Romans 7 5

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 verses

Romans 7 5 Meaning

Romans 7:5 explains the human condition before spiritual freedom in Christ, emphasizing that when people were ruled by their fallen, unredeemed nature ("in the flesh"), their sinful desires were actively stimulated and magnified by God's holy Law. This activation of sin, working through their bodily members, inevitably produced an outcome of spiritual and ultimately eternal death. The verse highlights the Law's revelatory, rather than redemptive, function for those still bound by sin, showcasing its role in exposing humanity's inherent brokenness and the futility of self-effort under its commands.

Romans 7 5 Context

Romans 7:5 appears within Paul's discourse on the relationship between believers, the Law, and sin. The preceding verses (Rom 7:1-4) use the analogy of marriage and freedom from a dead spouse to explain that believers are freed from their "husband," the Law, by spiritual death and resurrection with Christ. Just as a woman is lawfully free to marry another man after her first husband dies, believers are "married" to Christ, released from the Law's dominion. Verse 5 explains the dire state from which believers have been liberated. It describes the condition before this spiritual liberation – a state of being "in the flesh" where the Law, rather than sanctifying, actually amplified the power of sin within humanity, inevitably leading to death. It sets the stage for Paul's deeply personal struggle with the Law and sin in the following verses (Rom 7:7-25) and foreshadows the freedom found "in the Spirit" in Romans 8. Historically, Paul addresses a predominantly Gentile church with Jewish elements, grappling with the role and authority of the Torah for believers in Christ.

Romans 7 5 Word analysis

• For (γάρ - gar): A conjunctive particle, indicating a causal explanation. It links back to the preceding thought (Rom 7:4) – the why it was necessary to be released from the Law and married to Christ.
• when we were (ὅτε ἦμεν - hote ēmen): Refers to a past condition, the time before salvation or regeneration. It speaks of the period under the dominion of the Law and sin.
• in the flesh (ἐν τῇ σαρκί - en tē sarki): Crucial theological term. Sarx (flesh) here does not merely mean the physical body, but the fallen, unredeemed human nature – the disposition alienated from God, prone to sin, and opposed to the Spirit. It encompasses the entirety of a person outside of God's regenerating grace, not merely physical weakness but spiritual incapacity.
• the sinful passions (τὰ παθήματα τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν - ta pathēmata tōn hamartiōn): Pathēmata denotes intense desires, lusts, or passions. These are the cravings and inclinations that lead to sin, described as belonging to sin or characterized by sin. They are the corrupt desires emanating from the fallen sarx.
• which were aroused (τὰ διὰ τοῦ νόμου ἐνεργούμενα - ta dia tou nomou energoumena): Energeō means "to be at work," "to operate," "to be effective." The passions were not just present, but actively energized or made potent. The Law did not create these passions but exposed them, prohibited them, and in doing so, paradoxically stimulated the sinful nature to resist. The prohibition revealed sin as transgression.
• by the law (διὰ τοῦ νόμου - dia tou nomou): "By means of the Law." The Law is not evil, but holy and good (Rom 7:12). However, in its interaction with the fallen sarx, the Law unwittingly provided the context for sin to reveal its power and wickedness, and to actively increase (Rom 5:20). It stirred the rebellious nature of fallen humanity.
• were at work (ἐνηργεῖτο - enērgeito): This is the imperfect tense, signifying continuous or ongoing action in the past. These passions were constantly, actively operating. It denotes the power and efficacy of sin.
• in our members (ἐν τοῖς μέλεσιν ἡμῶν - en tois melesin hēmōn): "Members" refers to the parts of the body (hands, eyes, tongue, etc.). The sarx (fallen nature) manifests its desires through these physical faculties, making them instruments for sin (Rom 6:13, 19; Col 3:5).
• to bear fruit (εἰς τὸ καρποφορῆσαι - eis to karpophorēsai): The purpose or result. Karpophoreō means "to bear fruit," a common biblical metaphor for producing an outcome. Here, the active sinful passions have a direct and inevitable yield.
• for death (τῷ θανάτῳ - tō thanatō): The direct object of the "fruit." The consequence of living "in the flesh" and letting sinful passions run their course, empowered by the Law, is spiritual death (separation from God), and ultimately eternal death. This connects with Rom 6:21, 23.
• Words-group by words-group analysis:
  • "For when we were in the flesh": Highlights a former, unsaved state where humanity was dominated by its fallen, corrupt nature. It sets up the contrast with the present, Spirit-led existence (Rom 7:6, 8:1-2).
  • "the sinful passions, which were aroused by the law": Explains how the Law functions in an unredeemed state. The Law acts as a mirror or a catalyst, exposing and even provoking the innate rebellion of the fallen nature. It does not cause the passions but activates them in response to its prohibitions.
  • "were at work in our members": Emphasizes the active and pervasive influence of sin within every part of the human being, using the physical body as an instrument for its fulfillment.
  • "to bear fruit for death": The inevitable and dire consequence. All activity stemming from the flesh and enabled by the Law, when not constrained by divine grace, leads to separation from God and eternal judgment. This shows sin's ultimate destination.

Romans 7 5 Bonus section

The tension described in Romans 7:5-25 (often termed the "Christian's struggle") is ultimately resolved in Romans 8. Paul doesn't suggest that Christians continue to be "in the flesh" in the sense of being wholly dominated by it. Rather, Romans 7:5-6, 14-25 illustrates the state of human nature when confronted with the holy demands of the Law, often through the perspective of a believer who is acutely aware of the lingering sarx within, and the power it still could wield without the Spirit's counteracting influence. The shift from "we were in the flesh" (v. 5) to "we have been released from the Law" (v. 6) and "in Christ Jesus there is no condemnation" (Rom 8:1) underscores the definitive change of position and power dynamic for the regenerated believer, now empowered by the Spirit rather than governed by the flesh. The Old Testament types and shadows frequently alluded to the concept of inward defilement that outward ritual could not fully cleanse, echoing this idea that something more fundamental than law-keeping was required for genuine spiritual vitality.

Romans 7 5 Commentary

Romans 7:5 provides a crucial flashback, explaining the believer's former enslaved condition under the power of sin, exacerbated by the Law. It delineates the profound spiritual illness that required divine intervention. Before Christ, humanity operated "in the flesh" – driven by a human nature hostile to God, prone to self-will and rebellion. The holy and righteous Law, intended for life, encountered this depraved nature, not transforming it, but instead serving as a potent stimulus. By revealing what God prohibited, the Law exposed sin as transgression, and paradoxically, stirred the rebellious "flesh" to actively pursue what was forbidden. This surge of "sinful passions" operated ceaselessly through the human body, manifesting in tangible acts. The culmination of this cycle was "fruit for death," highlighting that sin's natural and inescapable end is spiritual separation and condemnation, reinforcing the Law's inability to save and the necessity of God's grace through Christ.