Romans 8:12–17 — Two ways of life, two results
12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For 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. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. -NKJV
Reading the passage phrase by phrase
The preceding verses have established that there are two realms, two dominions. They are places or locations, realities (in the flesh and in the spirit). But after learning that the believer has been transferred or placed into Christ the moment they are justified, we also learned the contrast between κατὰ σάρκα (“according to flesh”) and κατὰ πνεῦμα (“according to Spirit”) - and these are conditions in which the believer walks according to.
There are no grammatical imperatives in Romans 8:12–17. Paul states conditions, actions, identities, and consequences through indicative verbs, infinitives, participles, and conditional constructions.
Now in verse 12 he says:
Romans 8:12
“Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.”
“Therefore”
Paul is connecting this statement with everything that has come before.
The word is οὖν (oun) — “therefore,” “then,” or “so.”
“Therefore” gathers up what Paul has just established as a matter of unchangeable reality to those in Christ.
- Those who are in Christ Jesus are not under condemnation.
- They have been set free from the law of sin and death.
- God has acted through His Son, and the Spirit of God dwells in them.
- Paul has contrasted the flesh, which leads to death, with the Spirit, which is life and peace.
And there is an especially strong connection between 8:9–11 and 8:12–13:
- 8:9: “ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit”
- 8:10: “the Spirit is life”
- 8:11: “his Spirit that dwelleth in you”
Paul is not beginning a disconnected subject. He is drawing out what follows from what he has already said.
“brethren”
“Therefore, brethren…”
Paul addresses them as brothers and sisters within the family of believers.
“we are debtors”
“…we are debtors…”
The Greek is ὀφειλέται ἐσμέν.
ἐσμέν is present tense: “we are.”
Paul says “we.” He includes himself with those he is addressing.
But then he immediately tells us what we are not debtors to.
“not to the flesh”
“…not to the flesh…”
There is no obligation to the flesh that requires us to live according to it.
That leads directly to the next phrase.
“to live after the flesh”
“…to live after the flesh.”
The Greek construction is τοῦ κατὰ σάρκα ζῆν.
Paul has already used this language repeatedly in Romans 8. In verse 5 he described those who are “after the flesh” as minding the things of the flesh, while those who are “after the Spirit” mind the things of the Spirit.
So verse 12 brings us back to that contrast.
We are not debtors to the flesh to live according to the flesh.
Verse 13 now explains why not live according to the flesh.
Romans 8:13
“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.”
“For”
Paul says “For” because verse 13 explains verse 12.
Why are we not debtors to the flesh to live according to the flesh?
Because there are two different ways of living, with two different results.
“if ye live after the flesh”
“For if ye live after the flesh…”
Notice something important here.
Verse 12 said “we are.” Verse 13 changes to “you.”
The verbs are second-person plural:
- ζῆτε — you live
- μέλλετε — you are going to
- θανατοῦτε — you put to death
- ζήσεσθε — you will live
So Paul moves from “we” to directly addressing “you.”
English could express the general principle as “if one lives this way,” but “you” preserves what Paul actually says. He is applying the matter directly to those hearing the letter. Remember, he just said, therefore brethren.
“ye shall die”
“…ye shall die…”
Paul’s wording is “you are going to die.”
The future result is placed directly against the way a person is living.
“but”
“…but if ye through the Spirit…”
Now Paul gives the other side of the contrast.
“do mortify the deeds of the body”
“…do mortify the deeds of the body…”
“Mortify” means put to death.
It is present tense.
Paul is describing what is being done: putting to death the deeds of the body.
And notice that he does not simply say “put the body to death.” He says:
“the deeds of the body.”
The focus is on what the body does — its deeds.
And this is done “through the Spirit.”
Paul has already spent this chapter contrasting life according to the flesh with life according to the Spirit. Here he brings that contrast directly into the way a person lives.
“ye shall live”
“…ye shall live.”
Again, Paul puts the result alongside the action.
Verse 13 therefore gives us the contrast very plainly:
Live according to the flesh → die. Through the Spirit, put to death the deeds of the body → live.
This connects with what Paul said earlier in Romans.
In Romans 6:16, Paul explains that when we present ourselves to someone as servants, we become that one’s servants, and the one we serve is the one we obey.
Romans 6:19 makes the comparison even clearer. Paul says that just as they had previously presented their members as servants to uncleanness and iniquity, so now they were to present their members as servants to righteousness.
So the sequence is not that we present ourselves in order to obey. Rather, we present ourselves, that presentation places us in the service of one master, and our obedience follows from that relationship.
Paul now continues that line of thought in Romans 8. The contrast is no longer described simply as sin and righteousness, but as flesh and Spirit.
We are not debtors to the flesh to live according to the flesh. Instead, through the Spirit we put to death the deeds of the body, and we live.
Romans 8:12–13 is therefore continuing the same line of thought Paul developed in Romans 6: what governs the way we live produces a corresponding result.
Romans 8:14
“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.”
“For”
Again, Paul is explaining what has just been said.
Verse 13 spoke about living according to the flesh or putting to death the deeds of the body through the Spirit.
Verse 14 now says:
“as many as are led by the Spirit of God”
This is where Paul narrows his description.
He does not simply say “all believers are sons of God.”
He says:
“as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”
The Greek structure is:
ὅσοι — as many as ἄγονται — are led οὗτοι — these εἰσιν υἱοὶ θεοῦ — are sons of God
The two sides correspond.
Paul identifies the ones he is talking about by what is happening in their lives:
they are being led by the Spirit of God.
“Are led” is present tense.
Paul therefore describes an ongoing activity of the Spirit.
And notice how this follows verse 13.
Verse 13 spoke of:
“through the Spirit”
putting to death the deeds of the body.
Verse 14 speaks of:
“being led by the Spirit of God.”
Paul is continuing to describe the Spirit’s active ministry in the lives of these people.
The Spirit is not merely presented as something they possess. Paul is describing the Spirit actively leading them.
And those whom Paul identifies as being led by the Spirit—
“these are sons of God.”
The word Paul uses here is υἱοί — sons.
That is important because Paul does not use τέκνα — children here. He uses υἱοί — sons.
We should allow Paul to make that distinction rather than flattening the two words into one.
At this point in Paul’s argument, the ones being described are:
“as many as are led by the Spirit of God.”
And these are called:
“sons of God.”
The Spirit’s active leading is therefore directly connected with Paul’s identification of these people as sons of God.
That prepares us for what Paul says next.
Romans 8:15
“For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.”
Paul now explains further what he means.
“For ye have not received”
The verb ἐλάβετε is aorist tense: “you received.”
And he gives the negative first.
“the spirit of bondage again to fear”
“…the spirit of bondage again to fear…”
The words are πνεῦμα δουλείας — “spirit of bondage” or “spirit of slavery.”
And it is connected with:
“again to fear.”
Paul is describing something they have not received again.
Then comes the contrast.
“but ye have received”
“…but ye have received…”
The same verb appears again:
ἐλάβετε — “you received.”
Paul deliberately sets the two things against each other:
You have not received… but you have received…
“the Spirit of adoption”
“…the Spirit of adoption…”
The word υἱοθεσία is translated “adoption.”
Paul has introduced another important word into the passage.
In verse 14 he called the Spirit-led ones “sons of God.”
Here he speaks of “adoption.”
These are not disconnected statements. Paul is continuing to describe the same people and the same Spirit.
The Spirit by whom they are being led is now described in connection with adoption.
“whereby we cry”
“…whereby we cry…”
The Greek is ἐν ᾧ κράζομεν.
It can be expressed naturally as “in whom” or “by whom.” The relative pronoun points back to the Spirit.
Here Paul changes again.
Verse 15 began with:
“ye have received.”
Now he says:
“we cry.”
So Paul is again including himself:
you have received… we cry…
The present tense κράζομεν means “we cry” or “we call out.”
And what do they cry?
“Abba, Father”
“Abba, Father.”
Paul preserves the word Abba and then gives the corresponding word Father.
The point in the sentence is straightforward: those who have received the Spirit of adoption are described as calling upon God as Father.
The Spirit is therefore still active in the progression Paul is describing:
led by the Spirit → Spirit of adoption → “Abba, Father.”
That prepares for verse 16.
Romans 8:16
“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.”
“The Spirit itself”
“The Spirit itself…”
Paul continues speaking about the Spirit.
Notice the continuity:
- 8:14: Spirit of God
- 8:15: Spirit of adoption
- 8:16: the Spirit Himself
Paul is continuing with the Spirit’s ministry.
“beareth witness with our spirit”
“…beareth witness with our spirit…”
The verb is συμμαρτυρεῖ, present tense.
It means bears witness with or testifies together with.
Paul therefore describes the Spirit as bearing witness with our spirit.
“that we are the children of God”
“…that we are the children of God.”
Now Paul uses another word:
τέκνα — children.
This is worth noticing.
Paul has not simply repeated the word he used in verse 14.
The progression is:
- verse 14: υἱοί — sons of God
- verse 15: υἱοθεσία — adoption
- verse 16: τέκνα — children of God
We should not erase that progression by saying that υἱοί and τέκνα are simply interchangeable words and therefore nothing has changed.
At the same time, we do not need to impose a rigid definition on the words that Paul himself does not give.
What we can see is what Paul actually does with them.
He first identifies those who are led by the Spirit as sons.
He then speaks of the Spirit of adoption, through whom they cry, “Abba, Father.”
Then the Spirit Himself bears witness with their spirit that they are children of God.
And Paul immediately takes that word into verse 17.
Romans 8:17
“And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.”
This verse takes the statement of verse 16 and carries it forward.
“And if children”
“And if children…”
The Greek is εἰ δὲ τέκνα.
The verb “are” is understood.
So the thought is:
“If [we are] children…”
Paul has just said:
“we are the children of God.”
Verse 17 continues directly from that statement.
“then heirs”
“…then heirs…”
Again, the verb “are” is understood:
“If children, then [we are] heirs.”
This is an important connection because Paul makes it himself.
The explicit sequence is:
children → heirs.
Paul now explains whose heirs they are.
“heirs of God”
“…heirs of God…”
The word is κληρονόμοι — heirs.
Paul says:
“heirs of God.”
Then he adds another description.
“and joint-heirs with Christ”
“…and joint-heirs with Christ…”
The word συνκληρονόμοι includes the idea of sharing the inheritance with another.
So Paul moves from:
children
to:
heirs of God
to:
joint-heirs with Christ.
The progression is in the text itself.
This is also consistent with what Paul says elsewhere. In Galatians 3:26 he says:
“For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.”
And in Galatians 3:29:
“And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
But Romans 8:17 gives us the direct statement we need:
“if children, then heirs.”
“if so be that we suffer with him”
“…if so be that we suffer with him…”
Now Paul introduces suffering.
The verb συμπάσχομεν is present tense:
“we suffer with.”
Notice the change back to “we.”
Paul has included himself again.
The word itself joins the experience of suffering to Christ:
συν- — with πάσχω — suffer
So Paul says:
“we suffer with him.”
This is not simply suffering for Him or suffering because of Him.
Paul uses a word that joins our suffering with Christ.
And this fits the pattern Paul has already established in Romans.
Romans 6 spoke of being united with Christ in His death and resurrection.
Romans 8:13 speaks of putting to death the deeds of the body through the Spirit and living.
Now Romans 8:17 speaks of suffering with Christ and being glorified together with Him.
The thought is participation with Christ:
with Christ in suffering → with Christ in glory.
“that we may be also glorified together”
“…that we may be also glorified together.”
The verb is συνδοξασθῶμεν.
Again we have the idea of being together.
Paul has placed these two statements beside each other:
“we suffer with him” “we may be also glorified together.”
The passage therefore ends by bringing the thought of sharing with Christ into both parts of the statement.
Paul is not presenting suffering as an unrelated condition suddenly attached to inheritance.
He has been developing a pattern of participation with Christ:
death with Christ → life with Christ
and now:
suffering with Christ → glorification with Christ.
The flow of the passage
Romans 8:12–17 has been building a continuous argument:
not debtors to the flesh → live not according to the flesh → through the Spirit put to death the deeds of the body → live → as many as are led by the Spirit → these are sons of God → Spirit of adoption → “Abba, Father” → the Spirit bears witness → children of God → if children, then heirs → heirs of God → joint-heirs with Christ → suffer with Christ → glorified together with Christ
The important thing is that Paul does not flatten this progression.
He begins with the contrast between flesh and Spirit.
Through the Spirit, the deeds of the body are put to death, and the result is life.
Then he identifies a particular group:
“as many as are led by the Spirit of God.”
These are the ones he calls sons of God.
He then speaks of the Spirit of adoption, through whom they cry, “Abba, Father.”
Then the Spirit Himself bears witness that they are children of God.
And from children, Paul draws the next conclusion:
“then heirs.”
Those heirs are:
“heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ.”
And those who are joint-heirs with Christ are described as suffering with Him, with the corresponding expectation that they will be glorified together with Him.
So the Spirit’s role is not incidental to Paul’s argument.
The Spirit is active:
through the Spirit the deeds of the body are put to death;
by the Spirit’s leading Paul identifies “as many as” as sons;
through the Spirit of adoption they cry, “Abba, Father”;
and the Spirit Himself bears witness that they are children of God.
Paul is therefore showing us what characterizes those who are being led by the Spirit, and where that Spirit-led life is taking them:
life → sonship → adoption → childhood → inheritance → sharing with Christ in suffering → sharing with Christ in glory.