Amplified Bible
Romans 7:18
18For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh [my human nature, my worldliness—my sinful capacity]. For the willingness [to do good] is present in me, but the doing of good is not.
Romans 7:18 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.
- English Standard Version (ESV)For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.
- New King James Version (NKJV)For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find.
Context of Romans 7:18
16Now if I habitually do what I do not want to do, [that means] I agree with the Law, confessing that it is good (morally excellent). 17So now [if that is the case, then] it is no longer I who do it [the disobedient thing which I despise], but the sin [nature] which lives in me. For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh [my human nature, my worldliness—my sinful capacity]. For the willingness [to do good] is present in me, but the doing of good is not. 19For the good that I want to do, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. 20But if I am doing the very thing I do not want to do, I am no longer the one doing it [that is, it is not me that acts], but the sin [nature] which lives in me.
Read all of Romans 7Romans 7:18 word by word
οἶδα γὰρ ὅτι οὐκ οἰκεῖ ἐν ἐμοί, τοῦτ᾽ ἔστιν ἐν τῇ σαρκί μου, ἀγαθόν· τὸ γὰρ θέλειν παράκειταί μοι, τὸ δὲ κατεργάζεσθαι τὸ καλὸν οὐχRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Forγάρgar · forG1063
- I knowεἴδωeidō · to perceive: understandG1492
- thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- meἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- thatοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
- isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- fleshσάρξsarx · fleshG4561
- dwellethοἰκέωoikeō · to dwellG3611
- noοὐou · noG3756
- good thingἀγαθόςagathos · goodG18
- to willθέλωthelō ethelō · to will/desireG2309
- is presentπαράκειμαιparakeimai · be presentG3873
- butδέde · thenG1161
- to performκατεργάζομαιkatergazomai · to workout/produceG2716
- that which is goodκαλόςkalos · goodG2570
- I findεὑρίσκωheuriskō · to find/meetG2147
Cross-references for Romans 7:18
- Genesis 6:5The Lord saw that the wickedness (depravity) of man was great on the earth, and that every imagination or intent of the thoughts of his heart were only evil continually.
- Genesis 8:21The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma [a soothing, satisfying scent] and the Lord said to Himself, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intent (strong inclination, desire) of man’s heart is wicked from his youth; and I will never again destroy every living thing, as I have done.
- Job 14:4Who can make a clean thing out of the unclean? No one!
- Job 15:14What is man, that he should be pure and clean, Or he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous and just?
- Job 25:4How then can man be justified and righteous with God? Or how can he who is born of a woman be pure and clean?
- Psalms 51:5I was brought forth in [a state of] wickedness; In sin my mother conceived me [and from my beginning I, too, was sinful].
- Isaiah 64:6For we all have become like one who is [ceremonially] unclean [like a leper], And all our deeds of righteousness are like filthy rags; We all wither and decay like a leaf, And our wickedness [our sin, our injustice, our wrongdoing], like the wind, takes us away [carrying us far from God’s favor, toward destruction].
- Matthew 15:19For out of the heart come evil thoughts and plans, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies, slanders (verbal abuse, irreverent speech, blaspheming).
- Mark 7:21For from within, [that is] out the heart of men, come base and malevolent thoughts and schemes, acts of sexual immorality, thefts, murders, adulteries,
- Luke 11:13If you, then, being evil [that is, sinful by nature], know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask and continue to ask Him!”
- Ephesians 2:1And you [He made alive when you] were [spiritually] dead and separated from Him because of your transgressions and sins,
- 1 Peter 4:2so that he can no longer spend the rest of his natural life living for human appetites and desires, but [lives] for the will and purpose of God.
- Romans 7:5When we were living in the flesh [trapped by sin], the sinful passions, which were awakened by [that which] the Law [identifies as sin], were at work in our body to bear fruit for death [since the willingness to sin led to death and separation from God].
- Romans 8:3For what the Law could not do [that is, overcome sin and remove its penalty, its power] being weakened by the flesh [man’s nature without the Holy Spirit], God did: He sent His own Son in the likeness of sinful man as an offering for sin. And He condemned sin in the flesh [subdued it and overcame it in the person of His own Son],
- Romans 13:14But clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for [nor even think about gratifying] the flesh in regard to its improper desires.
- John 3:6That which is born of the flesh is flesh [the physical is merely physical], and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Commentaries on Romans 7:18
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18For I know that in me, etc. - I have learned by experience that in an unregenerate man there is no good. There is no principle by which the soul can be brought into the light; no principle by which it can be restored to purity: fleshly appetites alone prevail; and the brute runs away with the man. For to will is present with me - Though the whole soul has suffered indescribably by the Fall, yet there are some faculties that appear to have suffered less…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18For I know - This is designed as an illustration of what he had just said, that sin dwelt in him. That is, in my flesh - In my unrenewed nature; in my propensities and inclinations before conversion. Does not this qualifying expression show that in this discussion he was speaking of himself as a renewed man? Hence, he is careful to imply that there was at that time in him something that was right or acceptable with God, but that that did not pertain to…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 18-22Verses 18-22 The more pure and holy the heart is, it will have the more quick feeling as to the sin that remains in it. The believer sees more of the beauty of holiness and the excellence of the law. His earnest desires to obey, increase as he grows in grace. But the whole good on which his will is fully bent, he does not do; sin ever springing up in him, through remaining corruption, he often does evil, though against the fixed determination of his will…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 18in my flesh: See study note on 6:19. This phrase may refer to Paul’s former life before God redeemed him. It may also refer to a part of Paul that is still connected to this world and resists God’s will.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1818. For, &c.--better, "For I know that there dwelleth not in me, that is in my flesh, any good." for to will--"desire." is present with me; but how to perform that which is good--the supplement "how," in our version, weakens the statement. I find not--Here, again, we have the double self of the renewed man; "In me dwelleth no good; but this corrupt self is not my true self; it is but sin dwelling in my real self, as a renewed man."Read the comment
Topics related to Romans 7:18
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Romans 7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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