Romans 8:12 kjv
Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
Romans 8:12 nkjv
Therefore, brethren, we are debtors?not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.
Romans 8:12 niv
Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation?but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it.
Romans 8:12 esv
So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.
Romans 8:12 nlt
Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do.
Romans 8 12 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Rom 6:6 | ...our old self was crucified with him... | Old self dead to sin |
| Rom 6:11-12 | ...count yourselves dead to sin... let not sin reign... | Death to sin, no longer reigns |
| Rom 6:14 | For sin will have no dominion over you... | Sin's power broken |
| Rom 6:18 | You have been set free from sin and have become slaves of righteousness. | Freed from sin, slave to righteousness |
| Rom 7:24-25 | Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?... Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ... | Deliverance from sin's power through Christ |
| Rom 8:1 | There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. | Freedom from condemnation |
| Rom 8:4 | ...the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. | Spirit enables righteousness |
| Rom 8:5-6 | For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. | Contrast between flesh and Spirit's mindset |
| Rom 8:9 | You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. | Believers are in the Spirit, not flesh |
| Rom 8:13 | For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. | Consequences of living by flesh/Spirit |
| Gal 5:16 | But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. | Spirit guidance avoids fleshly desires |
| Gal 5:17 | For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit... | Flesh and Spirit in opposition |
| Gal 5:19-21 | Now the works of the flesh are evident... | List of sinful fleshly actions |
| Eph 2:1-3 | And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh... | Past life in fleshly desires |
| Col 3:5 | Put to death therefore what is earthly in you... | Actively put away sinful acts |
| 1 Pet 1:18-19 | knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers... with the precious blood of Christ... | Redeemed from futile past ways |
| Tit 2:11-12 | For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age. | Grace trains us for godly living |
| Heb 12:1-2 | ...let us lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus... | Lay aside sin, run in Christ |
| 1 Cor 6:19-20 | Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you... You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. | Body belongs to God, not self or sin |
| 2 Cor 5:17 | Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. | New creation in Christ |
| Phil 3:3 | For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh. | No confidence in flesh |
Romans 8 verses
Romans 8 12 Meaning
Romans 8:12 declares that believers are no longer under an obligation to their former sinful nature, referred to as "the flesh," nor are they compelled to conduct their lives under its influence. This freedom stems from the liberating power of Christ's redemption and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, which breaks the dominion of sin over a believer's life, enabling a new way of living in accordance with God's will.
Romans 8 12 Context
Romans chapter 8 is a powerful declaration of the Spirit-filled life for believers. Immediately preceding verse 12, Paul has articulated the freedom from condemnation (Rom 8:1), the Spirit giving life to mortal bodies (Rom 8:11), and the distinction between those in the flesh (focused on self/sin) and those in the Spirit (focused on God) (Rom 8:5-9). This verse acts as a logical conclusion (so then) stemming from the realities established in Rom 8:1-11: since the Spirit indwells believers, providing life and victory over the law of sin and death, they are no longer compelled to follow their fallen, unredeemed nature. It transitions from declarative truths to a call for ethical living grounded in those truths. The broader context of Romans speaks to humanity's universal sinfulness, justification by faith, sanctification, and God's plan for both Jews and Gentiles. Historically, the Roman church likely comprised both Jewish and Gentile converts, potentially struggling with legalism, antinomianism, and pagan influences, all of which Paul addresses by contrasting "flesh" and "Spirit."
Romans 8 12 Word analysis
- So then (Ἄρα οὖν, Ara oun): This is a strong inferential particle, marking a decisive conclusion. It indicates that what follows is a logical consequence drawn from the preceding arguments, particularly the truth that believers are indwelt by the Holy Spirit (Rom 8:9-11). It shifts the focus from declarative truth to ethical implication.
- brothers and sisters (ἀδελφοί, adelphoi): A common and affectionate address used by Paul for fellow believers. It highlights their shared spiritual family identity and inheritance in Christ, implying a common understanding and shared responsibility as children of God.
- we are not obligated (οὐκ ἐσμεν ὀφειλέται, ouk esmen opheiletai):
- οὐκ (ouk): A strong Greek negative, meaning "absolutely not."
- ἐσμεν (esmen): "we are."
- ὀφειλέται (opheiletai): "debtors" or "those who owe." This term signifies a moral debt or responsibility. Prior to Christ, humanity was a "debtor" to sin, bound to serve it. Here, Paul declares that this previous debt/bondage to sin's power has been decisively broken for believers. It's not just a release from legal guilt but from compelling moral obligation to follow sinful impulses.
- to the flesh (τῇ σαρκί, tē sarki):
- σάρξ (sarx): "Flesh." In Pauline theology, this often refers not merely to the physical body but to the fallen, unregenerate human nature, oriented towards sin and separated from God. It encompasses the entirety of humanity's sin-corrupted being that stands opposed to the Spirit. The dative case implies direct attachment or subservience.
- to live according to the flesh (κατὰ σάρκα ζῆν, kata sarka zēn):
- κατὰ σάρκα (kata sarka): "According to the flesh." This adverbial phrase describes the principle or manner of life. To live kata sarka means to let the sinful nature dictate one's desires, choices, and actions, making it the controlling power or dominant pattern of existence.
- ζῆν (zēn): "to live." This refers to the whole direction and conduct of one's life.
Romans 8 12 Bonus section
The concept of being "not obligated" should not be mistaken for absolute sinless perfection in this life, nor does it mean a complete absence of the presence of the flesh's desires. Rather, it speaks to the broken power and dominion of the flesh over the believer's will and identity. Prior to conversion, humanity was inescapably indebted and bound to sin; after receiving the Spirit, this unbreakable bond is severed. Believers now have a genuine choice, and more importantly, the divine capacity, through the Holy Spirit, to say "no" to the demands of their sinful nature and "yes" to God's righteous standards. This establishes the grounds for active pursuit of holiness, which is not through self-effort but through reliance on the Spirit who now indwells. The previous obligation to the flesh stemmed from our identity as those "in Adam"; the freedom from this obligation arises from our new identity as those "in Christ" by the power of the Spirit.
Romans 8 12 Commentary
Romans 8:12 serves as a foundational ethical assertion flowing directly from the preceding doctrinal truths regarding the Holy Spirit's work. Paul emphatically declares that, for believers, the binding obligation to their fallen, sinful nature ("the flesh") is utterly abolished. This isn't a mere suggestion but a statement of their new reality and subsequent responsibility. They are no longer "debtors" to the flesh, implying that the terms of an old, enslaving contract have been fulfilled or, more accurately, definitively cancelled by Christ's redemption and the Spirit's indwelling power.
The "flesh" here is not just the physical body but the entire principle of self-reliance, self-interest, and rebellion against God inherent in unredeemed humanity. To "live according to the flesh" is to organize one's life around these corrupt inclinations. Because the Holy Spirit has taken up residence within believers (Rom 8:9-11), they now possess a new, superior principle of life that stands in opposition to the flesh. This means believers have the divine empowerment to choose not to conform to the old ways. Their freedom from this former spiritual debt marks the crucial shift from legal obligation to spiritual enablement, laying the groundwork for the command in Rom 8:13 to actively "put to death the deeds of the body by the Spirit." This verse transforms theological insight into practical, ethical imperative for the Christian life.