God’s Word Translation
Romans 8:15
15You haven’t received the spirit of slaves that leads you into fear again. Instead, you have received the spirit of God’s adopted children by which we call out, “Abba! Father!”
Romans 8:15 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
- New International Version (NIV)The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!"
- New King James Version (NKJV)For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”
Context of Romans 8:15
13If you live by your corrupt nature, you are going to die. But if you use your spiritual nature to put to death the evil activities of the body, you will live. 14Certainly, all who are guided by God’s Spirit are God’s children. You haven’t received the spirit of slaves that leads you into fear again. Instead, you have received the spirit of God’s adopted children by which we call out, “Abba! Father!” 16The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17If we are his children, we are also God’s heirs. If we share in Christ’s suffering in order to share his glory, we are heirs together with him.
Read all of Romans 8Romans 8:15 word by word
οὐ γὰρ ἐλάβετε πνεῦμα δουλείας πάλιν εἰς φόβον, ἀλλ᾽ ἐλάβετε πνεῦμα υἱοθεσίας ἐν ᾧ κράζομεν· αββα ὁ πατήρ.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Forγάρgar · forG1063
- ye haveλαμβάνωlambanō · to takeG2983
- notοὐou · noG3756
- the spiritπνεῦμαpneuma · spirit/breath: spiritG4151
- of bondageδουλείαdouleia · slaveryG1397
- againπάλινpalin · againG3825
- toεἰςeis · towardG1519
- fearφόβοςphobos · fearG5401
- butἀλλάalla · butG235
- of adoptionυἱοθεσίαuihothesia · adoption (as son)G5206
- ·ἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- wherebyὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
- we cryκράζωkrazō · to cryG2896
- AbbaἀββάAbba · AbbaG5
- Fatherὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Fatherπατήρpatēr · fatherG3962
Cross-references for Romans 8:15
- Exodus 20:19Then they said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we’ll listen. But don’t let God speak to us, or we’ll die!”
- Numbers 17:12The Israelites said to Moses, “Now we’re going to die! We’re lost! We’re all lost!
- Luke 8:28When he saw Jesus, he shouted, fell in front of him, and said in a loud voice, “Why are you bothering me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you not to torture me!”
- John 16:8He will come to convict the world of sin, to show the world what has God’s approval, and to convince the world that God judges it.
- Acts 2:37When the people heard this, they were deeply upset. They asked Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?”
- Acts 16:29The jailer asked for torches and rushed into the jail. He was trembling as he knelt in front of Paul and Silas.
- 1 Corinthians 2:12Now, we didn’t receive the spirit that belongs to the world. Instead, we received the Spirit who comes from God so that we could know the things which God has freely given us.
- 2 Timothy 1:7God didn’t give us a cowardly spirit but a spirit of power, love, and good judgment.
- Hebrews 2:15In this way he would free those who were slaves all their lives because they were afraid of dying.
- Hebrews 12:18You have not come to something that you can feel, to a blazing fire, to darkness, to gloom, to a storm,
- James 2:19You believe that there is one God. That’s fine! The demons also believe that, and they tremble with fear.
- 1 John 4:18No fear exists where his love is. Rather, perfect love gets rid of fear, because fear involves punishment. The person who lives in fear doesn’t have perfect love.
- Romans 8:16The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.
- Isaiah 56:5Inside my house and within my walls, I will give them something better than sons and daughters. I will give them a monument and a name. I will give them a permanent name that will not be forgotten.
- Jeremiah 3:19“I wanted to treat you like children and give you a pleasant land, the most beautiful property among the nations. I thought that you would call me Father and wouldn’t turn away from me.
- Galatians 4:5God sent him to pay for the freedom of those who were controlled by these laws so that we would be adopted as his children.
Commentaries on Romans 8:15
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15Ye have not received the spirit of bondage - All that were under the law were under bondage to its rites and ceremonies; and as, through the prevalence of that corrupt nature with which every human being is polluted, and to remove which the law gave no assistance, they were often transgressing, consequently they had forfeited their lives, and were continually, through fear of death, subject to bondage, Hebrews 2:15. The believers in Christ Jesus were…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15The spirit of bondage - The spirit that binds you; or the spirit of a slave, that produces only fear. The slave is under constant fear and alarm. But the spirit of religion is that of freedom and of confidence; the spirit of children, and not of slaves; compare the note at John 8:32-36. Again to fear - That you should again be afraid, or be subjected to servile fear - This implies that in their former state under the Law, they were in a state of…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 10-17Verses 10-17 If the Spirit be in us, Christ is in us. He dwells in the heart by faith. Grace in the soul is its new nature; the soul is alive to God, and has begun its holy happiness which shall endure for ever. The righteousness of Christ imputed, secures the soul, the better part, from death. From hence we see how much it is our duty to walk, not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. If any habitually live according to corrupt lustings, they will…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15you received the Spirit of adoption to sonship: According to Greco-Roman customs of adoption, a man could adopt a son and give that child the same legal rights as a natural son. This practice included the highest levels of society, even the imperial family. For example, the Roman ruler Julius Caesar adopted Octavian as his heir. Octavian later ruled the Roman Empire under the name Augustus. Paul’s understanding of adoption is also rooted in the Old…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1515. For, &c.--"For ye received not (at the time of your conversion) the spirit of bondage," that is, "The spirit ye received was not a spirit of bondage." again--gendering. to fear--as under the law which "worketh wrath," that is, "Such was your condition before ye believed, living in legal bondage, haunted with incessant forebodings under a sense of unpardoned sin. But it was not to perpetuate that wretched state that ye received the Spirit." but ye have…Read the comment
Topics related to Romans 8:15
In the dictionaries
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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