Romans 8:13
in Romans 8For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
for if ye live after the flesh, ye must die; but if by the Spirit ye put to death the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
KJV
For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
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This verse in Romans 8
Commentary
5 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
For if you live ... - If you live to indulge your carnal propensities, you will sink to eternal death; Rom 7:23. Through the Spirit - By the aid of the Spirit; by cherishing and cultivating his influences. What is here required can be accomplished only by the aid of the Holy Spirit. Do mortify - Do put to death; do destroy. Sin is mortified when its power is destroyed, and it ceases to be active.
This site's exposition
we have an obligation
on Romans 8:12-13
The obligation runs to the Spirit and leaves the flesh behind. Living by the flesh ends in death, and putting the deeds of the body to death by the Spirit ends in life. The Greek word is thanatoo, to put to death, a daily work the Spirit does through the believer.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The deeds of the flesh - Not only evil actions, but evil desires, tempers, thoughts. If ye mortify - Kill, destroy these. Ye shall live - The life of faith more abundantly here, and hereafter the life of glory.
on Romans 8:12-13
We are not debtors to it; the flesh never did us so much kindness as to oblige us to serve it. It is implied that we are debtors to Christ and to the Spirit: there we owe our all, all we have and all we can do, by a thousand bonds and obligations.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Note, (1) "There can be no safety, no holiness, no happiness, to those who are out of Christ: No "safety," because all such are under the condemnation of the law (Ro 8:1); no holiness, because such only as are united to Christ have the spirit of Christ (Ro 8:9); no happiness, because to be "carnally minded is death" (Ro 8:6)" [HODGE].
The words behind it
16 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| εἰ | ei | If | G1487 → | 508 times |
| γὰρ | gar | for | G1063 → | 1039 times |
| κατὰ | kata | according to | G2596 → | 468 times |
| σάρκα | sarka | flesh | G4561 → | 146 times |
| ζῆτε, | zete | you live, | G2198 → | 139 times |
| μέλλετε | mellete | you are about | G3195 → | 109 times |
| ἀποθνῄσκειν· | apothneskein | to die; | G599 → | 110 times |
| εἰ | ei | if | G1487 → | 508 times |
| δὲ | de | however | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| πνεύματι | pneumati | by [the] Spirit | G4151 → | 378 times |
| τὰς | tas | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| πράξεις | praxeis | deeds | G4234 → | |
| τοῦ | tou | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| σώματος | somatos | body | G4983 → | 142 times |
| θανατοῦτε, | thanatoute | you put to death, | G2289 → | 11 times |
| ζήσεσθε. | zesesthe | you will live. | G2198 → | 139 times |
εἰIf
eiG1487 →508 times
γὰρfor
garG1063 →1039 times
κατὰaccording to
kataG2596 →468 times
σάρκαflesh
sarkaG4561 →146 times
ζῆτε,you live,
zeteG2198 →139 times
μέλλετεyou are about
melleteG3195 →109 times
ἀποθνῄσκειν·to die;
apothneskeinG599 →110 times
εἰif
eiG1487 →508 times
δὲhowever
deG1161 →2765 times
πνεύματιby [the] Spirit
pneumatiG4151 →378 times
τὰςthe
tasG3588 →19766 times
πράξειςdeeds
praxeisG4234 →
τοῦof the
touG3588 →19766 times
σώματοςbody
somatosG4983 →142 times
θανατοῦτε,you put to death,
thanatouteG2289 →11 times
ζήσεσθε.you will live.
zesestheG2198 →139 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Corinthians 9:27No, I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 9:25
Everyone who competes in the games trains with strict discipline. They do it for a crown that is perishable, but we do it for a crown that is imperishable.
- Colossians 3:5
Put to death, therefore, the components of your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry.
- 2 Corinthians 13:5–6
Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Can’t you see for yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you—unless you actually fail the test?
- 1 Peter 2:11
Beloved, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from the desires of the flesh, which war against your soul.
- 1 Corinthians 9:25
Through
1 Peter 2:11Beloved, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from the desires of the flesh, which war against your soul.
it leads to
- 1 John 2:15–17
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
- Galatians 5:24
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
- 1 John 2:15–17
Through
Titus 2:12It instructs us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live sensible, upright, and godly lives in the present age,
it leads to
- Ezekiel 36:27
And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and to carefully observe My ordinances.
- Ezekiel 36:27
Through
Galatians 6:8The one who sows to please his flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; but the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.
it leads to
- James 3:18
Peacemakers who sow in peace reap the fruit of righteousness.
- James 3:18
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies20
On this verse
On this chapter
- Abba, Father
- The God Who Gets Named
- The Bronze Serpent
- Eternal Security, and the Five Warnings of Hebrews
- Firstfruits
- How to Study the Bible
- Jesus on the Father
- Led by the Spirit
- The Messianic Psalms
- Predestination and Election
- The Tabernacle
- The Ascension: Acts 1:1-11 · Luke 24:50-53
- The Divided Self
- The Firstborn
- The Flesh
- The Groaning Creation
- The Right Hand
About Romans

This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
