Romans 8:1–2

Context

In Romans 7, Paul portrays the struggle of an "I" who wills the good yet does evil, and he laments, "O wretched man that I am!" (Romans 7:24). Chapter 8 opens as the answer to that lament. The words "There is therefore now" draw out the conclusion of the teaching on justification by faith set forth in chapters 1–7. Verse 2 gives the ground for this: "the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death." The rest of chapter 8 goes on to describe life in the Spirit.

Interpretation

• As a forensic declaration: The Reformed and Lutheran traditions read "no condemnation" as a verdict of acquittal pronounced by God as judge, that is, as the result of justification. On this reading, there is no condemnation because the believer is in Christ, regardless of the believer's condition.
• As including life in the Spirit: The Wesleyan tradition and some commentators hold that the "making free" of verse 2 refers to actual release from the dominion of sin, and so read the passage as encompassing both justification and sanctification. They point to verse 4, "who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."
• The meaning of "law": Some interpreters take "law" in verse 2 to mean the law of Moses, while others take it to mean a principle or power. Those holding the first view explain that the same law becomes the law of death when used by sin and the law of life when used by the Spirit.

Debates and Issues

Some later manuscripts, followed by the King James Version, add at the end of verse 1 the words "who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Because these words are absent from the older manuscripts, most modern translations retain them only in verse 4. Some note that this addition makes freedom from condemnation read as though it were conditioned on conduct.

In addition, the significance of the transition into chapter 8 depends on whether the struggling "I" of chapter 7 is understood as an unconverted person or a converted believer. The Reformed tradition generally sees it as the real struggle of the believer, while the Wesleyan tradition tends to see it as the condition of a person under the law.

In the Korean Church

The passage is frequently cited in counseling and preaching aimed at comforting believers troubled by guilt, and in baptismal instruction when explaining the assurance of salvation.

Related Passages

• Romans 7:24–25
• Romans 8:33–34
• John 5:24
• Galatians 5:1