Devine Scripture

Romans 7:5

What does Romans 7:5 mean?

A plain-English look at Romans 7:5 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.

What Romans 7:5 means

Paul recalls the former life “in the flesh,” life dominated by fallen human nature. In that state, “the sinful passions, which were through the law, wrought in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.” The law, though good, provided sin with opportunities—by setting boundaries that a rebellious heart wanted to cross. Those passions worked through our bodies, and the result was not life but death—guilt, alienation, and the sentence the law announces. This backward glance clarifies that our problem was not the law but our flesh. Apart from a new life and a new power, attempts to obey only exposed and intensified our inner corruption.

Parallel translations

WEB

World English Bible · 2000

For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were through the law, wrought in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.

KJV

King James Version · 1611

For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.

ASV

American Standard Version · 1901

For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were through the law, wrought in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.

BBE

Bible in Basic English · 1949

For when we were in the flesh, the evil passions which came into being through the law were working in our bodies to give the fruit of death.

YLT

Young's Literal Translation · 1862

for when we were in the flesh, the passions of the sins, that <FI>are<Fi> through the law, were working in our members, to bear fruit to the death;

DRA

Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752

For when we were in the flesh, the passions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members, to bring forth fruit unto death.

DBY

Darby Bible · 1890

For when we were in the flesh the passions of sins, which [were] by the law, wrought in our members to bring forth fruit to death;

Context

After announcing our new union with the risen Christ (verse 4), Paul explains why such a change was necessary. Verse 5 looks back to the pre-conversion condition and its outcome: death-fruit rather than God-fruit. This sets up a contrast with verse 6, where the new state is described. Understanding the old realm (“in the flesh”) and its results prepares the reader for Paul’s defense of the law’s goodness in verses 7–13, where he will show that sin, not the law, is to blame for death’s reign and that the law’s role is to expose sin.

v.4Wherefore, my brethren, ye also were made dead to the law through the body of Christ; that ye should be joined to another, even to him who was raised from the dead, that we might bring forth fruit unto God.

v.5This passage

v.6But now we have been discharged from the law, having died to that wherein we were held; so that we serve in newness of the spirit, and not in oldness of the letter.

Cross references

Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

  • Romans 6:23

    For the wages of sin is death; but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

  • Galatians 5:19

    Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

  • Romans 6:21

    What fruit then had ye at that time in the things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.

  • John 3:6

    That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

  • Ephesians 2:11

    Wherefore remember, that once ye, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called Circumcision, in the flesh, made by hands;

  • Galatians 3:10

    For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one who continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law, to do them.

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