Berean Standard Bible
Romans 8:3
3For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man, as an offering for sin.1 He thus condemned sin in the flesh,
Romans 8:3 in other versions
- King James Version (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:
- New International Version (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,
- English Standard Version (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,
- New King James Version (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,
Context of Romans 8:3
1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2For in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man, as an offering for sin. He thus condemned sin in the flesh, 4so that the righteous standard of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5Those 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.
Read all of Romans 8Romans 8:3 word by word
τὸ γὰρ ἀδύνατον τοῦ νόμου, ἐν ᾧ ἠσθένει διὰ τῆς σαρκός, ὁ θεὸς τὸν ἑαυτοῦ υἱὸν πέμψας ἐν ὁμοιώματι σαρκὸς ἁμαρτίας καὶ περὶ ἁμαρτίας κατέκρινεν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἐν τῇ σαρκί,Read the interlinear
- Forγάρgar · forG1063
- whatὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- lawνόμοςnomos · lawG3551
- was powerless to doἀδύνατοςadunatos · unableG102
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- thatὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
- it was weakenedἀσθενέωastheneō · be weak: weakG770
- byδιάdia · through/because ofG1223
- fleshσάρξsarx · fleshG4561
- Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- by sendingπέμπωpempō · to sendG3992
- Hisἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438
- Sonυἱόςuihos · sonG5207
- likenessὁμοίωμαhomoiōma · likenessG3667
- of sinfulἁμαρτίαhamartia · sinG266
- ·καίkai · andG2532
- forπερίperi · aboutG4012
- He thus condemnedκατακρίνωkatakrinō · to condemnG2632
Cross-references for Romans 8:3
- Romans 3:20Therefore no one will be justified in His sight by works of the law. For the law merely brings awareness of sin.
- Romans 7:5For when we lived according to the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, bearing fruit for death.
- Acts 13:39Through Him everyone who believes is justified from everything from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.
- Galatians 3:21Is the law, then, opposed to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come from the law.
- Hebrews 7:18So the former commandment is set aside because it was weak and useless
- Hebrews 10:1For the law is only a shadow of the good things to come, not the realities themselves. It can never, by the same sacrifices offered year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship.
- Romans 8:32He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also, along with Him, freely give us all things?
- John 3:14Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,
- Galatians 4:4But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,
- 1 John 4:10And love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
- Romans 9:3For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my own flesh and blood,
- Mark 15:27Along with Jesus, they crucified two robbers, one on His right and one on His left.
- John 9:24So a second time they called for the man who had been blind and said, “Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner.”
- 2 Corinthians 5:21God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.
- Galatians 3:13Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. For it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”
- Romans 6:6We know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be rendered powerless, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.
Commentaries on Romans 8:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3For what the law could not do - The law could not pardon; the law could not sanctify; the law could not dispense with its own requisitions; it is the rule of righteousness, and therefore must condemn unrighteousness. This is its unalterable nature. Had there been perfect obedience to its dictates, instead of condemning, it would have applauded and rewarded; but as the flesh, the carnal and rebellious principle, had prevailed, and transgression had taken…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3For what the law could not do - The Law of God, the moral law. It could not free from sin and condemnation. This the apostle had fully shown in Romans 7:12, but it was owing to the strength of the natural passions and the sinfulness of the unrenewed heart; see Romans 7:7-11, where this influence is fully explained. God, sending his own Son - That is, God did, or accomplished, that, by sending his Son, which the Law could not do. The word did, or…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3the flesh: See study note on 6:19. in the likeness of sinful man: Jesus fully shared human flesh and life in a world ruled by sin. He identified with sinful people so that he could act as their representative. At the same time, he did not himself commit sin. an offering for sin: In the Greek Old Testament, this phrase frequently describes a sin offering, and three of the eight New Testament occurrences also have this meaning (Hebrews 10:6, 8; 13:11)…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3-43-4. For what the law could not do, &c.--a difficult and much controverted verse. But it is clearly, we think, the law's inability to free us from the dominion of sin that the apostle has in view; as has partly appeared already (see on Ro 8:2), and will more fully appear presently. The law could irritate our sinful nature into more virulent action, as we have seen in Ro 7:5, but it could not secure its own fulfilment. How that is accomplished comes now to…Read the comment
Topics related to Romans 8:3
In the dictionaries
Notes
- 1. Romans 8:3 Literally in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin ↩
Commentaries on Romans 8
- 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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