Romans 8 · Verse 2

Romans 8:2

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

Romans 8:2, King James Version

Romans 8:2 in other translations

BSB	For in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set you free from the law of sin and death.
WEB	For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and of death.
ASV	For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and of death.
YLT	for the law of the Spirit of the life in Christ Jesus did set me free from the law of the sin and of the death;
DARBY	For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and of death.
BBE	For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
Webster	For the law of the Spirit of life, in Christ Jesus, hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

What does Romans 8:2 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

2. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free--rather, "freed me"--referring to the time of his conversion, when first he believed. from the law of sin and death--It is the Holy Ghost who is here called "the Spirit of life," as opening up in the souls of believers a fountain of spiritual life (see on Joh 7:38, 39); just as He is called "the Spirit of truth," as "guiding them into all truth" (Joh 16:13), and "the Spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord" (Is 11:2), as the inspirer of these qualities. And He is called "the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus," because it is as members of Christ that He takes up His abode in believers, who in consequence of this have one life with their Head. And as the word "law" here has the same meaning as in Ro 7:23, namely, "an inward principle of action, operating with the fixedness and regularity of a law," it thus appears that "the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus" here means, "that new principle of action which the Spirit of Christ has opened up within us--the law of our new being." This "sets us free," as soon as it takes possession of our inner man, "from the law of sin and death" that is, from the enslaving power of that corrupt principle which carries death in its bosom. The "strong man armed" is overpowered by the "stronger than he"; the weaker principle is dethroned and expelled by the more powerful; the principle of spiritual life prevails against and brings into captivity the principle of spiritual death--"leading captivity captive." If this be the apostle's meaning, the whole verse is to this effect: That the triumph of believers over their inward corruption, through the power of Christ's Spirit in them, proves them to be in Christ Jesus, and as such absolved from condemnation. But this is now explained more fully.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes

Verse 2. For the law. The word law here means that rule, command, or influence which "the Spirit of life" produces. That exerts a control which is here called a law, for a law often means anything by which we are ruled or governed. Rom 7:21, Rom 7:23.

Of the Spirit. I see no reason to doubt here that this refers to the Holy Spirit. Evidently, at the close of Rom 8:1, the word has this reference. The phrase "the Spirit of life" then means the Holy Spirit producing or giving life; i.e. giving peace, joy, activity, salvation; in opposition to the law, spoken of in chapter 7, that produced death and condemnation.

In Christ Jesus. Under the Christian religion: or sent by Christ to apply his work to men, Jn 16:7-14. The Spirit is sent by Christ; his influence is a part of the Christian scheme; and his power accomplishes that which the law could not do.

Hath made me free. That is, has delivered me from the predominating influence and control of sin. He cannot mean that he was perfect, for the whole tenor of his reasoning is opposed to that. But the design, the tendency, and the spirit of the gospel was to produce this freedom from what the law could not deliver; and he was now brought under the general power of this scheme. In the former state he was under a most bitter and galling bondage, Rom 7:7-11. Now he was brought under the influence of a scheme which contemplated freedom, and which produced it.

The law of sin and death. The controlling influence of sin, leading to death and condemnation, Rom 7:5-11.

(f) "life in Christ" 2Cor 3:6. (g) "free from the law" Gal 2:19, 5:1.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 2 For the law of the Spirit of life - The Gospel of the grace of Christ, which is not only a law or rule of life, but affords that sovereign energy by which guilt is removed from the conscience, the power of sin broken, and its polluting influence removed from the heart. The law was a spirit of death, by which those who were under it were bound down, because of their sin, to condemnation and death. The Gospel proclaims Jesus the Savior; and what the law bound unto death, It looses unto life eternal. And thus the apostle says, whether of himself or the man whom he is still personating, the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. Most people allow that St. Paul is here speaking of his own state; and this state is so totally different from that described in the preceding chapter, that it is absolutely impossible that they should have been the state of the same being, at one and the same time. No creature could possibly be carnal, sold under sin, brought into captivity to the law of sin and death; and at the same time be made free from that law of sin and death, by the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus! Until the most palpable absurdities and contradictions can be reconciled, these two opposite states can never exist in the same person at the same time.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Romans 8:1-9

Believers may be chastened of the Lord, but will not be condemned with the world. By their union with Christ through faith, they are thus secured. What is the principle of their walk; the flesh or the Spirit, the old or the new nature, corruption or grace? For which of these do we make provision, by which are we governed? The unrenewed will is unable to keep any commandment fully. And the law, besides outward…

Read the full comment on Romans 8:1-9 →

Romans 8:2 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ὁho<the>G3588

γὰρgarForG1063

νόμοςnomosthe lawG3551

τοῦtouof theG3588

πνεύματοςpneumatosSpiritG4151

τῆςtēs<the>G3588

ζωῆςzōēsof lifeG2222

ἐνeninG1722

ΧριστῷChristōChristG5547

ἸησοῦIēsouJesusG2424

ἠλευθέρωσένēleutherōsenhas set freeG1659

σεseyouG4771

ἀπὸapofromG575

τοῦtoutheG3588

νόμουnomoulawG3551

τῆςtēs<the>G3588

ἁμαρτίαςhamartiasof sinG266

καὶkaiandG2532

τοῦtou<the>G3588

θανάτου.thanatouof death.G2288

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Romans 8:2

Romans 6:14
For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
2 Corinthians 3:17
Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
Romans 6:18
Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
2 Corinthians 3:6
Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
Romans 8:10-11
And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But 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.
1 Corinthians 15:45
And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
John 8:36
If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
John 8:32
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Romans 6:22
But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
Romans 7:4
Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
John 6:63
It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
John 4:10
Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

For.
3:27; Joh 8:36
Spirit.
10,11; Joh 4:10,14; 6:63; 7:38,39; 1Co 15:45; 2Co 3:6; Re 11:11; 22:1
hath.
6:18,22; Ps 51:12; Joh 8:32; 2Co 3:17; Ga 2:19; 5:1
from.
5:21; 7:21,24,25

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Romans 8:1
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Romans 8:2
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
Romans 8:3
For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

Read all of Romans 8

Romans 8:2 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Porque la ley del Espíritu de vida en Cristo Jesús me ha librado de la ley del pecado y de la muerte.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	car la loi de l’Esprit de vie dans le christ Jésus, m’a affranchi de la loi du péché et de la mort;
German Elberfelder 1871	Denn das Gesetz des Geistes des Lebens in Christo Jesu hat mich freigemacht von dem Gesetz der Sünde und des Todes.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Lex enim spiritus vitæ in Christo Jesu liberavit me a lege peccati et mortis.