Romans 8 3

Romans 8:3 kjv

For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

Romans 8:3 nkjv

For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,

Romans 8:3 niv

For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh,

Romans 8:3 esv

For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,

Romans 8:3 nlt

The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin's control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins.

Romans 8 verses

Romans 8 3 Meaning

Romans 8:3 encapsulates the profound divine intervention required to overcome humanity's inherent struggle with sin. It states that the Mosaic Law was inherently incapable of justifying or sanctifying humanity because of its weakness in dealing with the corrupted human nature, or "flesh." God, however, accomplished what the Law could not, by sending His own Son, Jesus Christ, to take on a genuine human form – though without sin – and through His sacrifice, He pronounced judgment upon and conquered the power of sin that resides in fallen human nature. This verse lays the groundwork for the believer's freedom from sin's dominion through Christ's work, which is then actualized by the Spirit in Romans 8.

Romans 8 3 Context

Romans chapter 8 stands as a glorious culmination following the struggle depicted in Romans chapter 7, where Paul graphically describes the plight of humanity under the Law, experiencing an inability to truly obey God's commands due to the inherent power of indwelling sin, confessing "Wretched man that I am!" Romans 8:1 immediately declares "no condemnation" for those in Christ, setting the stage for an explanation of how this deliverance is possible. Verse 3 directly answers the question of how a person can be freed from the "law of sin and death" mentioned in verse 2. It identifies the limitations of the Mosaic Law in providing true righteousness and details the sovereign solution provided by God through His Son, Jesus Christ, making it possible for believers to live by the Spirit and walk in freedom. The verse is critical in connecting the struggle under the Law (Rom 7) to the victory in the Spirit (Rom 8).

Historically, Paul's Jewish audience (both believers and non-believers) would have revered the Law (Torah) as central to their covenant relationship with God. The idea that the Law was "weak through the flesh" would have been revolutionary, even scandalous, to many, challenging centuries of deeply held religious and cultural convictions about the Law's efficacy. This implicitly critiques any system that relies on human effort to achieve righteousness through the Law, presenting Christ's work as the superior and ultimate solution.

Romans 8 3 Word analysis

• For (Greek: γάρ, gar): Connects this verse as an explanation or reason for the preceding statements (e.g., the freedom from the law of sin and death in v. 2, and the no condemnation in v. 1). It indicates a causal link.
• what the law could not do (Greek: τὸ ἀδύνατον τοῦ νόμου, to adynaton tou nomou):
  • ἀδύνατον (adynaton): Meaning "impossible," "that which cannot be done," "powerless." This isn't a flaw in the Law itself but refers to its inherent limitation concerning human weakness.
  • τοῦ νόμου (tou nomou): Refers to the Mosaic Law. It was given by God and good in its essence.
  • Significance: The Law defines sin and exposes it, but lacks the power to justify, purify, or empower human beings to overcome their sinful nature.
• in that it was weak through the flesh (Greek: ἐν ᾧ ἠσθένει διὰ τῆς σαρκός, en hō ēsthenei dia tēs sarkos):
  • ἠσθένει (ēsthenei): From ἀσθενέω (astheneō), "to be weak," "impotent."
  • διὰ τῆς σαρκός (dia tēs sarkos): "through the flesh" or "because of the flesh." Σάρξ (sarx) here denotes corrupted human nature, alienated from God and inclined toward sin.
  • Significance: The Law's inability to bring righteousness was not a defect in the Law, but rather in humanity's fallen flesh. Our inherent sinful nature rendered us incapable of fulfilling its righteous demands, turning the Law into a mirror that reflected sin rather than a means of overcoming it.
• God did (Greek: ὁ θεὸς, ho theos): Emphasizes God's sovereign, decisive action. What humanity could not achieve and the Law could not empower, God Himself accomplished.
• by sending (Greek: πέμψας, pempsas): An active, intentional act. It signifies a mission from God, a deliberate commissioning.
• His own Son (Greek: τὸν ἑαυτοῦ υἱὸν, ton heautou huion): Highlights the unique, divine relationship. "His own Son" underlines the preciousness and identity of the one sent, making His mission profoundly significant and authoritative.
• in the likeness of sinful flesh (Greek: ἐν ὁμοιώματι σαρκὸς ἁμαρτίας, en homoiōmati sarkos hamartias):
  • ὁμοιώματι (homoiōmati): "likeness," "resemblance," "form." Crucial nuance: Jesus was genuinely human, experiencing true human nature, emotions, and limitations.
  • σαρκὸς ἁμαρτίας (sarkos hamartias): "sinful flesh" or "flesh of sin." This describes the state of humanity post-Fall.
  • Significance: Jesus entered fully into human experience, including the frailty of our physical bodies, yet without Himself possessing the inherent sin nature that defines fallen sarx. He was genuinely human but not inherently sinful, a key distinction (Heb 4:15). This allowed Him to truly represent humanity without being corrupted by sin's stain.
• and for sin (Greek: καὶ περὶ ἁμαρτίας, kai peri hamartias): This phrase in the Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) is a standard technical term for a "sin offering" (e.g., Lev 4:3).
  • Significance: This directly points to the sacrificial, atoning purpose of Christ's coming. He was sent to deal with sin through a substitutionary sacrifice, not merely as a moral example or teacher.
• He condemned sin in the flesh (Greek: κατέκρινεν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἐν τῇ σαρκί, katekrinpn tēn hamartian en tē sarki):
  • κατέκρινεν (katekrinpn): "condemned," "pronounced judgment against." It signifies a legal and decisive act.
  • τὴν ἁμαρτίαν (tēn hamartian): "the sin," referring not just to individual acts but the power and principle of sin.
  • ἐν τῇ σαρκί (en tē sarki): "in the flesh." This refers to the sphere or arena where sin held its power—human nature.
  • Significance: God's condemnation fell not on the believer, but on the power and principle of sin itself, and it was executed in Christ's flesh—specifically through His suffering and death on the cross. This means sin, which held sway over humanity's flesh, was defeated and judicially stripped of its power in the very domain it reigned. Christ's humanity was the battleground and the site of victory.

Romans 8 3 Bonus section

The concept of God "condemning sin in the flesh" (ἐν τῇ σαρκί) carries immense theological weight. It signifies not merely a personal act of atonement for individual sins but a cosmic declaration of judgment against the very principle and power of Sin itself that has held humanity captive since the Fall. Through Christ's physical human existence and His crucifixion, God pronounced sentence on Sin's dominion at its very source and stronghold – our corrupted human nature. This foundational act is what empowers the Spirit's work in renewing believers, enabling them to truly live out God's righteous requirements (Rom 8:4) rather than being subject to the law of sin and death (Rom 8:2). It means Sin's power over us has been broken, not just pardoned.

Romans 8 3 Commentary

Romans 8:3 delivers the glorious resolution to the human predicament described in Romans 7. Paul explains that the Mosaic Law, though perfect and holy, was incapable of rescuing humanity from sin's power because human beings, trapped in their fallen "flesh" (corrupted nature), could not perfectly obey it. Instead of bringing life, the Law brought an awareness of sin and thus condemnation. God, in His divine wisdom and love, did what the Law could not. He accomplished redemption by sending His own Son, Jesus Christ, into the world.

Christ came "in the likeness of sinful flesh"—a fully human being, susceptible to all the physical and emotional experiences of humanity, yet critically, without any personal sin or the sin-nature that marks fallen humanity. His purpose was twofold: to live a perfect life, thereby fulfilling the Law, and primarily, to be a sacrifice "for sin" (as a sin offering). Through His perfect obedience and atoning death, God executed a definitive judgment. He "condemned sin in the flesh," meaning the power and reign of sin, which previously dominated human nature, was decisively broken and nullified on the cross, specifically through Christ's human body. This divine act of condemnation upon sin itself paved the way for the Spirit-empowered life of freedom and righteousness detailed in the rest of Romans 8, signifying a complete and effective victory over sin's dominion for those united with Christ.