Romans 8:3-4. Romans 8:3a-The Inability Of The Law To Deliver Sinful Humanity From The Sin Nature And Spiritual Death

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1 Romans 8:3-4 Romans 8:3a-The Inability Of The Law To Deliver Sinful Humanity From The Sin Nature And Spiritual Death In Romans 8:1, Paul assured his Christian readers in Rome that because of their union with Jesus Christ they are no longer under condemnation because of their inability to obey the Law perfectly. Romans 8:1, Therefore, there is now, as an eternal spiritual truth, never any condemnation, none whatsoever for the benefit of those in union with Christ who is Jesus. Paul s statement in Romans 8:1 basically summarizes all that he has been saying from Romans 1:18-7:25. It is connected to Romans 1:18-3:20 because it contrasts those who are not condemned with those who are. Paul s statement in Romans 8:1 is connected to Romans 3:21-5:21 because those sinners who been declared justified through faith in Christ are those who never again stand condemned before a holy God. It is connected to Romans 6:1-7:6 because the justified sinner s new position in Christ guarantees that they will never again stand condemned before a holy God. Finally, it is connected to Romans 7:7-25 in that even though the justified sinner does not have the power to fulfill his desire to obey the Law and falls victim to his old Adamic sin nature, he still is never under condemnation because of his union and identification with Christ. Then, in Roman 8:2, Paul taught the Christians in Rome that the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set them free from the law of sin and of death. Romans 8:2, Because, the life-giving Spirit s authoritative power, by means of (the death and resurrection of) Christ, who is Jesus, has set you free from the sin nature s authoritative power as well as spiritual death s. In Romans 8:2, Paul states that the reason why there is never any condemnation, none whatsoever for those who are in union with Jesus Christ is the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set the justified sinner free from the law of sin and of death. There is never any condemnation, none whatsoever for the Christian who is in union with Christ because the life-giving Spirit s authoritative power, by means of (the death and resurrection of) Christ Jesus has set them free from the sin nature s authoritative power as well as spiritual death s. Now, in Romans 8:3, Paul explains how or presents the reason why the life-giving Spirit s authoritative power, by means of (the death and resurrection of) Christ Jesus has set them free from the sin nature s authoritative power as well as spiritual death s William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 1

2 Romans 8:3, For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh. For is the causal use of the post-positive conjunction gar (gavr), which introduces a statement that explains how or presents the reason why the lifegiving Spirit s authoritative power, by means of (the death and resurrection of) Christ Jesus has set them free from the sin nature s authoritative power as well as spiritual death s. In Romans 8:3, Paul employs two clauses to present this explanation. The first statement in verse 3 is to adunaton tou nomou en ho esthenei dia tes sarkos (tov a)duvnaton tou~ novmou e)n w! h)sqevnei diav th~$ sarkov$), what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh. The second is ho theos ton heautou huion pempsas en homoiomati sarkos hamartias kai peri hamartias katekrinen ten hamartian en te sarki (o( qeov$ tovn e(autou~ ui(ovn pevmya$ e)n o(moiwvmati sarkov$ a(martiva$ kaiv periv a(martiva$ katevkrinen thvn a(martivan e)n th~ sarkiv), God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh. Therefore, with these two statements, Paul is teaching that the reason why the life-giving Spirit s authoritative power by means of (the death and resurrection of) Christ Jesus has set the Christian free from the authoritative power of the sin nature and real spiritual death is because of Christ s death on the Cross in contrast with the inability of the Law to do so. The Spirit was able to set the Christian free from the tyranny of the sin nature and real spiritual death because or on the basis of the Father s sacrifice of His Son on the Cross, which stands in contrast with the Law s inability to effect such a deliverance. Christ s death on the Cross is the basis for the Spirit setting the Christian free from the tyranny of the sin nature and real spiritual death. We will translate gar, because. Romans 8:3, For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh. What could not do is the articular accusative neuter singular form of the adjective adunatos (a)duvnato$) (ad-oo-nat-os), which is composed of the alpha privative, without and the adjective dunatos, powerful, thus the word literally means, without power. The stem dun- stem conveys the basic sense of ability or capability. Thus, with the alpha privative attached to dunatos, the word means, inability or incapability William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 2

3 The adjective adunatos describes that which is impotent or lacking the ability or capacity to perform a particular function. In some contexts, the word describes that which is incapable of happening or being done and thus is impossible. Leon Morris commenting on this word s usage in Romans 8:3, writes, There is a difference of opinion as to whether.we should take the verbal adjective as active, with the meaning the inability of the law (was overcome) or passive, signifying, what was impossible for the law (was accomplished). (The Epistle to the Romans; page 302; W. B. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press) Douglas Moo commenting on the active and passive usage of the word in relation to Romans 8:3 writes that this makes little difference to Paul s meaning In either case, Paul is highlighting the inability of the law to accomplish that which God, in sending his Son, did accomplish. (The Epistle to the Romans, page 477; William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company; Grand Rapids, Michigan/Cambridge, U.K.). The key to determining whether the passive or active sense is meant here in Romans 8:3 is recognize the fact that adunatos is used in contrast with the verb poieo, accomplished, which is omitted due to Paul s use of the figure of ellipsis and whose subject is the noun theos, God (the Father). Therefore, the contrast is between God s ability to accomplish the Christian s deliverance from the sin nature and real spiritual death through His Son s substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths on the Cross with that of the Law s inability to do so. This indicates that the active rather than the passive sense is being used here by Paul. Even though it would not be inaccurate statement to use the passive sense, the more accurate usage here is the active since again Paul is comparing the Law s inability to set the sinner free, i.e. justify with God s ability to do so. In Romans 8:3, the word describes the inability of the Mosaic Law to set sinful humanity free from the power of the sin nature and real spiritual death in contrast with God s ability to do so through His Son s Cross. So Paul is saying in Romans 8:3 that the Law was unable to set sinful humanity free from the sin nature and real spiritual death because sinful humanity could not render the perfect obedience that the Law required because of the sin nature, which resides in the genetic structure of the human body. In context, Paul is speaking of the Christian s justification since in Romans 8:1-2, he has been speaking of it. Therefore, the adjective adunatos describes the Law s inability to justify the sinner. The Law tells man that he is a sinner but can never make him a saint, only the Holy Spirit can. It revealed to sinful man his need in that it demonstrated to him that he is a sinner by nature and practice and that God is holy, thus an infinite gulf separated the two William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 3

4 In Romans 8:3, the adjective adunatos functions as a pendent accusative, which is a grammatically independent use of the accusative. The accusative is pendent or hanging in that it is introduced into the sentence as though it were going to be the direct object, but the sentence is completed in a syntactically awkward manner, leaving the accusative dangling. It is a subset of the accusative of reference but different from it in that it belongs to the figure anacoluthon meaning it is a poorly constructed sentence, syntactically speaking. If the word can be translated with the phrase with reference to it is likely a pendent accusative. We can do that with the accusative form of adunatos in Romans 8:3. The definite article preceding the adjective adunatos functions as a substantiver meaning that it converts the adjective into a substantive. We will translate adunatos, with reference to the inability. Corrected translation thus far of Romans 8:3: Because with reference to the inability. Romans 8:3, For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh. The Law is the articular genitive masculine singular form of the noun nomos (novmo$) (nom-os), which refers once again to the Mosaic Law since it is being used with reference to man s salvation and justification. The definite article preceding the noun nomos indicates that the Mosaic Law was well-known to Paul s readers since in Romans 2-3:31 he taught that the Law is unable to justify. Romans 3:20-26, Because each and every member of sinful humanity will never be justified in His judgment by means of actions produced by obedience to the Law for through the Law there does come about an awareness of the sin nature. But now, independently of seeking to be justified by obedience to the Law, the righteousness originating from God is being manifested at the present time while simultaneously being attested to by the Law and the Prophets. Namely, the righteousness originating from God through faith in Jesus who is the Christ for the benefit of each and every person who does believe for there is, as an eternal spiritual truth, absolutely no distinction. For each and every person has sinned consequently, they are always failing to measure up to the glory originating from God with the result that they might, as an eternal spiritual truth, be undeservedly justified based upon His grace by means of the redemption, which is by means of the spiritual death of Christ who is Jesus. Whom God the Father offered publicly as a propitiatory gift through faith by means of His blood in order to demonstrate His righteousness because of the deliberate and temporary suspension of 2008 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 4

5 judgment of the sins, which have taken place in the past on the basis of the tolerance originating from the character and nature of God the Father. Correspondingly, in relation to the demonstration of His righteousness during this present distinct period of history, that He Himself is, as an eternal spiritual truth, inherently righteous, even while justifying anyone by means of faith in Jesus. In Romans 8:3, the word functions as a, genitive of possession indicating that this inability to justify sinners belongs to the Law. We will translate nomos, the Law s. Corrected translation thus far of Romans 8:3: Because with reference to the Law s inability Romans 8:3, For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh. The next two words that appear in the original text of Romans 8:3 are the preposition en (e)n) and the dative neuter singular form of the relative pronoun hos (o^$) (hos). The New American Standard Updated Version does not translate this prepositional phrase but the New International Version does. The latter translates it in that whereas the NET Bible interprets it as functioning as having a conjunctive force and translates it because. The relative pronoun hos agrees in gender and number with its antecedent, the neuter singular form of the adjective adunatos, the inability. Therefore, it refers to the Law s impotence in relation to sinful humanity in that it could not justify the sinner. The preposition en is employed with the verb astheneo, it was weak and thus marks the point in which the Law was unable to set the sinner free, i.e. justify. The relative pronoun hos functions as a dative locative of place denoting the point at which the Law was unable to set the sinner free from the sin nature and real spiritual death. Therefore, the prepositional phrase en ho denotes the point at which the Law was unable was to set the sinner free from the sin nature and real spiritual death. It was incapable through the sin nature, which gave men no capacity whatsoever to render perfect obedience required by the Law. The emphasis is more upon the point at which the Law was unable to set the sinner free from the sin nature and real spiritual death and not the cause. In fact, if Paul wanted to emphasize the cause, he could have used gar again. By employing this prepositional phrase, he is identifying the point or the specific area in which the Law could not deliver the sinner. We will translate the prepositional phrase en he, in which. Corrected translation thus far of Romans 8:3: Because with reference to the Law s inability in which 2008 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 5

6 Romans 8:3, For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh. Weak is the third person singular imperfect active indicative form of the verb astheneo (a)sqenevw) (as-then-eh-o), which means, to be powerless. The verb astheneo has the following cognates: (1) astheneia (noun), weakness, sickness, distress, lack of strength. (2) asthenema, weakness, infirmity, sickness, illness. (3) asthenes (adjective), weak, sick, ill. This word group is formed from its opposite sthenos, strength, with the alphaprivative prefixed, thus the verb literally means to be without strength. Thus, it conveys the meaning of powerlessness, weakness, lack of strength, and includes particularly the following: (1) verb astheneo (Euripides, Thucydides). (2) Noun: astheneia (Herodotus, Thucydides). (3) Adjective: asthenes (Pindar, Herodotus). All three denote primarily bodily weakness, i.e., sickness (Herodotus 4.135; cf. also Josephus, War of the Jews, 1.76). They signify weakness or impotence of different kinds. The verb had the following classical meanings: (1) to be weak, feeble, sickly (2) to be needy (3) to be too weak to do a thing, not to be able (4) decline. The verb astheneo is used quite a bit in the LXX. It is used to render extensive group of Hebrew equivalents: (1) `amal (lma), be weak, languish, grow feeble; pual: waste away, languish (1 Sm. 2:5; Lm. 2:8). (2) da av (bad), sorrow (Ps. 88:9 [87:9] ). (3) dal (ld), weak (Jgs. 6:15; 2 Sm. 3:1; 13:4). (4) dalal (lld ), be low (Jb. 28:4). (5) chalah (hlj), Qal: be weak (Jgs. 16:7, 11, 17); niphal: be made sick (Ez. 34:4; Dn. 8:27). (6) chath (jj), broken (1 Sm. 2:4). (7) kashal (lvk), Qal: be weak, feeble, stumble (2 Ch. 28:15; Jb. 4:3; Jer. 46:16 [26:16] ); niphal: be tottering, feeble (1 Sm. 2:4; Ps. 9:3; Zech. 12:8); hiphil: cause to stumble, make weak (Jer. 18:15; Lm. 1:14; Mal. 2:8). (8) la ah (hal), niphal: be weary (Ps. 68:9 [67:9] ). (9) mahar (rhm) niphal: hastened (Is. 32:4). (10) mul (lwm), circumcise; hithpael: be cut off, made blunt (Ps. 58:7 [57:7] ). (11) mikhshol (lvkm), fall (Ez. 21:15). (12) makhshelah (hlvkm), stumblingblock (Zep. 1:3). (13) ma`adh (rum), slip (Ps. 26:1 [25:1] ). (14) tsaphaph (epx), pilpel: whisper (Is. 29:4). (15) qatser (rxq), feeble (2 Kgs. 19:26). (16) rakhakh (rkr), be fainthearted (Is. 7:4). (17) raphah (hpr), end (Jgs. 19:9). (18) rapheh (hpr), weak (Jb. 4:3). (19) shakhol (lkv), be bereaved ; piel: fail to bear, cast one s fruit (Mal. 3:11). The verb astheneo is used quite often in the LXX to translate kashal (lvk): (1) Qal: be weak, feeble, stumble (2 Ch. 28:15; Job 4:3; Jer. 46:16 [26:16] ). (2) 2008 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 6

7 Niphal: be tottering, feeble (1 Sm. 2:4; Ps. 9:3; Zech. 12:8). (3) Hiphil: cause to stumble, make weak (Jer. 18:15; Lm. 1:14; Mal. 2:8). It first acquires a specific character in the prophetic literature. In the Psalms and in the Wisdom literature, astheneo is sometimes used as in the prophets to express the stumbling of the unbeliever and of enemies (Ps. 9:3; 27 [26]:2; 58 [57]:7; 107 [106]:12; cf. Job 28:4). On other occasions it expresses human poverty and human wretchedness (Ps. 6:2; 31 [30]:10; 88 [87]:9; 109 [108]:24; cf. Job 4:4; Prov. 21:13; 22:22). Theodotion employs the verb often where he uses it to depict the fate of wise and powerful men in the end-time (e.g. Dn. 11:14, 19, 33 ff). The fact that astheneo is used in the LXX to denote human stumbling, disaster, a sense which goes beyond the genuinely Greek meaning of human weakness, is probably to be explained by the link-word in the translation, the Aramaic teqal, which means both to stumble and to be weak. The verb astheneo appears 38 times in the Greek New Testament. The New Thayer s Greek-English Lexicon lists the following meanings (page 80): (1) to be weak, feeble (2) to be weak in means, needy, poor (3) to be feeble, sick. Moulton lists the following NT meanings for the word (The Analytical Greek Lexicon Revised, page 55): (1) to be weak, infirm, deficient in strength, to be inefficient (2) to be sick (3) to be weak in faith, to doubt, hesitate, be unsettled, timid (4) to be deficient in authority, dignity, or power, be contemptible (5) to be afflicted, distressed, needy. Bauer, Gingrich and Danker list the following meanings (A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature page 115): (1) literally of bodily weakness be sick (2) literally of weakness of any kind, be weak toward someone, be weakened, disabled (3) figuratively of religious and moral weakness, be weak in faith (4) be weak economically, be in need. Louw and Nida list the following ((Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains volume 2): (1) to be in a state of incapacity or weakness - to be weak, to be unable to, to be limited (page 679). (2) to be sick and, as a result, in a state of weakness and incapacity - to be sick, to be ill, to be disabled (page 270). In Romans 8:3, the verb astheneo means, to be powerless indicating that the Law was powerless through the flesh, i.e. the sin nature to set the sinner free from the sin nature and real spiritual death. Thus far in our studies of the book of Romans, Paul has taught us that the law in the form of the entire Old Testament canon was given, not as the way of deliverance, but actually condemned the human race (3:19) William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 7

8 Romans 3:19, Now, we know for certain that whatever the Law says, it speaks for the benefit of those under the jurisdiction of the Law in order that each and every mouth may be silenced and in addition all the unsaved inhabitants of the cosmic system may be demonstrated as guilty in the judgment of God. No one will ever be justified by obedience to the law because of the presence of the sin nature (3:20). Romans 3:20, Because each and every member of sinful humanity will never be justified in His judgment by means of actions produced by obedience to the Law for through the Law there does come about an awareness of the sin nature. The law makes the sinner aware of sin in his life and identifies specific sins such as coveting (3:20; 7:7). Romans 7:7, Therefore, what is the conclusion that we are forced to? Is, the Law, in the state of being identical with the sin nature? Absolutely not! On the contrary, I would have never become aware of my sin nature except by means of the Law. For example, I would never have been able to identify covetousness if the Law had not said, You shall never covet. The introduction of the Law increased the transgression of Adam in the sense that the Law exposed man s sinful nature to disobey the revealed will of God and in fact stimulated man s sinful nature to disobey the revealed will of God. Romans 5:20, Now, the Law was an addendum in order that the transgression might increase but where personal sin increased, grace infinitely abounded. The apostle Paul teaches in Romans 4:15 that the purpose of the Law was to bring about wrath but where there is no law, there is no violation. Romans 4:15, For, the Law, as an eternal spiritual truth, produces righteous indignation but where there is, at any time, the total absence of the Law, neither, is there, as an eternal spiritual truth, violation. In Romans 7:8, Paul teaches the Christians in Rome that because the sin nature seized a base of operations through the tenth commandment, the sin nature produced in him each and every kind of covetousness. At the conclusion of the verse he begins to explain why this is the case. He states that apart from the Law, personal sin is dead in the sense that it can never be charged to the account of the sinner when the Law is not in effect. Romans 7:8, In fact, because the sin nature seized a base of operations by means of the tenth commandment, it produced in me each and every kind of covetousness for you see apart from the Law personal sin is, as an eternal spiritual truth dead William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 8

9 Then, in Romans 7:9, Paul teaches that when the tenth commandment became a reality in his life, his sin nature suddenly became active and consequently, he died spiritually. Romans 7:9, However, at one time, I used to be alive apart from the Law but when the tenth commandment became a reality (in my life), the sin nature suddenly became active. Consequently, I became spiritually dead. In this passage, he teaches that his awareness of the significance of the tenth commandment awakened his sin nature and he died spiritually. For a Christian to die spiritually is to lose fellowship with God, which is restored through the confession of sin (1 John 1:9). Next, we read in Romans 7:10 that Paul surprisingly discovered through his own personal experience as a Christian that the tenth commandment prohibiting coveting, which was intended to give life instead resulted in his experience temporal spiritual death. Romans 7:10, In other words, this commandment, which was for the purpose of life, was surprisingly discovered through my own personal experience to result in temporal spiritual death. In Romans 7:11, he teaches that because his sin nature seized a base of operations through the commandment, it deceived and killed him. Romans 7:11, For you see because the sin nature seized a base of operations by means of the tenth commandment, it deceived me and in addition by means of it, put me to death. Then, in Romans 7:12, Paul presents a positive inference from his teaching in verses 7-11 by stating that the Law is holy and the tenth commandment is holy, righteous and good. Romans 7:12, Therefore, indeed, the Law is, as an eternal spiritual truth holy. Furthermore, the tenth commandment is, as an eternal spiritual truth holy and in addition righteous as well as good. In Romans 7:13a, Paul poses a rhetorical question that anticipates an erroneous conclusion that could be inferred from his teaching in verses 7-12 that the commandment caused him to lose fellowship with God. This false assertion, he emphatically refutes and declares that it was the sin nature, which caused him to lose fellowship with God. Then in Romans 7:13b, he teaches that the Mosaic Law was given to expose man s sinful nature and the sin nature s extraordinarily sinful character. Romans 7:13, Therefore, did that which is good cause temporal spiritual death in me? Absolutely not! On the contrary, the sin nature caused temporal spiritual death in me in order that the sin nature would be exposed by repeatedly producing temporal spiritual death in me by means of that which 2008 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 9

10 is good in order that by means of the tenth commandment, the sin nature would demonstrate itself extraordinarily sinful in character. Paul teaches outside of the book of Romans that the law never justifies people (Gal. 2:16; 3:11). Galatians 2:16, Nevertheless, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law, but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the Law; For by the works of the Law no person will be justified. He teaches that the law is sin s strength (1 Cor. 15:56). 1 Corinthians 15:56, The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. Ultimately, the purpose of the Law was to lead people to Christ (Gal. 3:24). Galatians 3:1-29, You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain -- if indeed it was in vain? So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Even so Abraham BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS. Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU. So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer. For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO DOES NOT ABIDE BY ALL THINGS WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW, TO PERFORM THEM. Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, THE RIGHTEOUS MAN SHALL LIVE BY FAITH. However, the Law is not of faith; on the contrary, HE WHO PRACTICES THEM SHALL LIVE BY THEM. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us -- for it is written, CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Brethren, I speak in terms of human relations: even though it is only a man's covenant, yet when it has been ratified, no one sets it aside or adds conditions to it. Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, And to seeds, as referring to many, but rather to one, And to your seed, that is, Christ. What I am saying is this: the Law, which came four 2008 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 10

11 hundred and thirty years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise. For if the inheritance is based on law, it is no longer based on a promise; but God has granted it to Abraham by means of a promise. Why the Law then? It was added because of transgressions, having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator, until the seed would come to whom the promise had been made. Now a mediator is not for one party only; whereas God is only one. Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law. But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise. Those under the law were in need of redemption and Christ came to be under the law in order to redeem those under the law (Gal. 4:5). Galatians 4:4-5, But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. The Law was not impotent but omnipotent since it could give life if it was kept perfectly by men. However, because of the presence of the sin nature in men, the Law was unable to give life or deliver men. Therefore, in Romans 8:3, the verb astheneo indicates that the Law was powerless through the flesh since the human body contains the sin nature, which is stimulated by the Law, thus the Law could not save the sinner. The third person singular form of the verb obviously refers to the Law. The imperfect tense of the verb is a stative customary imperfect, which refers to an ongoing state that continued for some time in the past. Therefore, it denotes that the Law was in a perpetual or ongoing state of being powerless to save the sinner. It denotes that the Law was always powerless to save the sinner because of the presence of the sin nature resident in the human body. The active voice is stative emphasizing that the Law, as the subject, existed in a perpetual state of being powerless to set the sinner free from the tyranny of the sin nature and real spiritual death William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 11

12 The indicative mood of the verb is declarative presenting this assertion as an unqualified statement of fact. We will translate astheneo, it was always powerless. Corrected translation thus far of Romans 8:3: Because with reference to the Law s inability in which it was always powerless Romans 8:3, For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh. Through the flesh is composed of the preposition dia (diav) (dee-ah), through and the articular genitive feminine singular form of the noun sarx (savrc) (sarx), the flesh. This is the ninth time that the noun sarx has appeared in our studies of the book of Romans. The word appears in Romans 1:3 for the human nature of Jesus Christ. Romans 1:1-3, Paul, a slave owned by Christ who is Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel originating from God, which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures concerning His Son, who was born as a descendant of David with respect to His human nature. In Romans 2:28, the noun sarx refers to the human body. Romans 2:28, Therefore, as an eternal spiritual truth, he is absolutely never a Jew who is one by means of the external, nor, as an eternal spiritual truth, is circumcision, that which is by means of the external in the human body. The word appears again in Romans 3:20 where it refers to the entire human race under the power of the old Adamic sin nature. Romans 3:20, Because each and every member of sinful humanity will never be justified in His judgment by means of actions produced by obedience to the Law for through the Law there does come about an awareness of the sin nature. This points back to the noun hamartia, sin that appears in Romans 3:9 and refers to the old Adamic sin nature. Romans 3:9, What shall we conclude then? Are we (Christians) as an eternal spiritual truth, superior? By all means, absolutely not! Since, we have already previously indicted both Jew and Greek, with the result that each and every one is under the power of the sin nature. Paul doesn t employ hamartia in Romans 3:20 but rather sarx since he wants to emphasize that every human being is under the power of the sin nature and doesn t want to simply emphasize the sin nature itself. Also, Paul could have used the noun anthropos to refer to the entire human race as he does in Romans 3: William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 12

13 Romans 3:3-4, So then, what if-and let us assume for the sake of argument some did not believe, then will their unbelief render inoperative God s faithfulness? No! Absolutely not! God must be acknowledged as true but each and every member of the human race a liar. Just as it stands written, for all of eternity, that You will be acknowledged as righteous by means of Your pronouncements so that You will be victorious while You are undoubtedly being accused of injustice. However, instead he uses the noun sarx instead since he wants to emphasize not simply the human race but rather the human race under the power of the sin nature. Therefore, in Romans 3:20, Paul uses the noun sarx rather than hamartia or anthropos in order to emphasize the entire human race under the power of the sin nature. Then, we saw the word in Romans 4:1 where it refers to the genealogical or biological or racial descent of the Jews. Romans 4:1, Therefore, what is the conclusion that we are forced to with respect to Abraham s experience, our forefather with respect to genealogical descent? The word appeared in Romans 6:19 where it denotes that the genetic structure of the human body is the location of the old Adamic sin nature. Romans 6:19, I am speaking according to your human frame of reference because of the weakness, which is your flesh. Therefore, just as all of you placed your members as slaves at the disposal of and with respect to that which is impurity and in addition with respect to that which is lawlessness resulting in further lawlessness, in the same way, now, I solemnly charge all of you to place your members as slaves at the disposal of and with respect to righteousness resulting in sanctification and do it now! The word s usage in Romans 6:19 appears again in Romans 7:5 where the noun sarx means, flesh and is synonymous with the expression to soma tes hamartias, the sinful body that appears in Romans 6:6. It again denotes that the sin nature is located or resident in the genetic structure of the human body. Also, as was the case in Romans 3:20, Paul uses the noun sarx rather than hamartia in order to emphasize the entire human race under the power of the sin nature. Romans 7:5, For you see, when we were once in a perpetual state of being in bondage to our flesh, the sinful desires, which were aroused by means of the Law were perpetually allowed to be operative in the members of our body resulting in the production of fruit related to spiritual death. In Romans 7:18, the noun sarx emphasizes that the sin nature is located in the physical body of the apostle Paul William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 13

14 Romans 7:18, For you see, I know as a fact through experience, namely that absolutely nothing good, as an eternal spiritual truth, dwells in me, that is, in my flesh because the desire is, as an eternal spiritual truth, present in me, however, the capacity to produce that which is perfect, is, as an eternal spiritual truth absolutely not. Lastly, the word appeared in Romans 7:25 where it again emphasizes that the sin nature resides in the physical body of the apostle Paul. Romans 7:25, Thank God (the Father) through Jesus who is the Christ, who is our Lord! Therefore, based upon what has been previously stated, on the one hand, I myself by means of my mind am, as an eternal spiritual truth, a servant of God s Law but on the other hand, by means of my flesh the propensity of the sin nature. Thus, far in our studies of Romans, we have noted that Paul used various expressions for the sin nature with each emphasizing the sin nature from a different perspective. In Romans 6:6, the apostle Paul employed three different terms to designate the sin nature with each having a different emphasis. Romans 6:6, This we are very familiar with through instruction, namely, that our old man was crucified with Him in order that the sinful body would be deprived of its power with the result that we are no longer in a perpetual state of being slaves to the sin nature. The first expression ho palaios anthropos, the old man referred to the sin nature but from the perspective of its point of origin, namely, the transgression of Adam. The second is to soma tes hamartias, the sinful body, which speaks of the sin nature from the perspective of its location, namely, in the genetic structure of the human body. The third is te hamartia, the sin nature, which is personified and speaks of the sin nature from the perspective of its rulership over the sinner. This third use in Romans 6:6 appears also in Romans 6:7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17 and 18. Romans 6:7, For you see the one who has died is freed from the power of the sin nature. Romans 6:10, For you see, the physical death that He died, He died for the destruction of the sin nature once and for all but the life that He now lives, He lives forever for the benefit of God the Father. Romans 6:11, In the same way, also, on the one hand, all of you without exception make it your habit to regard yourselves as dead ones with respect to the sin nature while on the other hand those who are, as an eternal spiritual truth, alive with respect to God the Father, in union with Christ, who is Jesus William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 14

15 Romans 6:12, Therefore, do not make it a habit to let the sin nature reign as king in your mortal body with the result that you habitually obey its lusts. Romans 6:13, Nor, all of you place the members of your body at the disposal and benefit of the sin nature as instruments, which produce unrighteousness but rather I solemnly charge all of you to place yourselves at the disposal and benefit of God the Father as those who are, as an eternal spiritual truth, alive from the dead ones and in addition your members as instruments, which produce righteousness for the benefit of God the Father and do it now! Romans 6:14, For the sin nature, will, as a certainty, never again, have dominion over all of you for all of you, as an eternal spiritual truth, are by no means under the authority and dominion of the Law but rather under the authority and dominion of grace. Romans 6:16, Are you totally unaware concerning this fact, namely that the one whom you desire to place yourselves at the disposal of as slaves for obedience, you will be slaves for the benefit of this one whom you desire to obey, either the sin nature resulting in temporal spiritual death or obedience to the Father s will resulting in righteousness? Romans 6:17, But now, thank God! Because all of you were once in a perpetual state of being slaves to the sin nature but then all of you obeyed from the heart that particular doctrinal standard with respect to which all of you were taught. Romans 6:18, And also, because having been set free from the tyranny of the sin nature, all of you became slaves of righteousness. The second expression that appears in Romans 6:6, to soma tes hamartias, the sinful body, which speaks of the sin nature from the perspective of its location is synonymous with the noun sarx in Romans 6:19, 7:5, 18 and 25. Therefore, in Romans 6:19, 7:5, 18 and 25, the noun sarx means, flesh is synonymous with the expression to soma tes hamartias, the sinful body that appears in Romans 6:6 and denotes that the sin nature is located or resident in the genetic structure of the human body. As was the case in Romans 6:19, 7:5, 18 and 25, Paul employs the noun sarx in Romans 8:3 in order to emphasize that the sin nature is located in the genetic structure of the human body. As we noted in detail in previous studies in Romans that the sin nature resides in the physical body and is the reason why the human deteriorates with age and decomposes at physical death. As we have also noted many times in our studies of the book of Romans, Adam acquired a sin nature when he disobeyed the Lord s command to not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 15

16 Romans 5:12a, Therefore, based on this (principle), just as, through one man, the sin nature entered into the human race. This sin nature was passed down to his posterity, i.e. the human race. Romans 5:19a, For you see, just as through the one man s disobedience, the entire human race has been rendered sinners. The sin nature entered the human race through the transgression of Adam in the Garden of Eden as we noted in Romans 5:12. The fact that the sin nature resides in the genetic structure of the human body is the result of the curse that the Lord put on the body of Adam and his posterity according to Genesis 3: Genesis 3:18-19, Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; And you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you will eat bread, till you return to the ground, because from it you were taken; For you are dust, and to dust you shall return. The fall of Adam not only affected his fellowship with God but also it effected his environment and his physical body! The physical bodies of human beings deteriorate with age and eventually ceased to function and decompose, which is further indication that the sin nature resides in the genetic structure of the physical body. The fact that the sin nature resides in the genetic structure of the physical body is why the justified sinner needs a resurrection body to replace his sinful body. This is why Christ had to die physically and rise from the dead in a resurrection body because the sin nature resides in the human body. Moo and Morris and others reject the idea that the sin nature resides in the genetic structure of the physical body. The question is then, where does it reside? It cannot reside in the soul since the believer still has the same soul that he has prior to regeneration as we noted before. In fact, further indicating that the sin nature resides in the physical body and not the soul is Peter s statement in 1 Peter 2:11. 1 Peter 2:11, Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. Peter teaches that these lusts come from the flesh, i.e. the body and that they wage war against the soul, thus implying the sin nature resides in the human body. Moo, Morris and Barrett contend that the Bible never teaches the sin nature resides in the human body, yet they never present any Scriptural documentation to support their point but simply reject it out of hand. In fact, Morris contends that the expression body of sin in Romans 6:6 refers to the human body, which so easily responds to sinful impulses. However, in Romans 6:6, the expression body of sin is composed of the genitive form of the noun hamartia, sin, which functions as an attributive genitive meaning that it specifies an attribute or an innate quality of the head noun, which is soma, body William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 16

17 This type of genitive expresses quality like an adjective but with more sharpness and distinctness. Thus, it emphasizes the sinfulness of the human body that is corrupted by the sin nature, which resides in its genetic structure. Also, if Morris contends that the expression body of sin in Romans 6:6 refers to the human body, which so easily responds to sinful impulses, then where are these sinful impulses coming from if not from the body? 1 Peter 2:11 says that they come from the flesh! They cannot come from the soul since Peter says that the fleshly lusts wage war against the soul. The view of Morris, Moo and Barrett and others regarding the sin nature does not account for the location of the sin nature. Therefore, it is the conviction of this author based upon the Scripture already presented that the sin nature resides in the genetic structure of the human body according to the expression body of sin or sinful body in Romans 6:6, which is being corrupted according to Ephesians 4:22. This again agrees with what we see in nature in that the human body deteriorates with age and eventually ceases to function and decomposes immediately. The fact that the sin nature resides in the human body is further indicated in that Jesus Christ s human body was not the result of the sexual union between Mary and Joseph but rather the result of the Holy Spirit impregnating Mary (Luke 1:35; cf. Hebrews 10:5-7). He could not have a human body that was the result of human copulation because the sin nature is passed down in this manner and resides in the body. This is significant in that it makes clear that Jesus Christ did not have the principle of the sin nature residing in Him since the Holy Spirit impregnated Mary. He did not have a human father who could pass down the sin nature in sex. This makes clear that our Lord was not under the headship of Adam like the rest of the human race. Every member of the human race is under the headship of Adam due to physical birth. However, Jesus Christ did not have a sin nature because He did not receive a human body as a result of human copulation. Now, because He did not have a human father and that His human body did not have a sin nature residing in it, it is then, clear that the rest of the human race are sinners due to the fact that they possess a sin nature that resides in their physical bodies since it is passed down through copulation. The human body of Adam became corrupted as a result of his disobedience, which he passed down to his posterity. The fact that the old man is being corrupted as Paul says in Ephesians 4:22 would agree with the interpretation that the sin nature resides in the genetic structure of the physical body. Not only physical death is the result of possessing a sin nature but also spiritual death. This is one of the reasons why Paul calls the Christian s present physical body a body of death in Romans 7: William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 17

18 Romans 7:24, A wretched person, I myself always am! Who will deliver me from this body, which produces temporal spiritual death? The other is that it is the source of temporal spiritual death or in other words, loss of fellowship with God for the Christian and real spiritual death for the unbeliever. Our Lord had to die physically to solve the problem of the sin nature since the sin nature resides in the body of every human being. Our Lord s resurrection body replaces the sinful body of Adam. The believer will receive a resurrection body like Christ in order to replace his physical body that possesses the sin nature, the Adamic body. Romans 6:4-5, Therefore, we have been buried with Him through baptism with respect to His physical death in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead ones through the glory of the Father, in the same way, we, ourselves will also walk in the realm of an extraordinary life. Therefore, if and let us assume that it is true for the sake of argument that we are entered into union with Him, conformed to His physical death. Of course, we believe this is true. Then, certainly, we will also be united with Him, conformed to His resurrection. Christ also died physically in order to deprive the indwelling sin nature its power over the justified sinner and was raised from the dead to permanently eradicate the indwelling sin nature. By doing so, He would deliver the human race from spiritual death but also physical death since both deaths are the result of possessing a sin nature. Therefore, in Romans 8:3, the noun sarx is employed by Paul since he wants to emphasize the location of the sin nature and that it is the enemy within. In Romans 8:3, the preposition dia is employed with the genitive form of the noun sarx as a marker of the instrument by which the Law was powerless to accomplish man s deliverance from the sin nature and real spiritual death. The noun sarx, flesh is the object of the preposition dia and functions as a genitive of means. A genitive of means is where a genitive substantive indicates the means or instrumentality by which the verbal action implicit in the head noun or adjective or explicit in the verb is accomplished and answers the question, How? This indicates that the flesh was the means by which the Law was always powerless to deliver the sinner. The apostle Paul uses sarx in the genitive case rather than in the dative case to denote means since the former is closer to a causal idea than the latter. He wishes to emphasize that the flesh, i.e. the sin nature was not only the means by which the Law was rendered powerless to justify sinners but also its cause. The articular construction of sarx emphasizes that the location of the sin nature in the human body is well-known to Paul s readers since he has identified its 2008 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 18

19 location in previous chapters. Therefore, we will translate the preposition dia, through and the noun sarx, flesh. Corrected translation thus far of Romans 8:3: Because with reference to the Law s inability in which it was always powerless through the flesh 2008 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 19

20 Romans 8:3b-God The Father Executed The Sin Nature Through His Son s Physical Death Corrected translation thus far of Romans 8:3: Because with reference to the Law s inability in which it was always powerless through the flesh Romans 8:3, For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh. God is the articular nominative masculine singular form of the noun theos (qeov$), which refers to the first member of the Trinity, God the Father since the Scriptures teach that the Father and not the Spirit sent the Son into the world to die as a substitute for sinners. The noun theos refers to the Father since in Romans 5:1-2 and 9-11 teach that the Lord Jesus Christ is the member of the Trinity who is the mediator between sinful man and a holy God since He reconciled sinful man to a holy God by means of His spiritual death on the Cross. Romans 5:1-2, Therefore, since we have been justified by means of faith as a source, we, as an eternal spiritual truth, always have peace in the presence of God through our Lord who is Jesus, who is the Christ. Through whom also, we have as a permanent possession access to this gracious benefit in which we forever stand and in addition we make it a habit to rejoice upon the confident expectation of sharing God s glory. 1 Timothy 2:5-6, For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time. Romans 5:9-11, Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life and not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. The Scriptures teach that God the Father delivered over His Son to death for sinners. Romans 8:32, He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? John 3:16-18, 1 John 4:9-10 and 14 also teaches that God the Father delivered over His Son to death because of His love for sinners. John 3:16-18, For God so loved the world that He gave His uniquely born Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world (Christ would die 2008 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 20