sin over him before his conversion. He explains how the law, intended to reveal God's will, inadvertently amplified the power of sin because of humanity's fallen nature (the flesh). This current verse highlights the consequences of living under this dominion of sin while "in the flesh," stating that the motions and desires arising from that state were productive only of spiritual death, despite any perceived efforts that might seem productive within the world's system. The immediate context moves from describing the law's spiritual nature (v. 14) to the predicament of being "carnal, sold under sin" (v. 14), a state which the flesh, by its very nature, could not overcome or use the law to please God. The transition from the old life in the flesh to a new life in Christ is the overarching theme.
Romans 7 5 Word Analysis
- For (gar): Connects this verse causally to the previous idea of being in the flesh.
- when (ote): Indicates a past, specific time period.
- we (hēmeis): Refers to believers collectively in their former state, before their spiritual renewal.
- were (ēmen): Imperfect tense, signifying a continuous state in the past.
- in (en): Expresses location or sphere of operation; in this case, the domain of the flesh.
- the flesh (tē sarki): Refers to humanity's fallen nature, its sinful inclination, body, and corrupted will, influenced by sin. It is the opposite of the Spirit.
- The flesh is a central theme in Romans, representing the sin-bound, unregenerate human condition (Rom. 7:14, 7:18, 8:5-8).
- the motions (ta pathēmata): Means passions, affections, sufferings, or intense impulses and desires.
- This refers to the active stirrings and promptings of sin within individuals.
- of sins (tōn hamartiōn): Denotes the plural of sin, suggesting various sinful acts and inclinations. It points to sin as the origin of these passions.
- which (hoi): Relative pronoun referring to "the motions of sins."
- were (ērēgazeto): A passive, imperfect verb. "Were working" or "were producing" activity. It suggests a continuous process of working within the members.
- Implies an ongoing and inherent activity originating from sin.
- by (dia): Indicates agency or means; caused by or through.
- the law (ho nomos): Refers to the Mosaic Law. While the law itself is holy and good (Rom. 7:12), in the context of the flesh, it served to reveal sin and even incite it by highlighting desires forbidden by it (Rom. 7:5, 7:8, 7:11).
- The law, as understood through an unregenerate state, paradoxically aroused sinful desires (Rom. 7:5, 7:8, 7:11). This aligns with the concept that prohibitions can increase attraction to the forbidden.
- did work (ērēgazeto): The same verb as used for "were working." Continual operation.
- in (en): Again, location.
- our members (tois mélésin hēmōn): The body's parts or faculties; hands, feet, mind, will, etc., which are the instruments of action, used by the sinful impulses.
- The members of the body are depicted as instruments used by sin to manifest itself (Rom. 6:13, 6:19; Col. 3:5).
- to bring forth (tou karpophorēsai): Literally "to bear fruit." Used here negatively.
- Fruit is usually associated with positive results, but here it signifies the consequence or outcome of sin's work, which is death.
- fruit (karpón): The outcome or product of actions; the result of the continuous activity of sin.
- unto death (eis thanaton): Leads to or results in death, specifically spiritual death (separation from God) and ultimately physical and eternal death.
- Death here signifies separation from God's life, encompassing physical and eternal consequences.
Group of words/phrases:
- "in the flesh": This denotes being under the control of one's sinful human nature, alienated from God, and not experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit.
- "the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members": This phrase captures the essence of how sin uses the law's presence to stir up sinful desires and actions through the body's faculties. The law exposes wrong desires, and the flesh's inherent sinfulness takes advantage of this knowledge to prompt transgression.
- "to bring forth fruit unto death": This expresses the ultimate negative outcome of yielding to these sin-driven motions. The "fruit" produced is not of righteousness but death in all its dimensions – separation from God, condemnation, and destruction.
Romans 7 5 Bonus Section
The concept of "fruit unto death" can be understood by contrasting it with the "fruit of the Spirit" found in Galatians 5:22-23 (love, joy, peace, etc.), which leads to eternal life. The analogy of "fruit" implies an inevitable consequence or product. Just as good seeds bear good fruit, and bad seeds bear bad fruit, so the seeds of sin working through the flesh, even under the guise of religious activity spurred by the law, yield only the fruit of separation from God. The active working ("did work") signifies that sin is not passive; it actively seeks to express itself through human faculties when left unchecked by the Spirit.
Romans 7 5 Commentary
The verse powerfully illustrates the bondage of sin in human life prior to God's intervention through Christ. It's not that the Law of Moses was inherently evil, for it was righteous. Rather, within the context of human flesh, which is inclined towards sin, the Law's commandments, while revealing God's holiness, also awakened dormant sinful desires and revealed humanity's utter inability to keep them perfectly. These impulses, energized by sin through the law, then moved through the body's members, resulting in actions that, instead of bringing life and pleasing God, produced only the fruit of spiritual death. This underlines the truth that outward adherence to rules cannot justify or save; a radical inner transformation by the Spirit is required, freeing believers from the dominion of the flesh and its death-producing workings, allowing them to serve God in newness of spirit.