Romans 8:1-13—A Translation for Pagans

8

1 But now there is no death sentence for those who are located within the Messiah, Jesus, 2 because the “Teaching” which is the life-giving spirit flowing through the Messiah, Jesus, has liberated me from the Teachings that are in the grip of sin and of death. 3 With respect to the Teachings of Moses, which were crippled by a human nature made of flesh, God, having sent his only child in the exact form of a human nature made of flesh, and so in the very grip of sin, “as a guilt offering” [that is, as the suffering servant],[i] sentenced sin within human nature to death.4 And a release from the Teachings was thereby effected for us—for those who do not walk aligned with a human nature made of flesh but walk aligned with spirit. 5 Those who live aligned with the fleshly human nature think in terms of that fleshly human nature, but those who live aligned with spirit think in terms of spirit. 6 The mentality of flesh is characterized by death but the mentality of spirit is characterized by life and by peace. 7 The mentality of flesh is deeply hostile to God so it does not submit to the Teachings that have come from God. Indeed, it is incapable of doing so. 8 Those who live within their human natures of flesh are simply not able to please God. 9 But you are not living in the flesh. Rather, you are living by means of spirit—if the spirit that comes from God is living in you. If someone does not have the spirit that lived within the Messiah then that person is not a part of him. 10 But if the Messiah is in you then, on the one hand, the body is corrupt because of sin but, on the other hand, the spirit is alive and you are delivered. 11Moreover, if the spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, then the one who raised the Messiah from the dead will also make your corrupt bodies alive through his spirit that is living within you. 12 It follows, brothers and sisters, that we are under no obligations to our fleshly human nature, to live in accordance with it. 13 If you live aligned with the flesh you are actually going to die. But if you put the practices of the fleshly body to death through spirit then you will live.


[i] See esp. Lev 17:11, The Jewish Study Bible.