Romans 8 11

Romans 8:11 kjv

But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

Romans 8:11 nkjv

But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

Romans 8:11 niv

And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.

Romans 8:11 esv

If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

Romans 8:11 nlt

The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.

Romans 8 verses

Romans 8 11 Meaning

Romans 8:11 proclaims that the same divine power that resurrected Jesus Christ from the dead, resident within believers through the Holy Spirit, guarantees the future resurrection and revitalization of their mortal physical bodies. This verse offers profound assurance of complete salvation, encompassing not just the spirit, but also the future redemption and glorification of the physical body, connecting present indwelling of the Spirit with future bodily immortality.

Romans 8 11 Context

Romans 8 is a pivotal chapter, contrasting "life in the Spirit" with "life in the flesh," establishing the believer's freedom from condemnation, adoption as God's children, and guaranteed future glory. Verse 11 functions as a crucial bridge, drawing together the Spirit's present indwelling (Rom 8:9-10) with the ultimate hope of future redemption, specifically the physical body's resurrection. The chapter's broader narrative progresses from the believer's secure standing (no condemnation), through the reality of the indwelling Spirit transforming their inner life, and culminates in the assurance of their final, complete salvation—spiritual and physical—amidst the groaning of creation and present suffering (Rom 8:18-25). Historically, the early Christian audience, potentially facing persecution and societal contempt for their "bodily" hope in resurrection (as opposed to Gnostic tendencies to despise the body or pagan belief in ultimate bodily decay), would find immense encouragement in this promise, emphasizing God's complete victory over sin and death, impacting every part of their being.

Romans 8 11 Word analysis

• But if (Εἰ δὲ - Ei de): "But" introduces a contrasting, climactic thought. "If" functions here not as expressing doubt, but as assuming a present reality ("since" or "because") given the preceding verses establish the indwelling of the Spirit in believers.
• the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead:
  • Spirit (Πνεῦμα - Pneuma): The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, consistently linked to the divine life and power throughout Romans 8.
  • of him who raised: Refers to God the Father. This establishes the authority and immense power behind the Spirit's indwelling. It connects the Spirit directly to the ultimate source of life.
  • raised (ἐγείραντος - egeirantos): A participle emphasizing God's powerful and decisive act of raising.
  • Jesus: Emphasizes Christ's human historical identity. The resurrection was a real, physical event.
  • from the dead (ἐκ νεκρῶν - ek nekrōn): Signifies triumph over the complete state of death, underscoring the finality and reversal of mortality.
• dwells in you (οἰκεῖ ἐν ὑμῖν - oikei en hymin):
  • dwells (οἰκεῖ - oikei): Denotes permanent habitation, not a temporary visit. It signifies intimacy and ownership, a living presence within the believer. This confirms the premise for the future promise.
  • in you (ἐν ὑμῖν - en hymin): Refers to individual believers, confirming the personal nature of this promise.
• he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead:
  • he who raised (ὁ ἐγείρας - ho egeiras): Repetition of the divine agent, God the Father, underscoring the same source of power.
  • Christ Jesus: This name emphasizes both His Messiahship ("Christ") and His historical identity ("Jesus"), affirming His unique divine-human role as the first to experience resurrection to glory. The slight change from "Jesus" to "Christ Jesus" might emphasize the status of the resurrected Lord.
  • from the dead (ἐκ νεκρῶν - ek nekrōn): Reaffirms the completeness of death's reversal.
• will also give life (ζῳοποιήσει καὶ - zoopoiesei kai):
  • will also give life (ζῳοποιήσει - zoopoiesei): A future indicative verb, "he will make alive," emphasizing a certain, powerful, and life-imparting act. It literally means "to make alive" or "to vitalize." It implies spiritual and physical resurrection, a full restoration.
  • also (καὶ - kai): Connects the believer's future resurrection directly to Christ's resurrection; it's the same power, same certainty.
• to your mortal bodies (τὰ θνητὰ ὑμῶν σώματα - ta thnēta hymōn sōmata):
  • mortal (θνητὰ - thnēta): Specifically refers to bodies subject to death and decay, contrasting with the immortal nature of the Spirit and the future resurrected body. This highlights the magnitude of the promised transformation.
  • bodies (σώματα - sōmata): Explicitly indicates physical bodies, refuting any notion that salvation is merely spiritual or that the body is unimportant or discarded.
• through his Spirit who dwells in you (διὰ τοῦ ἐνοικοῦντος αὐτοῦ Πνεύματος ἐν ὑμῖν - dia tou enoikountos autou Pneumatos en hymin):
  • through (διὰ - dia): The instrumental agent or means by which this future life-giving power will be effected.
  • his Spirit (αὐτοῦ Πνεύματος - autou Pneumatos): Again, referring to the Holy Spirit, reiterating His active role.
  • who dwells (ἐνοικοῦντος - enoikountos): A present active participle, reiterating the current and continuous indwelling of the Spirit. This stresses that the power for future resurrection is not some external, distant force, but the active, living presence already within the believer. It is the indwelling Spirit Himself who serves as both the down payment and the active agent.
  • in you (ἐν ὑμῖν - en hymin): Reinforces the personal connection and the intimate locus of the Spirit's present and future work.

Romans 8 11 Bonus section

• Theological Triunity: The verse subtly highlights the work of all three persons of the Trinity in the believer's resurrection. The Father (he who raised) is the orchestrator, Christ is the prototype and power source (raised Christ Jesus), and the Spirit is the indwelling agent and enabler (His Spirit who dwells in you).
• Firstfruits and Guarantee: The indwelling Spirit is not just a sign but the "firstfruits" or down payment of our full redemption (Rom 8:23). He guarantees the future glory by His present presence and power, acting as a living seal of God's promise.
• Present Experience, Future Hope: While promising future physical resurrection, the concept of the life-giving Spirit also has implications for our present "mortal bodies." The Spirit enables us to live holy lives, making our bodies instruments of righteousness (Rom 6:12-13, 19). Though not immortalized yet, the Spirit's life brings vitality even now, counteracting the dominion of sin.
• Relevance to Suffering: This promise is foundational within Romans 8, a chapter heavily addressing the suffering of believers. Knowing that our physical bodies will ultimately be redeemed and made alive offers immense hope and perspective to those enduring present pain, illness, or persecution. Death itself becomes merely a doorway to glorification.

Romans 8 11 Commentary

Romans 8:11 is a powerful theological declaration, establishing a direct link between the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the future bodily resurrection of every believer. It articulates a critical Trinitarian work: God the Father performs the act of resurrection, Jesus Christ is the resurrected Lord, and the Holy Spirit, now indwelling believers, is the dynamic agent guaranteeing and performing this future vitalization. The repeated emphasis on the "Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead" confirms that the same transformative, life-conquering power that defied the grave for Christ is not a mere theological concept, but a living reality residing within the Christian.

This verse offers ultimate hope against mortality. It doesn't promise exemption from physical death now but assures that physical death is not the final word. Our current "mortal bodies" are explicitly the subject of this future vivification, moving beyond mere spiritual salvation to encompass full redemption – body, soul, and spirit. The present tense of "dwells" alongside the future "will give life" emphasizes the Spirit's ongoing work as the guarantee (the "earnest" or "firstfruits") of this glorious future. It's an encouragement for believers facing suffering and physical decay, reminding them that God's power is actively at work, bringing even their frail bodies into conformity with Christ's glorious resurrected body, an assurance of total victory over sin and death in every dimension of human existence.