ROMANS ROAD
to RIGHTEOUSNESS |
Romans
1:18-3:20
|
Romans
3:21-5:21 |
Romans
6:1-8:39 |
Romans
9:1-11:36 |
Romans
12:1-16:27 |
|
SIN
|
SALVATION
|
SANCTIFICATION |
SOVEREIGNTY |
SERVICE |
NEED
FOR
SALVATION |
WAY
OF
SALVATION |
LIFE
OF
SALVATION |
SCOPE
OF
SALVATION |
SERVICE
OF
SALVATION |
God's Holiness
In
Condemning
Sin |
God's Grace
In
Justifying
Sinners |
God's Power
In
Sanctifying
Believers |
God's Sovereignty
In
Saving
Jew and Gentile |
Gods Glory
The
Object of
Service |
Deadliness
of Sin |
Design
of Grace |
Demonstration of
Salvation |
|
Power Given
|
Promises Fulfilled |
Paths Pursued |
Righteousness
Needed |
Righteousness
Credited |
Righteousness
Demonstrated |
Righteousness
Restored to Israel |
Righteousness
Applied |
God's Righteousness
IN LAW |
God's Righteousness
IMPUTED |
God's Righteousness
OBEYED |
God's Righteousness
IN ELECTION |
God's Righteousness
DISPLAYED |
|
Slaves to Sin |
Slaves to God |
Slaves Serving God |
|
Doctrine |
Duty |
|
Life by Faith |
Service by Faith |
|
Modified from Irving
L. Jensen's excellent work "Jensen's
Survey of the NT" |
FOR: hoi gar:
As in Romans 8:2-3, the conjunction
for
(1063)
(gar) in this verse carries the
meaning of because. Every time you see a "for" at the
beginning of a sentence always stop and ask what is it there "for"?
(see
term of conclusion) It
will usually be a term of conclusion and you will be forced to read the
prior context to understand what is being explained.
S Lewis Johnson
explains the "for" noting that...
In the fifth verse of the chapter the
apostle gives the first of the reasons why believers walk after the
Spirit. In other words, the "for" of the verse is connected with
the last clause of the preceding verse. Men walk according to the inward
inclination, bent, or disposition that they have. Thus, those who have
at their inmost center the lusts of the flesh will walk after the flesh,
while the opposite is true of those who walk according to the Spirit. To
"be" after the flesh is to exist only for the flesh, and the
clause, then, refers to the unbeliever. They mind the things of
the flesh, that is, they think and will according to the desires of the
flesh. Their conduct follows accordingly. On the other hand, they that
"are" after the Spirit think and will according to inclinations
implanted by Him in the inmost being of the believer. They are inclined
to holiness, just as the unbelievers are inclined to unholiness. The
renewed nature of the believer, upheld by the Spirit, determines the
bent of the life. (Romans 8:5-17)
Paul's point is that a believer does not behave according to the flesh because their new heart and mind
(cf Ezekiel 36:26, 27) are no longer
continually centered on the things of the flesh and ruled by
Sin.
Disciple's
Study Bible concurs adding that...
The end result of following the bent
of human nature is physical and spiritual death. People who yield their
behavior to the sinful nature will never be pleasing to God. (Disciple's
Study Bible)
THOSE WHO ARE (continually) ACCORDING TO (dominated, controlled by)
THE FLESH SET THEIR MINDS ON THE THINGS OF THE FLESH: hoi gar kata sarka ontes (PAPMSN) ta tes sarkos
phronousin (3PPAI): (Ro
8:12,13;
Jn 3:6;
1Cor 15:48;
2Cor 10:3;
2Pet 2:10) (6,7;
Mk 8:33;
1Cor 2:14;
Php 3:18,19)
For those who are according to the flesh and are controlled by its
unholy desires set their minds on and pursue those things which gratify
the flesh (Amplified)
People who are ruled by their desires think only of themselves. (CEV)
Those who live by the corrupt nature have the corrupt nature’s attitude
(GWT)
Those who live as their human nature tells them to, have their minds
controlled by what human nature wants. (GNT)
Those who live following their sinful selves think only about things
that their sinful selves want. (NCV)
For those who live according to the flesh have their outlook shaped by
the things of the flesh (NET)
Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on
what that nature desires (NIV)
Those who are living by their natural inclinations have their minds on
the things human nature desires (NJB)
Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things
(NLT)
Those who let themselves be controlled by their lower natures live only
to please themselves (TLB)
For if men are controlled by their earthly natures, they give their
minds to earthly things (Weymouth)
For those who are habitually dominated by the sinful nature put their
minds on the things of the sinful nature (Wuest)
Are (5607) (ontes)
is in the
present tense
indicating that this is the general pattern of their life (their
lifestyle) or habitual practice.
According to
(2596)
(kata) conveys the root meaning of “down,” which in the present
context suggests domination. In this context, the phrase according to
refers to basic spiritual nature and indicates ones fundamental
essence, bent, or disposition. In short Paul is describing an
unbeliever, devoid of the Spirit. An unbeliever orders his or her
behavior in such a way that it is dominated or controlled by the flesh, the
Sin nature inherited from Adam (see note
Ro 5:12)
which gives the unregenerate their propensity to commit sins.
As noted above
(and the view favored by the majority of conservative commentaries) the
plain sense of this verse favors that those who are according to
the flesh are the unsaved, the unredeemed, the unregenerate as
discussed below. As the apostle points out
a few verses later, the unsaved not only are according to the flesh but
are in the flesh and are not indwelt by the Holy Spirit, The saved, on
the other hand, not only are according to the Spirit but are in the
Spirit and indwelt by Him (see note on
Romans 8:9).
Set...mind
(5426) (phroneo from phren =
literally the diaphragm and thus that which curbs or restrains.
Figuratively, phren is the supposed seat of all mental and emotional
activity) refers to the basic orientation, bent, and
thought patterns of the mind, rather than to the mind or intellect
itself (that is the Greek word nous). Phroneo includes a person’s
affections and will as well as his reasoning. In other words
phroneo refers not simply to intellectual activity but also to direction
and purpose of heart.
Richards
writes that phroneo...
in particular expresses the idea of
thinking or judging in a neutral way. The context indicates the content
of what is being thought. (Richards,
L O: Expository Dictionary of Bible Words: Regency)
It means to to
give careful consideration to something and thus to set one’s mind on,
to be intent on or to have a mental disposition for, to keep on giving
serious consideration to something, to ponder, to let one’s mind dwell
on, to keep thinking about, to fix one’s attention on. (see note
Colossians 3:2)
Vine
comments that in
Colossians 3:2
phroneo
"signifies the whole action of the mind, not merely the thinking power,
the reasoning, but the set purpose of the mind, and is thus used in a
distinctly spiritual sense. (Vine,
W. Collected writings of W. E. Vine. Nashville: Thomas Nelson
)
Phroneo
means to employ one’s faculty for thoughtful planning, with emphasis
upon the underlying disposition or attitude. Phroneo leads one
through the process of evaluating a situation and, on the basis of our
evaluation, adopting an attitude or disposition to act (see note
Philippians 2:5)
Phroneo can
mean to have an opinion with regard to something, to think or to judge (1Cor
13:11,
Acts 28:22).
Vincent
remarks that phroneo...
denotes a general disposition of the
mind rather than a specific act of thought directed at a given point.
Vine writes
that phroneo means...
“to think,” “to form a judgment”; but
in the New Testament never merely “to hold an opinion,” always it is
contemplated that action will be taken upon the judgment formed, cp.
Philippians 4:10 (note)...(phroneo)
implies moral interest or reflection, not mere unreasoning opinion. (Ibid
)
Phroneo is
used 28 times in the NAS (Matt
16:23;
Mark 8:33;
Acts 28:22
;
Ro 8:5; 11:20; 12:3, 16; 14:6; 15:5
;
1 Cor 13:11
; 2 Cor 13:11;
Gal 5:10
;
Phil 1:7; 2:2, 5; 3:15, 19; 4:2, 10
;
Col 3:2)
and is translated adopt...view, 1; conceited, 1; concern, 1; concerned,
1; feel, 1; have...attitude, 3; intent on...purpose, 1; live in harmony,
1; mind, 4; observes, 2; set their minds, 2; set your mind, 1; setting
your mind, 2; think, 3; views, 1
Phroneo is
found 7 times in the
Septuagint (LXX)
(Deut 32:29; Est 8:12; Ps 94:8; Isa 44:18, 28; 56:10; Zech 9:2)
Note the
present tense
in Romans 8:5
depicts this action as the continual practice or mindset. The
object of their thinking and striving is fleshly. Their mind is
continually regulated by the flesh. These are unbelievers
whose basic disposition is to satisfy the cravings of their unredeemed
flesh. They obey the impulses of the flesh. They live to gratify the
desires of the corrupt nature. They cater to the body, which in a few
short years will return to dust.
Mounce has
an interesting comment noting that...
People’s decisions about how they
intend to live determines how they think about things. Moral choice
precedes and determines intellectual orientation. People do not think
themselves into the way they act but act themselves into the way they
think. Ethical decision, more often than misguided reason, lies at the
heart of error. (Mounce,
R. H. Romans: The New American Commentary. Broadman & Holman Publishers)
KJV Bible
Commentary writes that phroneo...
means to have something as the habit
of your thought; something in which you place a total interest. Those
who place their total interest in the things of the flesh cannot have
their interest in the things of God. (Dobson,
E G, Charles Feinberg, E Hindson, Woodrow Kroll, H L. Wilmington: KJV
Bible Commentary: Nelson)
Wuest
comments that in Romans 8:5 phroneo
"speaks of a deliberate setting of one’s mind upon a certain thing.
The unsaved person, habitually dominated by the indwelling
sinful nature...(Phroneo) speaks of a deliberate setting of one’s mind
upon a certain thing. The unsaved person is dominated by the evil nature
habitually and as habitually puts his mind on those things that the
sinful nature has always welling up within itself, the things of sin."
(Wuest,
K. S. Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: Studies in the
Vocabulary of the Greek New Testament: Grand Rapids: Eerdmans)
(Bolding Added)
Paul uses phroneo in
Philippians, where he tells the saints at Philippi
make my joy complete by being of the same mind,
(phroneo) maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on
one purpose (phroneo).... (and to) Have this attitude
(phroneo) in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus." (see note
Philippians 2:2;
2:5)
Writing to the Colossians after
having just presented two chapters of doctrine dealing with the
supremacy of Christ Who is in them and is their hope (certainty) of
glory, Paul exhorts the saints...
Set your mind (phroneo
-
present imperative = habitually, command) on the things above,
not on the things that are on earth. (see note
Colossians 3:2)
Paul teaches elsewhere that the man who is
living dominated or controlled by the
flesh
does
not welcome the things of the Spirit writing that
a natural (psuchikos - governed by
sensual appetites and living apart from the Spirit of God) man (born
into Adam and not regenerated in Christ = still "in Adam", not "in
Christ") does not (ou = absolute
negation!) accept (dechomai
= deliberately and readily, receive kindly, they do not "put out a
welcome mat"! =
present tense) the things of the Spirit of God (because the Truth of
God given by the Spirit calls for a decision - "Am I going to continue
to do it my way or God's way?"); for they are foolishness (moria
= that which is considered intellectually weak, irrational. From
"moros" dull, stupid >"moronic" = same word is used to describe the
Gentiles who are perishing) to him, and he cannot (dunamai
=
present tense
= have intrinsic power - natural men lack the inner, inherent ability
and resources on their own to =
absolutely lacks the
inherent, internal enablement to) understand (ginosko = know by experience) them,
because they are spiritually appraised (Sanakrino = sift up and down
and so to scrutinize, to examine accurately and carefully with exact
research like in legal processes). (1Cor
2:14)
This individual
neither comprehends God's Truth nor even desires to do so. To reiterate, phroneo speaks of a deliberate setting of one’s mind upon a
certain thing. The unsaved person is dominated by the evil nature
habitually and habitually sets their mind on those things that the
sinful nature has always welling up within itself, the things of sin.
The basic disposition of an unredeemed, unregenerate person is one who
continually chooses to
“indulge the flesh in its
corrupt desires” (see note on
2 Peter 2:10).
The flesh, the
principle of rebellion within in man (see below), produces a certain
pattern and way of thinking. Likewise, the Holy Spirit produces a
certain pattern and way of thinking.
Unregenerate individuals (not born
from above, not new creations in Christ) are...
"enemies of the cross of Christ,
whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory
is in their shame, who set their minds (phroneo =
present tense = continually) on earthly things." (see
note
Philippians 3:18;
3:19).
William Newell
writes that...
The distinction between these two
classes is as real as that between the sheep and goat nations at
Christ's coming, or between those written in the book of life and those
not written, at the last judgment. An unconquerable sadness rises in our
hearts at the fact that after these centuries upon centuries of Divine
dealing with man, and especially since the gospel has been preached, as
Paul declares, "in all creation under heaven" (see note
Colossians 1:23), there are yet
those like Cain, Esau, Balaam, Saul, Judas, that are according to flesh.
Alas, this description includes the mass of our race, for it is only "a
little flock" that can be described as being according to Spirit.
Now all those according to flesh cherish, desire, are occupied
with, and absorbed in, talk of, think of, follow after, the things of
flesh; those according to Spirit, likewise discern, value, love, are
absorbed in, the things of Spirit.*
Those according to flesh "mind" the
flesh's things: its physical lusts, gluttony, uncleanness,
slothfulness; its soulical lusts, mental delights, pleasures of the
imagination, esthetic indulgences or "tastes" whether art, music,
sculpture, or what not; its spiritual lusts, of pride, envy,
malice, avarice: in a word, every unclean thing, and every good thing
used by unclean persons, that is, persons not cleansed by the blood of
Christ, not new creatures in Him. Then, too, there is the "religion"
of the flesh, which includes all not of and in the Holy Ghost.
(Romans 8: Expository Notes Verse by Verse)
Wayne Barber explains that
"What Paul is doing in
this section is contrasting a LOST and a SAVED person - this
may seem obvious but there are some respected commentaries and
pastors who hold that Paul is simply referring to a saved man who
is struggling with the FLESH. (we know that although we are no
longer "in the flesh", the Bible clearly teaches that the
flesh is
still in us (see
Sarx #4b), in these mortal bodies - the difference now that we
are in Christ is that we can say "yes" to Jesus and "no" to the
FLESH).
Those who
"set their minds on the things of the flesh" are
doing so as a lifestyle. This is the habit of their lives because the verb "set
minds on"
is in the
present tense. "Set
minds on"
is the single Greek word phroneo which speaks of a mind devoted to something, a determined
focus set on something and means more than just the mind that
entertains thoughts, etc. It is a fixed mindset. It is all the
person lives for. Those who are in Adam (a "in the flesh") live to
gratify the strong impulses (desires) of their corrupt (in Adam0
nature and they know no other way. From birth because of their
inherited Sin nature inherited from Adam their minds are continuously fixed
on the things which are displeasing to God.
The contrasting
mindset is the person who continually or habitually has their mind
focused on the things of the Spirit. To help understand what has
happened to the mind of a person who is now in Christ, let's look
at a similar word (sophronismos) in
2 Timothy 1:7
(click
note) where Paul is exhorting
young Timothy
"For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but
of power and love and discipline (KJV = sound mind = sophronismos)"
When I was
in Adam my mind was fixed a certain way - it was on the
"AM Radio Band" so to speak. When Christ came into my life and placed me
in Christ, He "re-programmed" my mind to the "FM
Band", a totally
different focus now compared to when I was in Adam. The word for
"discipline" (sophronismos) is derived from sozo
meaning "salvation" and phren meaning "mind".
Taken
together the Greek word translated "discipline"
pictures a man with a "saved" "mind" (in fact
1Co 2:16 says
believers now "have the mind of Christ").
"When Christ rescued my dead spirit from in Adam and He took up residence in my body, He also rescued
my mind and gave me a "saved mind" . When we were in
Adam, there was
only one way our mind could think and that was on the things of
the
flesh. When I came to Christ the Spirit changed my mind so to
speak from "AM" to "FM". This doesn't' mean we won't occasionally
drift back into "AM band thinking" and acting, but it
does mean that because of repentance (a change of thinking that
produces a change of direction in my life) there is now a general
bent or orientation of our "saved mind" toward Christ and the
things of the Spirit. And even when we stray off course, His
Spirit chastens and disciplines and scourges and brings us back so
that we continually set our minds on the things of God."
Godet writes that...
To be after the flesh, is to be
inwardly governed by it, as the natural man always is. The part here
referred to is the deepest source of the moral life, whence the will is
constantly drawing its impulses and direction. Hence the consequence:
they are preoccupied with the things of the flesh, aspire after them.
The word phroneo is one of those terms which it is difficult to render
in French, because it includes at once thinking and willing. (Godet, F
L: The Epistle of St Paul to the Romans)
Moule comments that...
they who are flesh-wise, the
unchanged children of the self-life, think, “mind,” have moral affinity
and converse with, the things of the flesh; but they who are
Spirit-wise, think the things of the Spirit, His love, joy, peace (Moule,
C. G. The Epistle of St Paul to the Romans. Ages)
Cranfield writes...
We take Paul’s meaning in this verse
then to be that those who allow the direction of their lives to be
determined by the flesh are actually taking the flesh’s side in the
conflict between the Spirit of God and the flesh, while those who allow
the Spirit to determine the direction of their lives are taking the
Spirit’s side. (Cranfield, C. E. B. A Critical and Exegetical
Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans . London; New York: T&T Clark
International)
Robert Haldane adds this
comment on phroneo noting that...
The word here translated “mind,”
(KJV "For they that are after the flesh do mind -phroneo -
the things of the flesh") includes both the understanding and the
affections, and signifies the strong bent of the mind regarding the
object desired. The minding of the flesh comprehends all the faculties
of man in his unregenerate state, there being no power of the mind
exempt from sin. If, then, a man walks according to the flesh, seeking
acceptance with God by his own works, moral or ceremonial, however
earnest or sincere he may be in his endeavors, he will remain under the
prevalence and dominion of sinful appetites. Such persons have their
minds intent on the things that gratify their corrupt nature. They have
no relish for spiritual things; whatever they may be induced to do from
dread of punishment, or hope of reward in a future world, their desires
are, in reality, centered in the things of this world. Whatever may be
their profession of religion, their hearts are supremely engrossed with
earthly things (cf note
Philippians 3:19-
whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose
glory is in their shame, who set their minds - continually - on
earthly things ); and for these, if they could obtain their wish
through eternity, they would gladly barter all the glories of heaven. In
one word, they mind the things of the flesh, they love the world,
and all that is in the world. “If any man love the world, the love of
the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the
flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the
Father, but is of the world (1John 2:15-16).” (Haldane,
R. An Exposition on the Epistle to the Romans)
(Bolding added)
Flesh (4561)
(sarx) is used 147 times in the NT (in table below click book
title for uses of sarx). Note that a simple definition of sarx is
somewhat difficult because sarx has many nuances (some Greek
lexicons list up to 11 definitions for sarx!). The diligent
disciple must carefully observe the
context
of in order to discern which nuance is intended. The range of meaning
extends from the substance flesh (both human and animal), to the human
body, to the entire person, and to all humankind. Refer to the table
below for the 4 basic definitions of sarx in Strong's Lexicon.
|
Matthew 5x;
Mark 3x;
Luke 2x;
John 12x;
Acts 3x;
Romans 22x;
1 Corinthians 8x;2 Corinthians
9x;
Galatians 16x;
Ephesians
7x;
Philippians
4x;
Colossians 9x;
1 Timothy
1x;
Philemon
1x;
Hebrews 6x;
James 1x;
1 Peter 6x;
2 Peter 2x;
1 John 2x;
2 John 1x;
Jude 3x;
Revelation
3x
The NAS
translates sarx as: (147) - bodily, 1; bodily condition, 1;
body, 2; earth, 1; earthly, 1; fellow countrymen, 1; flesh, 129;
fleshly, 4; life, 3; man, 1; mankind, 1; nation, 1; personally, 1.
Note that
over 50% (75x) of the NT uses of SARX are by Paul. Note also the
concentration in
Romans 22x
and
Galatians 16x. |
Flesh in
the moral/ethical or spiritual sense (see analysis of sarx below)
as used by Paul in Romans 8:5 (and in many other passages - see box
below) describes the outlook orientated toward self, is prone to
sin, is opposed to God and which pursues its own ends in
self-sufficient, independence from God. Flesh is the ugly complex of
human sinful desires that includes the ungodly motives, affections,
principles, purposes, words, and actions that sin generates through our
bodies. Sarx as used in this manner denotes the entire fallen
human being—not just the sinful body but the entire being, including the
soul and mind, as affected by sin. To live according to the flesh is to
be ruled and controlled by that evil complex. Because of Christ’s saving
work on our behalf, the sinful flesh no longer reigns over us, to
debilitate us and drag us back into the pit of depravity into which we
were all born.
Flesh in
the moral/ethical or spiritual sense is that urge within us toward total
autonomy and rebellion, toward being our own little gods accountable to
no one, responsible to no one, obeying no one, respecting no one, and
running our own little worlds to suit ourselves. It is that continual
tug of self-centeredness and selfishness within each of us that keeps us
from being completely His.
Born again believers need to
understand that there is still this remnant of the flesh within our physical bodies of flesh. In contrast to the unregenerate
man, believers now have the power led by the Holy Spirit to say "yes" to
God and "no" to the flesh, whereas before Romans 6 (see
notes on
Ro 6:1-3;
6:4-5;
6:6-7;
6:8-10;
6:11) took place we had no choice. Paul
teaches clearly that the flesh is opposed to Spirit. The unbeliever can
live only in the flesh, but the believer can live in the Spirit
but can fall back into living according to the Spirit. Paul repeatedly
encourages believers to overcome the deeds of the flesh in the only way
possible - by living in the Spirit.
To live according to the flesh is to be ruled and
controlled by the flesh. Because of Christ’s saving work on our
behalf, the sinful flesh no longer reigns over us, to debilitate us and
drag us back into the pit of depravity into which we were all born.
J Vernon McGee
has a simple classificatio