What does Romans 8:3 mean?

Explanation

Romans 8:3 addresses a core aspect of Christian soteriology, which is the study of salvation.

Within this verse, Apostle Paul is tackling the limitations of the Law, the commandments given in the Old Testament, particularly the Mosaic Law.

Paul suggests the Law was "weak through the flesh." This means the Law lacked the power to bring about righteousness in humans because of the inherent weakness of human nature as prone to sin.

The verse then contrasts the weakness of the Law with the action God took to remedy the situation.

God sent His own Son, Jesus Christ, who came in the "likeness of sinful flesh." This suggests that Christ, while being sinless, assumed a human form that was subject to the same weaknesses and temptations as other humans.

However, He did not succumb to sin.

The purpose of God sending His Son is then clarified with the phrase "for sin," which can also be interpreted as "as a sin offering" or against sin itself, to "condemn sin in the flesh." The idea is that through the sinless life, sacrificial death, and resurrection of Jesus, sin itself has been condemned and defeated in the very realm where it held power, that is, in human nature or "flesh."

Historical Context

The Book of Romans was written by the Apostle Paul around AD 56-58 and is one of the most significant theological contributions in the New Testament.

Romans is addressed to the church in Rome, a mixture of Jewish and Gentile believers.

Paul wrote it to provide a comprehensive presentation of the gospel and set forth the theological foundations of the Christian faith.

At the time, Judaism placed great emphasis on the Law (Torah) as the means to righteousness and relationship with God.

Paul sought to clarify the limitations of the Law for salvation, introducing the concept of grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

Theological Insights

Theologically, Romans 8:3 addresses several critical doctrines:

• Incapacity of the Law: It highlights the doctrine that the Law cannot save people from sin.

While the Law can identify sin, it lacks the power to overcome the influence of sin in humans.

• Sinlessness of Christ: The verse implies the doctrinal emphasis on the sinless character of Jesus, essential for Him to be an effective sacrificial offering.
• Incarnation: The use of the phrase "likeness of sinful flesh" is related to the doctrine of Incarnation, which holds that Jesus was both fully God and fully man.
• Atonement: The idea of Jesus condemning sin in the flesh is deeply associated with the doctrine of atonement.

It suggests that through Jesus’s death, a way was made for humanity to be reconciled to God by dealing with the sin issue.

Practical Applications

Romans 8:3 challenges individuals to recognize their inability to achieve righteousness through their own efforts.

It encourages believers to trust fully in the sacrificial work of Jesus for salvation.

The appreciation of what Christ accomplished through His incarnation, life, and death can inspire a deeper faith in, and gratitude towards, God.

It also reaffirms the Christian call to walk not in the flesh but in the Spirit, as those who are no longer under condemnation.

Cross-References

• Hebrews 10:1 - "For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect."
• 2 Corinthians 5:21 - "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."
• John 1:14 - "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."
• Galatians 4:4-5 - "But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons."

Language Study

Significant Greek terms in Romans 8:3 and their meanings are:

• "adunaton" (ἀδύνατον) - translates as "what was impossible" or "powerless," referring to the inability of the Law.
• "hamartia" (ἁμαρτία) - means "sin," typically signifying a failure or missing the mark in a moral and ethical sense.
• "katakrinō" (κατακρίνω) - translates as "condemned," indicating a verdict or judgment against sin in this context.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

The concept of law and its insufficiency can be seen in other religious traditions as well.

In Buddhism, the law of Karma is universal but by itself does not bring liberation; this requires personal insight and enlightenment.

In Judaism, the Law points towards the need for atonement and reconciliation with God, often through sacrifice.

However, Christianity is unique in proclaiming that God provides the means for salvation through His Son, contrasting with religions that advocate human effort as the path to righteousness.

Scientific Perspectives

From a scientific standpoint, the verse deals with abstract concepts such as sin, salvation, and divine intervention, which typically fall outside the realm of empirical science.

However, the acknowledgement of human frailty or weakness ("flesh") has parallels in psychological and biological understandings of human limitations and vulnerabilities.

While science might explain behavioral tendencies and inherited weaknesses, the spiritual dimensions addressed in the verse are matters of faith and belief.

Commentaries

Leading biblical scholars and theologians have various perspectives on Romans 8:3:

• John Stott, an influential evangelical leader, emphasizes that the Law cannot save and that it is through the sending of Jesus that God does what the Law could not, deal with sin and its effects.
• **N.T.

Wright**, a prominent New Testament scholar, discusses how God deals with the problem of sin through the life and death of Jesus, offering new life to believers.

• Martin Luther, the Protestant Reformer, highlighted the contrast between the law and the gospel, with the former bringing knowledge of sin and the latter bringing the remedy through Christ.
• Douglas Moo provides extensive insight into the language and context, suggesting that the verse demonstrates both the continuity of God's plan through the Law and Prophets and the radical new step taken in Christ.