Romans 8:11
What does Romans 8:11 mean?
A plain-English look at Romans 8:11 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Romans 8:11 means
The same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in believers, guaranteeing that God will also give life to their mortal bodies. This looks forward to bodily resurrection, not mere disembodied survival. Our hope is holistic: God will redeem what sin and death have marred. Even now, the Spirit imparts life, but the focus is on the future, when mortality will be swallowed up. The ground of this confidence is God’s proven power in raising Christ and his present indwelling presence. Salvation is not escape from creation but its renewal, beginning with us. Such hope anchors perseverance and dignifies our embodied lives as awaiting transformation by God’s life-giving Spirit.
Romans 8:11 in context
Romans 8 — No Condemnation, No Separation
The high-water mark of Paul's letters. There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. The Spirit of life sets us free from the law of sin and death; the same Spirit cries 'Abba, Father' in our hearts and assures us we are children and heirs. Suffering is real, but the glory ahead is incomparably greater. All things work together for good to those who love God. And nothing — neither death nor life nor angels nor things present nor things to come — shall separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
- Justification
- Indwelling Spirit
- Adoption
- Final perseverance
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwelleth in you, he that raised up Christ Jesus from the dead shall give life also to your mortal bodies through his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
KJV
King James Version · 1611But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwelleth in you, he that raised up Christ Jesus from the dead shall give life also to your mortal bodies through his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949But if the Spirit of him who made Jesus come again from the dead is in you, he who made Christ Jesus come again from the dead will in the same way, through his Spirit which is in you, give life to your bodies which now are under the power of death.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862and if the Spirit of Him who did raise up Jesus out of the dead doth dwell in you, He who did raise up the Christ out of the dead shall quicken also your dying bodies, through His Spirit dwelling in you.
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752And if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you; he that raised up Jesus Christ, from the dead shall quicken also your mortal bodies, because of his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890But if the Spirit of him that has raised up Jesus from among [the] dead dwell in you, he that has raised up Christ from among [the] dead shall quicken your mortal bodies also on account of his Spirit which dwells in you.
Context
Building on the inner–outer contrast of verse 10, verse 11 promises the Spirit’s future work on our mortal bodies, modeled after Jesus’ resurrection. This climactic assurance becomes the basis for moral obligation in verses 12–13: since we are headed for resurrection life and indwelt by the Spirit, we owe nothing to the flesh but must, by the Spirit, put sinful deeds to death. Paul shifts from indicative (what God has done and will do) to imperative (how we should live).
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Acts 2:24
whom God raised up, having loosed the pangs of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.
- Philippians 3:21
who shall fashion anew the body of our humiliation, that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, according to the working whereby he is able even to subject all things unto himself.
- Acts 2:32
This Jesus did God raise up, whereof we all are witnesses.
- John 5:21
For as the Father raiseth the dead and giveth them life, even so the Son also giveth life to whom he will.
- Isaiah 26:19
Thy dead shall live; my dead bodies shall arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in the dust; for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast forth the dead.
- Revelation 20:11
And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat upon it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
Sermon ideas from Romans 8:11
Angles a pastor or small-group leader might preach or teach from this passage, drawn from the chapter's main themes.
What Romans 8:11 teaches us about justification
What Romans 8:11 teaches us about indwelling spirit
What Romans 8:11 teaches us about adoption
What Romans 8:11 teaches us about final perseverance
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